How to cook belly slices
Not only is cooking pork belly slices easy, but it’s also practically hands-free since the oven handles most of the cooking. It is just like cooking sausages or bacon in the oven but with an additional time because of the thickness and the desired crispness you may be aiming for. In case you don’t know this, the best way to cook pork belly slices is in the oven or the air fryer. The oven gives you crispy, juicy meat every time without the meat drying out. Consider today’s recipe as a guide to roasting pork belly in the oven. This cooking method is fuss-free and you only require a handful of ingredients and about 5 minutes of prepping time. This recipe will work for pork belly slabs or slices (strips) which is what I am using today. You will love this recipe because it is super easy to make, packed full of flavor yet economical. I used homemade seasoning on this meat but you can use any seasoning you love.
Pork belly seasoning
Here’s what you’ll need to make the pork belly seasoning. The following 6 ingredients will give your meat an instant boost of flavor. Smoked paprika Garlic granules: substitute with garlic powder Chinese 5 spice Brown sugar Cayenne pepper Salt Pork belly slices you may also know it as pork belly strips. Select one with a good ratio of meat to fat and a thickness of about 1 inch or more.
How to cook pork belly slices in the oven
Preheat the oven to 400F/200C and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a small bowl, combine smoked paprika, Chinese 5 spice, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, garlic granules, and salt, and mix until well combined. set aside. Pat the pork belly dry with a kitchen paper towel Using a sharp knife, score the fat in a crosshatch pattern. This will help the fat render out and also allows the seasoning to penetrate the meat and then transfer to a bowl Add the seasoning to the pork slices and mix until the meat is well coated. Arrange them on a baking sheet in a single layer on their sides spacing them out to give them breathing space while roasting. Bake in the oven until golden brown, crispy, and the fat rendered for about 40 to 50 minutes flipping it halfway through the cooking time. Also, carefully drain the liquid content from the tray halfway before flipping. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce. I love mine with a little bit of sweet chili sauce. Enjoy! PS: if after roasting and the pork strips are not browned enough to your liking, you should place it under the broiler for another 5 minutes to achieve the perfect crispness.
Sticky sauce variations
You can coat the stips with any favorite sauce of choice from BBQ sauce, sweet chili sauce, or honey soy sauce 15 minutes before the end of cooking time. The above sauces will caramelize and thicken up beautifully as the pork belly cooks.
How to store leftovers
Place the pork belly slices in an airtight container after it is completely cooled and refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, reheat in the oven at 350F/180C until warmed through. You could also reheat it in the air fryer at 180C/365F for 3 to 4 minutes until warmed through.
What to serve with pork belly slices
These are some of the ways I like to serve this delicious meat, I love to serve it with vegetables or other sides or mains Cauliflower rice Egg fried rice Creamy mashed potatoes Steamed broccoli Cucumber tomato salad
Do I need to cover pork belly when roasting
No, you don’t need to. in fact, it’s better not to because you want the pork belly to crisp up.
Can I make this ahead
Yes, you can add the seasoning to the pork and marinate for up to 24 hours in the fridge. When you are ready to cook ensure you bring the meat to room temperature before roasting.
More pork recipes you will love
Baked pork steak recipe Pork rub seasoning Oven baked pork chops Air fryer pork steak Honey garlic pork chops Pigs in blanket Air fryer sausages And there you have it, a simple and delicious baked pork belly slices recipe that you can make at home in under 50 minutes. As always, if you made this recipe, I would love to hear from you! Kindly rate the recipe 5 star and leave me feedback in the comment section below. Tag me @thedinnerbite on Instagram and save it away to your Pinterest. Please subscribe to the blog if you haven’t for free new recipes in your inbox
