These chunks of air fryer pork belly are rich and tender on the inside with a perfectly seasoned crispy outside and they require no oil. The pork belly is cut into bite-sized pieces and then seasoned with an incredibly delicious pork seasoning before the air fryer cooks them to perfection.
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Usually fried pork belly is a greasy, oily mess to make, but not if you fry them in your air fryer. In fact, it requires absolutely NO oil.
Fair warning though, these crispy little morsels are incredibly addicting!
🥘 Ingredients
- Pork Belly - 1 ½ pounds from a pork belly slab or strip.
- Pork Seasoning - See recipe or use your own.
- BBQ Sauce (optional) - 1 tablespoon of your favorite BBQ sauce.
- Light Brown Sugar (optional) - 1 tablespoon of light brown sugar.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 Instructions
This entire recipe is super easy because your air fryer will do all the heavy lifting for you! In addition to the air fryer, you will want a mixing bowl, cutting board, and knife.
Step 1: Preheat. Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (205°C).
Step 2: Season. Pat the 1 ½ pounds of pork belly dry with paper towels and cut them into 1-inch squares. Toss the pork belly cubes with 1 tablespoon of pork seasoning in a medium mixing bowl until thoroughly coated.
Step 3: Place in air fryer. Arrange the seasoned pork belly chunks in a single layer in the basket of the preheated air fryer. Do your best to leave some room for air to circulate between them.
Step 4: Air Fry. Cook the pork belly cubes for 18-20 minutes or until they reach your desired level of crispy. Every 6 minutes or so, you should open the basket and toss or turn them for even crisping. *See optional step below for adding the optional bbq sauce & brown sugar.
Step 5: Toss (optional). Toss or brush the air fried pork belly with 1 tablespoon of BBQ sauce, turning the pieces so all sides are coated. Then sprinkle 1 tablespoon of light brown sugar over them. Finish air frying for 3-4 minutes.
Step 6: Serve. Remove your air fryer crispy pork belly immediately and serve.
🥗🥘🍲 Best Served With
Add your crispy air fryer pork belly to a bowl of white rice or ramen. Enjoy them with asparagus in air fryer. You could always snack on them as-is, too. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Don't cook pork belly from frozen. Thaw frozen pork belly overnight in the fridge so that it holds its shape when slicing into cubes.
- If you want extra crispy, preheat! Preheating your air fryer is usually left up to personal preference. However, in the case of some air fryer recipes (like this pork belly) it is best to preheat the air fryer for the crispiest results.
- You can squeeze a lot of pork belly in 1 air fryer. A slightly 'crammed' single layer is OK, as the pork belly cooks it will shrink in overall size. Your air fryer will then be able to thoroughly cook each bit, and on each side.
- Storing: Store fully cooked pork belly in an airtight container lined with paper towels in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: Reheat pork belly, if desired, by popping them in the air fryer at 350°F (175°C) for 4-5 minutes.
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😋 More Air Fryer Recipes
- Bacon Wrapped BBQ Drumsticks
- Pork Steaks
- Frozen Hash Brown Patties
- Duck Legs
- Pigs in a Blanket
- Filet Mignon
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📖 Recipe Card
Air Fryer Pork Belly
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs pork belly
- 1 tablespoon pork seasoning (see recipe or use your favorite brand)
- ¼ cup bbq sauce (optional)
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar (optional)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (205°C).
- Pat your pork belly dry using paper towels, then cut into 1-inch squares (from a slab pork belly or pork belly strips). Toss the cubed pork belly with pork seasoning in a medium mixing bowl until thoroughly coated.
- Arrange the seasoned pork belly cubes in a single layer in your preheated air fryer basket, trying to leave some space for air to circulate.
- Air fry the pork belly bites for 18-20 minutes, or until crisped to your desired level. Toss or turn every 6 minutes for even crisping. *See optional step below for adding the optional bbq sauce & brown sugar.
- (Optional) Toss the air fried pork belly and brush bbq sauce over each, turning to coat all sides. Sprinkle crumbled light brown sugar over the pork belly bites, then finish cooking for 3-4 minutes.
- Remove your air fryer crispy pork belly immediately and serve.
Notes
- Thaw frozen pork belly overnight in the fridge so that it holds its shape when slicing into cubes.
- Preheating your air fryer is typically an optional step and up to your own preferences. However, in the case of some air fryer recipes (like this pork belly) it is best to preheat the air fryer. This will help to ensure that you get the best crispy results.
- A slightly 'crammed' single layer is OK, as the pork belly cooks it will shrink in overall size. Your air fryer will then be able to thoroughly cook each bit, and on each side.
Monika says
No sabía cómo cocinar panceta en freidora de aire, y al probar la receta, buahhh! Riquísima. Crujiente por fuera, supertierna por dentro, además pierde mucha grasa, con lo que no queda tan pesada. Yo la hice para probar solo con aderezo de sal, pimentón, sal de ajo, cebolla en polvo y hiervas sin salsa, ya que no tenía, pero me ha encantado, seguro que repito! De verdad, gracias por compartir la receta! (I didn't know how to cook bacon in an air fryer, and when I tried the recipe, buahhh! delicious. Crispy on the outside, super tender on the inside, it also loses a lot of fat, so it's not so heavy. I made it to try it only with a seasoning of salt, paprika, garlic salt, onion powder and herbs without sauce, since I didn't have it, but I loved it, I'm sure I'll repeat it! Really, thanks for sharing the recipe!)
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
¡Muchas gracias!
jean claude hentzien says
ai essayé la recette,tout simplement délicieux quel croustillant.n'ai mangé que cela.
merci pour cette recette
"tried the recipe, simply delicious what a crisp. I only ate that.
Thank you for this recipe"
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Merci! Je suis ravi que cela vous ait plu.
"Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it."