Asian Roasted Pork Belly

This Asian roasted pork belly has a crisp outside while the inside is so tender it almost melts in your mouth! With some rice or veggies, it makes a quick and easy 30-minute dinner for any day of the week. It's sweet, salty, sticky, and finger-licking good!

Easy Asian Roasted Pork Belly Recipe

This Asian roasted pork belly recipe is so easy and quick! The pork is nice and tender on the inside with a crisp outer layer that's covered in a tasty sweet and salty coating.

It makes a tasty appetizer on its own, or you can serve it over rice or noodles for a hearty Asian-inspired dinner! It's so simple and delicious, it may make its way onto your rotation of weekly dinner recipes!

Jump to:

• Easy Asian Roasted Pork Belly Recipe
• 🥘 Asian Roasted Pork Belly Ingredients
• 🔪 How To Make Asian Roasted Pork Belly
• 💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
• 🥡 Storing & Reheating
• ❓ What Goes Well With Asian Pork Belly?
• ❓ Is Pork Belly Bacon?
• ❓ Are Pork Belly And Salt Pork The Same Thing?
• 🐷 Best Pork Main Dishes
• 📖 Recipe Card
• 💬 Comments & Reviews

🥘 Asian Roasted Pork Belly Ingredients

Each of these ingredients are easy to find at your local grocery store. The optional green onion and sesame seeds don't add too much flavor, but they make for beautiful presentation!

• Pork Belly - 1 pound of pork belly (whole or slabs, *see note).
• Seasoning - ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon dried orange peel, and ¼ teaspoon each of pepper, Chinese five spice, and ground ginger.
• Soy Sauce - ½ a cup of soy sauce (you may use low-sodium if desired).
• Brown Sugar - 2 packed tablespoons of light brown sugar (dark brown sugar will give a deeper, caramel flavor but will also work).
• Honey - 1 tablespoon of honey.
• Rice Vinegar - 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar (or rice wine vinegar).
• Garlic - 1 teaspoon of finely minced garlic. About 1 clove.
• Green Onion (optional) - 1 tablespoon sliced for garnish.
• Sesame Seeds (optional) - 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds for garnish.

*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*

🔪 How To Make Asian Roasted Pork Belly

There are a few steps to making this pork belly, but they are all fairly simple. Get out a sharp knife, a baking sheet, and some foil.

A 1 pound pork belly will make about 4 servings when served as an entrée. If served as an appetizer it will serve even more!

1. Prep. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking dish, pan, or rimmed baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup.
2. Season. In a small bowl, combine ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of dried orange peel and ¼ teaspoon each of pepper, Chinese five spice, and ground ginger. Lay 1 pound of pork belly fat-side-up on the baking sheet and use a sharp knife to score the fat (if you have an untrimmed pork belly slab). Season the pork belly all over with the seasoning blend.
3. Roast. Transfer the seasoned pork belly to the middle rack in your oven and roast for 20-25 minutes at 375°F (190°C), or until no longer pink.
4. Make sauce. While the pork belly roasts combine ½ a cup of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon each of honey, brown sugar, and rice vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of garlic in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
5. Thicken. Once the sauce has thickened (about 2-3 minutes), remove it from heat (*see note).
6. Broil. Turn the broiler on high and broil for about 5 minutes to get the layer of fat on top nice and crispy. Watch closely so it does not burn.
7. Brush with sauce. Remove the pork belly from your oven and brush the sauce over it generously. Slice and serve with more sauce and garnished with sliced green onion and sesame seeds if desired.

Serve your pork belly over jasmine rice for a hearty Asian-inspired comfort food! Asian cucumber salad would make a fabulous appetizer or side dish as well. Enjoy!

💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes

• Pork belly slabs or a whole pork belly can also be used with only minor changes in the cooking time. Place your pork belly slabs in a row together to roast.
• Be sure to keep a close eye on the pork belly. It can go from perfectly golden-brown to burnt very quickly. 
• To check the thickness of your sauce, dip the back of a metal spoon into it. It should coat the back of the spoon with a honey-like consistency.
• If your sauce is too thick, add small amounts of boiling water (about a teaspoon at a time) until it returns to the appropriate consistency. 
• It is important to add the sauce after roasting the pork belly because it has so much sugar it will burn easily.

🥡 Storing & Reheating

Keep leftover pork belly in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

You may freeze it once cooled by placing it in an airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bag. Enjoy within 6 months.

Reheating Asian Roasted Pork Belly

Defrost frozen pork belly in the fridge overnight. Reheat in the oven at 350°F (175°C) until warmed through and the outside is crisp

❓ What Goes Well With Asian Pork Belly?

This sticky Asian pork belly will pair well with any white rice. You could also serve it over hibachi or teriyaki noodles! You're not limited to Asian or Asian-inspired side dishes, though.

This pork belly would be equally delicious with mashed or roasted potatoes and your favorite veggies!

❓ Is Pork Belly Bacon?

This is a fair question because they may seem like the same thing, but they aren't necessarily. Bacon is pork belly, but pork belly is not bacon!

Bacon is cut from a slab of pork belly then cured and smoked while pork belly is neither cured nor smoked.

❓ Are Pork Belly And Salt Pork The Same Thing?

Like bacon, salt pork is salted and cured while pork belly is not. Salt pork does sometimes come from pork belly, but can come from other parts of the pig as well. So, they are not the same.

🐷 Best Pork Main Dishes

• Roasted Rack of Pork
• Pork Belly Burnt Ends
• Grilled Pork Steaks
• BBQ Baked Pork Spareribs
• Air Fryer Stuffed Pork Chops
• Pork Belly Ramen

📖 Recipe Card