Description
This is an Easy Air Fryer Pork Belly Recipe that's a game changer in terms of convenience, time and yes you guessed it, perfect pork crackling every time! Using a few ingredients with oil, salt and spice for delicious flavors, I share chef's tips and more for you to make the most mind blowing crackling with tender juicy pork belly!
Ingredients
- 2 kg pork belly this recipes uses two 1kg each pork belly. Check the size so it fits in the air fryer basket
- 1 tbsp. salt or more if needed
- 1 tbsp. fennel spice
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp. white vinegar
- olive oil
Instructions
- Pork Belly Prep: Remove the pork belly from the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking. Dry the skin really well with kitchen paper towel. See notes.
- Season: Place the pork belly on a board infront of you with the skin-side down. Season the meat (flesh) with salt, pepper and both the ground fennel and the fennel seeds. Add olive oil and pat the spices into the meat.
- Make a foil tray/box: Use a large enough sheet of foil to make a foil box for the pork belly. It's more like an oven tray so make sure that you double the base on which the belly will sit and fold up the sides. The foil will collect the fat and juices from the belly when cooking in the air fryer.
- Place the pork belly with the now seasoned and spiced side-down on the foil and then lift the sides of the foil to create the tray.
- Dry the skin: While the pork belly is in the foil, skin-side up, dry it again with kitchen paper. Now brush the skin with vinegar this will help with start the drying and crackling process.
- 1st Air Fry: Place the pork belly in the air fryer and air fry for 30 minutes on 100°C /212°F.
- 2nd Air Fry: Remove the air fryer basket from the air fryer and brush olive oil over the skin and sprinle plenty of salt over the skin. Don't turn it! Back in the air fryer for 45 minutes on 200°C / 392° F.
- Rest the pork belly: Let the belly rest for 10 minutes before cutting into it.
- Carve and Serve: Slice into approxiamately 2cm or (1/4 to 1-inch) slices cutting against the grain which means cutting along the width not the length, to ensure a tender flavorful meat.
Notes
Pork Belly Prep Ahead
You can make this pork belly recipe the same day however, it's best to start the process early. This is how I do it.
Buy pork belly: A good fat to meat ratio (almost 50/50 if possible), a nice flat belly with no folds or damp crease on the skin!
Remove packaging: For best results it's best to buy pork belly without any packaging however, not always easy to find so, remove the packaging the minute you get home, dry it with kitchen paper/towel and place the belly on a rack in the fridge to 'air dry". The higher up in the fridge, the colder the pork belly.
Place the rack on an oven tray or plate to collect any drippings (there will be minimum) and to prevent a mess in the fridge.
The pork belly must be free of wrappings, dry and left on a rack skin side up in the fridge.
Cover all other opened foods to avoid cross contamination.
What Spices Go Best With Pork?
Fennel and pork are a match made in heaven in Italian cuisine (and many others too). You can use just the fennel powder but I toast the seeds and use them when seasoning the skin making sure they are securely inserted into the slits of the flesh. They add a nutty taste and texture.
To make your own fennel powder, simply dry toast the seeds, add them to a mortar & pestle, spice grinder or blender and blend/grind into powder. If you cannot find fennel or prefer to omit, feel free to do so.
Involtini Spice: To elevate our pork belly, we use the Involtini spice from Smell and Taste. It has all the meaty smoky elements without any nasties.
Pork Belly Reheating and Refrigeration / Storage
Pork belly always tastes just as good the next day! Here's the thing, don't put the crackling into the microwave! Remove the crackling, reheat just the meat and place the crackling into the oven. The oven will help retain the crunch but the microwave won't be happy 🙂
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American, Asian, Italian
Nutrition
- Calories: 1729
- Sugar: 0.1
- Sodium: 1063
- Fat: 177
- Saturated Fat: 64
- Carbohydrates: 0.4
- Fiber: 0.2
- Protein: 31
- Cholesterol: 240