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–+ servings
pork belly in air fryer

Easy Air Fryer Pork Belly

Miranda | My Anosmic Kitchen
This is an Easy Air Fryer Pork Belly Recipe that's a game changer in terms of convenience, time and yes you guessed it, CRACKLING! 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!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Equipment

  • Air fryer
  • Drying Rack (also an oven rack)
  • board
  • Small sharp knife
  • 2 large forks to lift the 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
  • 1 tbsp. fennel spice
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds optional, see notes below
  • 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.
  • Spices: Add the fennel spice and salt into a small bowl.
  • Prep the flesh side of the belly: Add the fennel spice, salt and oil onto the flesh (meat side) and pat everything into the meat.
    Or this..... Both work just fine.
    Optional: Place the belly skin side down on a board. Score the flesh by making small random cuts into the meat. The cuts should be deep enough for the spices to go in but not too deep, so don't cut through to the skin layer.
  • 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 flesh side down, skin side up. Fold the four sides of the foil up so that the fat doesn't spill over.
  • Dry the skin: Dry the top side (skin) of the belly one more time with paper towel. Brush the skin with vinegar this will help with start the crackling process.
  • 1st Air Fry: Place in the air fryer on 100°C /212°F for 30 minutes for the skin to crisp up. Check it at 20 minutes and then add 5 minutes and 5 minutes more depending on how brown and crisp you want it.
  • 2nd Air Fry: Remove the belly from the air fryer, add the olive oil and salt onto the skin. Don't turn it! Back in the air fryer for 45 minutes on 200°C / 392° F.
    Again, peep in on 30 minutes it will probably need another 5 to 10 minutes for the perfect crackling.
  • Rest the pork belly: Let the belly rest for 10 minutes before cutting into it.
  • Carve and Serve: Slice into approxiamately 2cm or (¼ 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. This method applies to both oven roast and air fryer methods. 

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 :)
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1personCalories: 1729kcalCarbohydrates: 0.4gProtein: 31gFat: 177gSaturated Fat: 64gPolyunsaturated Fat: 19gMonounsaturated Fat: 82gCholesterol: 240mgSodium: 1063mgPotassium: 633mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 37IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 2mg
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