Make perfect crispy pork belly in the air fryer with this easy recipe. Juicy meat, crunchy crackling, and ready in just 45 minutes!
If you love crispy pork belly but don’t want to muck around with the oven or hot oil, this one’s for you. This air fryer pork belly is ridiculously easy, with golden crackling and juicy meat in just 30 minutes. It’s the kind of recipe that feels like a little kitchen magic — barely any effort, and totally crowd-pleasing. We make it when we want something a bit fancy, but still super low fuss.
Why you will love this recipe:
- You get crispy crackling without needing to deep fry or roast for hours
- It’s ready in around 30 minutes — perfect for a quick, tasty dinner
- Only a few simple ingredients needed
- The air fryer does all the hard work for you
- Easy enough for beginners, delicious enough to impress guests
- Great for pairing with rice, noodles, bao buns or salad
- Leftovers (if any!) stay crispy and reheat beautifully
How to cook pork belly in the air fryer
Crispy skin, juicy meat, and barely any effort? This air fryer pork belly is the weeknight (or weekend) hero you didn’t know you needed. Here’s how to make it:
Time needed: 50 minutes
- Pat it dry
Use paper towel to pat the pork belly dry — especially the skin. The drier the skin, the better the crackle.
- Score the skin
Grab a sharp knife and carefully score the skin in straight lines. Don’t go too deep — you want to cut just through the skin, not into the meat.
- Salt generously
Sprinkle salt all over the top. Be generous — it helps dry out the skin even more and brings that delicious crunch.
- Air fry to crispy perfection
Pop the pork belly into your air fryer, skin side up. Cook for 45 minutes at 180ºC or until the skin is crisp and the meat is cooked through. Keep an eye on it toward the end so it doesn’t burn.
- Rest, slice and serve
Let it rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing. Then serve it up with whatever you like — rice, noodles, bao buns, or just as-is with a side of crunchy slaw.
Air fryer pork belly
Ingredients
1 pork belly
Salt
Instructions
- Use paper towel to pat the pork belly dry — especially the skin. The drier the skin, the better the crackle. Cut the pork belly into portions that will fit into your air fryer. For me, with my dual drawer Ninja Air Fryer, I cut mine into two pieces.
- Grab a sharp knife and carefully score the skin in straight lines. Don’t go too deep — you want to cut just through the skin, not into the meat.
- Sprinkle salt all over the top. Be generous — it helps dry out the skin even more and brings that delicious crunch.
- Pop the pork belly into your air fryer, skin side up. Cook for 45 minutes at 180ºC or until the skin is crisp and the meat is cooked through. Keep an eye on it toward the end so it doesn’t burn.
- Let it rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing. Then serve it up with whatever you like — rice, noodles, bao buns, or just as-is with a side of crunchy slaw.
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