This is slow-roasted pork belly that is cooked in its own fat, such as in a confit style. The end result was ridiculously juicy, unbelievably tender meat that was still easy to cut, and the yummiest crispy crackling you’ve ever had.
It comes down to three simple, game-changing techniques: 1. Do NOT score the skin; 2. Low heat followed by high heat; 3. Keep the pork level using balls of foil.
Pork belly is a treasured cut of meat that transforms into a succulent, mouthwatering dish when prepared properly. With its characteristic layers of rich, fatty meat and crackling skin, pork belly is beloved in many cuisines. But to achieve the ideal texture and flavor, it’s crucial to know how long to cook pork belly based on its weight per kg.
In this guide, I’ll provide a detailed walkthrough on cooking times per kg for oven roasting crispy pork belly. You’ll also learn top tips for choosing the right cut prep work monitoring doneness, and serving juicy pork belly every time.
An Approximate Guideline for Pork Belly Cooking Times Per Kg
The cooking time for pork belly can vary quite a bit depending on the size and thickness of the cut, Here is a general timeline to follow
- 500g pork belly – roast for 60 minutes total
- 1kg pork belly – roast for 90 minutes total
- 1.5kg pork belly – roast for 120 minutes total
- 2kg pork belly – roast for 150 minutes total
To summarize, pork belly should roast approximately 30 minutes per 500g/1 pound. A 1kg piece will need about 90 minutes in the oven, while a 2kg cut will require 150 minutes.
Larger, thicker slabs of pork belly will take more time to become tender and cooked through. Once you know the weight, it’s easy to estimate the roasting time needed.
Choosing the Right Pork Belly for Oven Roasting
When selecting pork belly for roasting, keep these tips in mind:
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Look for a cut with defined layers of fat and meat. Avoid pieces that seem overly fatty.
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Opt for belly with nice marbling in the meat and thick bands of fat.
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Pick a size suitable for your recipe – pork belly shrinks significantly when cooked.
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For even cooking, choose a uniformly shaped piece rather than one tapered at the end.
The proportions of fat to meat and the dimensions of the cut will impact total cook time. An evenly shaped, properly marbled 1-2 kg pork belly is ideal for oven roasting.
Prepping Pork Belly for Crispy Skin and Juicy Meat
Take these steps when prepping pork belly for the oven:
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If the belly has skin, score it by cutting shallow slits in a diamond pattern about 1⁄2 inch apart. This helps the fat render and skin get crispy.
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Pat the pork belly dry thoroughly with paper towels.
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Generously season both sides with salt, pepper, herbs, spices, or dry rub.
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Allow the seasoned pork belly to rest for 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight. This draws out moisture.
Proper prep before cooking is vital for achieving the distinct layers and flavors of great oven roasted pork belly.
Step-by-Step Guide to Roasting Pork Belly Per Kg
Now let’s go through the detailed roasting process to cook pork belly to perfection:
Oven Roasting
Roasting produces tender meat and crackling crisp skin:
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Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F.
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Place pork belly skin-side up on a wire rack set inside a roasting pan.
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Roast for 30 minutes at the high temperature.
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Reduce heat to 160°C/325°F and continue roasting approximately 30 minutes per 500g.
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Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature reaches 62°C/145°F.
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Let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Pro Tip: For extra crispy skin, broil for just a few minutes at the very end.
Slow Roasting
For ultra-tender and fall-apart pork belly, use the slow roasting technique:
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Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F. Put pork belly skin-side up on a rack in a roasting pan.
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Roast for 20 minutes until the skin just starts browning.
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Lower oven temperature to 120°C/250°F.
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Slow roast for 1 1⁄2 – 2 hours until extremely tender when poked.
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Increase temperature to 220°C/425°F for about 10 minutes to re-crisp the skin.
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Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
The initial high heat followed by low and slow cooking helps break down fat and collagen. A final blast of high heat makes the skin perfectly crispy.
Handy Tips for Getting the Best Results
Achieving crispy crackling skin and succulent, tender meat does require some finesse. Here are helpful tips:
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Dry the skin thoroughly and cut vertical slits before cooking to allow fat to render.
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Cook larger cuts low and slow so the fat has time to break down properly.
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Always let pork belly rest before slicing so juices redistribute evenly.
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Near the end, increase the oven temperature to re-crisp the skin, watching closely to avoid burning.
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For maximum crispiness, finish under the broiler for just 1-2 minutes.
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If needed, brush skin lightly with oil or maple syrup to enhance browning.
With practice using these tips, you’ll be able to roast pork belly with mouthwatering crackling skin and moist meat each time.
How to Tell When Pork Belly is Done
Determining doneness for pork belly can be challenging. Check for these signs:
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Internal temperature reaches at least 62°C/145°F on a meat thermometer.
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Meat near the bones is slightly pink when fully cooked.
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Well done pork belly will appear more gray throughout.
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Fat is slightly translucent, not bright white when finished cooking.
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Watch for any charred spots if crisping the skin under the broiler.
Remember, pork belly will continue cooking after removed from the oven, rising about 5-10°F. So pull it just under your target temperature.
If concerned about undercooking, return pork belly to the oven for 5-10 minutes until desired doneness is reached.
Serving Suggestions and Storing Leftover Pork Belly
After roasting, be sure to allow pork belly to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing to retain all the juices. Resist cutting into it too soon!
Here are some delicious ways to serve pork belly and leftovers:
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Slice into chunks and pair with roasted veggies, mashed potatoes, or coleslaw.
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Dice up to add to fried rice, ramen, congee, hash, or mac and cheese.
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Use for sandwiches, tacos, pizza topping, in salads and soups.
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Store properly wrapped pork belly for 2-3 days in the fridge. It freezes well too.
With so many uses for leftover pork belly, you’ll enjoy amazing meals all week long!
Now that you understand approximate oven roasting times per kg for pork belly, you can confidently cook up this succulent cut at home. Low and slow roasting delivers the best results. Remember to prep the meat properly, use a meat thermometer, and always let pork belly rest before slicing.
Refer back to this guide when cooking pork belly that’s 1kg or larger. In no time, you’ll be a pro at roasting fork-tender pork belly with irresistible crispy skin. Enjoy!
What you need to make the best Roasted Pork Belly of your life
Here’s what you need to make slow-roasted pork belly. Really, this is ALL you need! Pork belly is already so flavorful and rich, we just need to season it and roast it slowly.
- Want to find the best pork belly? Here are some things to look for:Even thickness—Look for a piece that is as even in thickness as possible and at least 3 25 cm / 1. 3″ thick, with nice layers of fat between the flesh. It should be the right thickness so that the meat cooks quickly and doesn’t get too soft before the time is up to soften the skin and make the crackling very crispy. It should also be the right shape, like a rectangle or square. It’s not as important for even cooking and great crackling as the thickness, though. Flat skin—Look for a piece of pork belly whose skin is dry, flat, and smooth, not wrinkled and wet like the skin on vacuum-packed belly. This is important for even crackling, and it’s especially important where there are wrinkles, because crackling never gets crispy inside wrinkles. GOOD NEWS! I’m busting one of the biggest myths about making great crackling. You don’t need to score the skin to get perfect crackling. Not only is it pointless, it can even hurt the meat. Why? Because if you make even a small mistake when scoring, the meat juices will rise up and flood the skin, ruining the crackling. And trust me, new butchers make that mistake all the time! Read more about why I don’t score the skin below! Avoid vac-packed belly—Freshly cut pork belly from the butcher is better than pork belly from the store that’s been sitting in a vacuum pack for who knows how long. Butcher meat is usually better quality, and as we already said, vacuum-packed meat means the skin is soaked in juices and wrinkled, which means the crackling isn’t as good. Fresh pork belly is nice and dry, but flat skin makes great crackling. (That’s all I have to say about pork crackling math!) You can still get deliciously crispy crackling with store-bought vacuum-packed pork belly if you leave it out in the fridge overnight to dry the skin out properly. But it’s still better if you get belly that hasn’t been vacuum-packed! Better pork means better results—not all pork is the same. When it comes to pork, the happier the pig, the better the meal will be. This means the meat will taste better, be more tender and juicy, and crackle better. That’s why, if you can, buy free-range pork or the best pork you can afford from a butcher. Sometimes, cheap pork belly is injected with things like brine, which, despite what most people think, doesn’t make it as tender when roasted (I learned this the hard way). It took over three and a half hours for a cheap pork belly from the store to get soft.
- Flan powder is made from ground fennel seeds. You can buy it already ground or grind the whole seeds yourself. It’s traditional to pair fennel with pork, and this recipe adds a subtle floral and aniseed flavor that doesn’t take over. Maybe you don’t have it, but it’s not a big deal because it fades into the background by the time the roast is done. What makes this dish stand out is the pork itself, which tastes even better after being roasted slowly.
- Oil: This is what makes the seasonings stick to the meat and skin and helps the meat crackle. Since the pork belly is already very fat, you don’t need to add any more fat. Any oil will do. I use olive oil; and.
- Salt—This is very important for good crackling! All those bubbles on the skin are from salt being used. Even though I can’t explain how it works, I can say that without salt, there will be no bubbly crackling. Instead, you’ll have a flat, hard sheet of skin like the one on the side of a rolled pork loin because salt doesn’t stick to it. Spread the salt out evenly on the skin’s surface, from edge to edge. This is important for getting great crackling!
More sauce options for Pork Belly
Of course, don’t feel limited to these two suggestions. There are plenty of other sauce options. Here are some more (simpler!) sauce suggestions for this Pork Belly.
- This is the dipping sauce I talk about in Note 2 of my Chicken Tenders recipe. There’s a bit of sweetness and salt in this sauce, and it goes well with all kinds of pork!
- If you want to keep things simple, use just a little mustard straight from the jar. Make sure it’s not cold, and use the best you can find!
- Salsa verde: This bright green sauce goes well with rich pork belly because it is tangy and has fresh herbs in it.
- Cauliflower Puree: I usually serve cauliflower mash as a side dish, but if you puree it until it’s completely smooth (as shown in the post), it can be used as a tasty and fancy serving sauce.
- Pea Puree—Otherwise, pea puree can be used as both a side dish and a sauce. The color looks especially beautiful with the golden brown, crunchy crackling!
- Honey Garlic Sauce: Use the sauce in Note 6 of this recipe, but let it cook on low heat for a few minutes to thin out and get thicker.
- Cheese Gravy or Plain Gravy—Because who can say no to pork with gravy?
- Chimichurri Sauce: This spicy parsley and garlic sauce will take this pork dish to a South American level. It goes well with a lot of different kinds of meat, including pork!
- BBQ Sauce: For a Southern US feel, make a big batch of the BBQ Sauce in this recipe and serve it with the pork.
Easy Pork Belly and Brown Butter – Carnivore at 60
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