Salt Crusted Pork Belly

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This salt crusted pork belly is an easy, oven-roasted pork belly recipe that delivers crisp skin and juicy tenderness every time. The simple, 2-part process of rendering fat and then roasting it crisp is a technique any home cook can use to make a difficult cut of meat perfect every time.

a piece of pork belly cooked crisp on top with slices cut from it.

I’ll never forget the first time I tried pork belly. These perfectly roasted, juicy slices with a crispy edge layered with slaw in a pillowy rice bun. It was delicious and started my obsession with trying it every way I could, including trying my hand at it at home.

Many home cooks I’ve spoken to have expressed that it’s a challenging cut to get right, between making it tender and rendering the fat so it isn’t chewy. After trying many techniques myself, I’m confident this salt-crusted method is a simple and delicious way to prepare it at home for anyone, even a beginner.

Recipe Features

  • This oven-roasting and rendering method takes 90 minutes, much less than a 3 hour braise.
  • It’s a good introductory method for getting crispy pork belly every time.
  • Change up flavor easily by roasting with different rubs, marinades, or sauces.

Ingredients & Substitutions

There are two core ingredients needed to make a perfect salt-crust pork belly. (Hint, they’re both in the title). But there are many ways to alter flavor to better suit a specific recipe, meal, or your family’s tastes.

Ingredients to make a salt-crusted pork belly including bowls of salt and two slabs of pork belly.
  • Pork Belly – Most grocers sell pork belly in manageable skin-off slabs or strips. You can also request it from the butchers counter and they often can sell you a larger slab if you’d like it.
  • Salt – This recipe works best with coarse salt, like coarse kosher or sea salt.

Tips for Purchasing Pork Belly

  • Look for good marbling. Ideally, pork belly should have a good ratio of white fat to pink meat. If it is all white, it is all fat. Your ideal slice is 2 to 3 inches thick.
  • Skin-on pork belly will work, but I prefer skinless. You can ask a butcher to remove it or watch this video on how to remove pork belly skin. It cooks faster and is easier to prep that way. If you choose to keep the skin on, you’ll need to score it deeply in a later step.

Adjusting Flavor

There are many ways to change the flavor profile of salt-crusted pork belly. With simple adjustments, you can change the classic flavor into an Asian-inspired masterpiece or a great addition to your BBQ-themed meal.

Pork belly rubbed with seasonings on a paper towel.
  • Use a rub – There are many rubs like tequila lime, lemon pepper, coffee, BBQ, or, my favorite, my homemade all-purpose seasoning. Any can be rubbed across the bottom and sides of your pork belly before roasting to enhance flavor. Do not rub the white part on top; you’ll need to score and salt that for this technique.
  • Let it Marinate – To marinate pork belly before roasting, place your desired marinade in a wide, flat bottomed dish or bowl. Place the pork belly in and ensure the top is OUT of the liquid. Submerging it completely will make it harder to render the pork belly fat later.
  • Glaze it – In part 2 of the salt-crust method, you can begin the glazing process. Brush it onto the pork belly during roasting until it’s coated to your preference. Take care not to apply a sugar-heavy glaze too early on, or it can burn.

Step by Step Instructions

This method not only yields delicious crispy pork belly, but it’s also fun! You’ll also be proud when you pull the finished belly out and see how it’s transformed from inedible to entirely decadent. The whole process takes maybe 90 minutes, and much of it is hands-off.

pork belly scored on a broiler pan.

Step 1 – Set up and Score your Pork Belly

If you’re seasoning the meat with a rub, take a moment to apply that to the bottom and sides first. Preheat your oven to 350°F while you’re at it. Get a broiler pan or sheet pan with an oven-safe cooling rack ready. It’s best if you use a pan that allows the fat to render away from the meat. For easy clean up, line the bottom with foil. Then pour 1-2 inches of water in the bottom.

Then flip the belly so the fat side is up and place it on your prepared pan. Use a sharp knife and score the fat deeply enough to cut down to the meat but NOT into the meat. Cut diagonally, then repeat in the other direction.

pork belly covered in salt.

Step 2 – Salt and Roast the Belly

Pat the fat dry with paper towels. Cover the scored fat with a thick layer of salt. You should not see any of the belly through the salt layer, and it needs to be even. For 2 pounds of pork belly, this is usually about 1 1/2 cups of salt.

If your pork belly is not an even thickness, often one side will sit lower on the pan. Fold up a piece of foil to create a flat, level surface on top so the salt crust can do its job correctly.

Slide the pan carefully onto the center rack of your preheated oven. Roast for 40 minutes.

pork belly with salt crust after roasting.

Step 3 – Discard Salt and Crisp the Fat

After 40 minutes, the salt should look chunky and fragmented. It’s done its job and helped render out the fat. Carefully brush all the salt possible from the top of your pork belly and discard it. The salt has absorbed lots of fat, and can burn. Try to brush most of it from the pan. Turn the oven temperature up to 450°F.

Return the pork belly to the oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until the top layer is crispy and golden brown. Let it rest for 10-15 minutes, then slice and serve.

roasted pork belly that's done cooking and crisp on top.

FAQ’S

Why does the pork belly need to sit evenly on the pan?

If your pork belly isn’t level, meaning the surface is all the same height, your salt crust may not roast evenly. Since the salt crust renders the fat and creates the final crispy crust, you want this to be as even as possible for uniform crisping.

Why do I need water in the bottom of the pan?

You’re roasting a very fatty piece of meat at high temperatures, which can easily lead to burning. By adding water into the bottom of the pan, the fat that drips down is caught by the water and less likely to smoke.

The edges are getting crispy before the middle, how do I stop that?

I usually have slightly darker edges on my salt crusted pork belly, but it it’s getting too dark for your liking, you can cover the edges with foil to stop the cooking while the middle finishes up.

How do I get all the salt from the top of the pork belly?

I use a pastry brush, but a paper towel will work as well, just be gentle (it’s hot) and do your best. Some salt will remain, and this is part of the final flavor, you just don’t want large chunks left over on the pork or the pan.

I sincerely hope this technique for oven-roasting pork belly with a salt crust empowers home cooks to try their hand at a challenging cut of meat. It’s delicious when prepared this way, and we often enjoy it just sliced on the plate with thyme mashed potatoes and honey-roasted rainbow carrots. But you can serve it with coleslaw on a sandwich, rice and stir-fried veggies, or baked beans and potato salad. However you eat it, it’s going to be tasty!

Love this recipe? Please consider leaving a 5 star rating in the recipe card below, or a comment to share your experience with fellow home cooks. I hope you enjoy and as always, Happy Eating!

a piece of pork belly roasted crisp and sliced on a wooden cutting board.

Salt Crust Pork Belly

Mikayla M.
Easy, oven roasted crispy pork belly recipe that yields a juicy, perfect pork belly with a crunchy top.
5 from 13 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Rest Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 5 people
Calories 940 kcal

Equipment

  • Broiler Pan OR
  • Baking Sheet with an oven safe cooling rack

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs pork belly skin off, slab or slices, 2-3 inches thick ideally
  • 1 1/2 cups Coarse salt
  • Rub or marinade of choice*

Instructions
 

  • If using a rub, apply to the bottom and sides of the pork belly. Do not rub the fat, and if possible let sit for an hour or two (optional).
  • Preheat your oven to 350°F. Cover your baking sheet or the bottom pan of your broiler pan with foil and pour in enough water to fill it by an inch or two. Then place the top rack on and the pork belly on that.
  • Score the pork belly by making diagonal slices about an inch apart across the fat. Try to score deeply into the fat without cutting the meat.
  • If your pork belly is thicker in some places, tuck small folded squares of foil under the bottom to create an even top surface. Apply a thick, even layer of salt to the top. try to cover all the fat and meat.
  • Carefully transfer to the oven on the middle rack and roast for 40 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and turn the temperature up to 450°F. Begin to flake off the salt crust. Remove as much salt as possible from the pork and the pan (if it's in the water, that's fine). Add more water if it's evaporated.
  • Return the pork to the 450°F oven and roast again for 20 to 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and crispy.*
  • Remove from oven and let rest on the pan for 10 to 15 minutes. Slice and serve!

Notes

*You don’t need to apply a rub or marinade, but it’s a fun way to change things up. I use a rub of 1 tsp each of paprika, garlic, and onion powder with 1/2 a tsp each of salt and pepper. OR marinade as you like, leaving the fat sitting above the marinade for 1 to 24 hours. 
*If the edges appear to be browning too rapidly or deeply for your tastes, you can cover the edges of your pork belly with foil to stop that while the middle finishes getting crispy.
 
Nutritional Values and cook times are provided as a best estimate. These may vary based upon ingredients and equipment. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 940kcalProtein: 17gFat: 96gSaturated Fat: 35gCholesterol: 131mgSodium: 58mgPotassium: 336mgVitamin A: 18IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 9mgIron: 1mg
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Nutrition information and cooking times are provided as a best estimate. Values may vary based upon ingredients and equipment.

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5 from 13 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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20 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    What my dreams are made of ahahah that crispy skin has my name all over it! Just ordered some pork belly to make it this weekend!! I’m counting the seconds!

  2. 5 stars
    My mouth is already watering! Love pork belly but never tried to make it at home. My hubby will be very happy if I make this recipe for him!