Air Fryer Crispy Pork Belly
Glass crackling over melting meat, no roasting tin of fat.
Kit that makes this foolproof
A few inexpensive bits that get you crispier results with less mess.
A roomy air fryer
A larger basket means fewer batches and crispier results.
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Perforated liners
Less sticking and mess, without blocking the airflow.
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Silicone tongs
Turn and lift without scratching the non-stick basket.
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Before You Start
Crackling is a drying project, not a cooking one, and the air fryer is a drying machine. Salt the skin, leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight, and the basket does the rest: gentle heat to render, brutal heat to blister. This is the one recipe in this section where the overnight step genuinely cannot be skipped.
Instructions
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1
The night before: dry the skin hard with paper towel, prick it all over with a skewer or a jaccard, going into fat but not meat. Rub the meat sides (not the skin) with the teaspoon of salt, the five spice and garlic powder.
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2
Sit the belly skin up on a plate, rub the vinegar into the skin, then pack the tablespoon of salt over the skin in a crust. Fridge, uncovered, overnight.
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3
Next day, scrape and brush every grain of the salt crust off and wipe the skin dry. It should feel like parchment.
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4
Preheat the air fryer to 160°C / 320°F. Sit the belly skin up in the basket and cook for 30 minutes to render and cook the meat.
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5
Turn the heat to 200°C / 400°F and cook another 15 to 20 minutes, watching from 10, until the skin has puffed and blistered into glass across the whole surface.
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6
Rest for 10 minutes, then turn it skin down on the board and cut through the meat side. Cutting from the skin side shatters the crackling.
♨️ Air fryer notes
- Cook at 200°C / 400°F and preheat for 2 to 3 minutes for the crispiest result.
- Keep everything in a single layer with space around each piece. Overcrowding steams food instead of crisping it, so cook in batches if your basket is small.
- Shake or turn halfway, and check a few minutes early, since air fryers cook faster than ovens and every model runs slightly differently.
💡 Cook's tips
- The pricking is the whole game. Hundreds of shallow holes let fat escape and blister the skin. Ten lazy stabs give you ten blisters.
- If a corner of skin refuses to puff, shield the done parts with foil and give it 5 more minutes.
🔀 Make it your own
- Skip the five spice and use fennel seed and black pepper on the meat for an Italian porchetta lean.
- Cube leftovers and re-crisp at 200°C for 5 minutes for pork belly bites with dipping sauce.
📦 Storing & reheating
Fridge for 3 days. The crackling softens overnight but comes back at 200°C for 5 minutes, skin up. Do not cover it while it is still warm.
❓ Frequently asked
Why is my pork belly crackling not crispy?
Moisture. The skin must be dried overnight uncovered, every trace of the salt crust removed, and the final blast run hot. Wet or salty skin goes leathery instead of glassy.
How long does pork belly take in an air fryer?
About 50 minutes for an 800 g piece: 30 minutes at 160°C to cook and render, then 15 to 20 at 200°C to blister the skin.
Adapting your own recipe? Use the oven to air fryer converter for temp and time, or the recipe scaler to halve or double this.
