FREE 5-Ingredient Recipe EBook

• Why You Need My Pork Belly Recipe
• Ingredients You’ll Need
• How To Cook Pork Belly
• My Recipe Tips
• Seasoning Variations
• Serving Ideas
• Crispy Pork Belly Recipe Recipe card
• Recipe Reviews

Let me tell you about the magic that is this pork belly recipe . This dish has everything you love about pork on one plate. Crispy skin that crunches with a pop! Juicy and tender meat! Loads of meaty flavor! If you’ve never had crispy pork belly or are intimated with how to cook it, I’ve got your back. It’s surprisingly easy. Make it with me and you’ll wow everyone at the table!

Why You Need My Pork Belly Recipe

• Tender, salty pork with ultra crispy skin – Picture rich, melt-in-your-mouth tender meat crowned with a crunchy crackling on top (like pork rinds ). It’s the best of both!
• Easy to customize – Many pork belly recipes have a specific flavor profile, but mine is simple with salt and pepper, so it goes with anything. And once you know how to cook pork belly, you can easily customize it with different spices (see my ideas below ).
• Versatile – My family loves this crispy pork belly, and I know yours will, too. It goes with many sides, and works as a main dish, an appetizer , or even a breakfast meat. And it feels like you’re at a restaurant!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here I explain the best ingredients for my pork belly recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card .

• Pork Belly – This flavorful, fatty cut of meat comes from the pig’s belly. It’s like bacon , except it’s thicker, not cured, and has skin on top (which gets so crispy when you cook it!). I don’t always find it at regular grocery stores, but it’s easy to get at butcher shops, specialty stores, or Asian markets. Look for cuts with even thickness for the best results.
• Avocado Oil – This helps the skin get nice and crispy! Olive will probably work, but it burns more easily than avocado oil.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper – I keep it basic, but if you want extra flavor, see my seasoning variations below.

How To Cook Pork Belly

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card .

1. Score the skin. Use a sharp knife to make a crisscross pattern across the skin of the pork.
2. Season all over. Place the pork in a baking dish or rimmed sheet pan and brush with avocado oil. (I like to use these brushes that don’t shed.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

1. Bake, then broil. Roast pork belly, skin side up. I start with a lower temp to render the fat in the skin, then increase the heat to finish baking, and finally, broil at the end to crisp up. This method with 3 temperatures gets the meat super tender and the skin so crispy!
2. Enjoy! I recommend cutting into 1-inch slices, or you can do cubes (for pork belly bites).

My Recipe Tips

• Be careful not to cut through the meat. You want the criss-cross pattern on the skin only .
• Position the oven rack correctly. For baking, keep it in the middle for even cooking. Before you broil this pork belly recipe, move it about 6 inches below the broiler for a perfect crispy finish.
• Make sure to roast skin side up. The skin won’t get crispy if it’s against the pan!
• The cook time can vary. It depends on your pork belly’s size and thickness, your baking dish ( I used this one in white), and your oven. Start with an hour for the first bake, then crank up the heat and watch for that golden-brown skin—it’s your sign it’s done! Mine was 3 pounds, so it will cook faster if yours is smaller.
• Use a meat thermometer for perfect results. The skin is a good sign of doneness, but for that melt-in-your-mouth texture, I love this probe thermometer (this one beeps when ready). Just set it to 195 degrees F — this seems high, but I find it makes the most tender result!
• Watch closely when broiling. Roasted pork belly can go from crispy to burnt very fast under the broiler, so check on it every minute or so.
• Slice against the grain. Just take a quick look at the lines running through the meat. Cutting across those lines (not along them) makes the meat more tender and easier to chew.

Seasoning Variations

The only thing you really need to season pork belly is salt and pepper, but feel free to branch out:

• Basic spices – When I want to add them, I usually use garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper.
• Spice blends – Try 2 tablespoons of Chinese five spice or my Cajun seasoning if you like some heat.
• Sweetness – Add a sprinkle of brown sugar (I use Besti Brown sweetener ). These can burn, so I recommend adding them to this pork belly recipe halfway through baking. You may want to skip the broiling step.

Serving Ideas

Once you’ve nailed how to cook pork belly, you’ve got so many options for serving it! Here are some of my favorite ways:

• Sandwich – Use your favorite bread with my sugar free BBQ sauce and lettuce.
• Tacos – I like to stuff them with crispy pork belly, salsa , avocado (or guacamole ), and cilantro.
• Bowls – Use rice or cauliflower rice as your base. Cut the pork into cubes and add sliced radishes and cucumbers (or sometimes I do stir fry vegetables ), avocado, a sprinkle of sesame seeds, and a drizzle of spicy mayo .
• Salad – Slice this pork belly recipe over my cabbage salad , or smashed cucumber salad on the side. In my picture above, I made a simple leaf salad with radishes, cucumbers, and my Asian salad dressing .
• Breakfast – Serve it with your fried eggs or egg muffin cups (my personal fave). For brunch, try my spinach quiche .

Recipe Video

Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.

• 3 lb Pork belly (with skin) ▢
• 3 tbsp Avocado oil ▢
• 1 tbsp Sea salt ▢
• 1 tbsp Black pepper ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C).
2. Using a knife, score the skin of the pork belly.
3. Use a silicone basting brush to brush the avocado oil over the top of the pork belly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Place the pork belly into a baking dish , skin side up, and bake for 1 hour .
5. Increase oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C) and bake for an additional 35-45 minutes , until the top is golden brown.
6. Change oven to broil and broil the pork belly on high for 2-5 minutes , until the skin is crispy to your liking. It will crisp up more as it cools from hot to warm.
7. Allow the pork belly to rest for 10 minutes before cutting into 1-inch slices.

LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!

Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 slice, or 1/12 of the entire recipe

• Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get melt-in-your-mouth tender meat with extra crispy skin, and avoid over or under cooking.
• Add more flavor: See my seasoning variations above for ideas!
• Store: Crispy pork belly is best fresh, but leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
• Reheat: The skin loses it’s crispness, but I find it crisps up again in the air fryer . You can also reheat in a hot skillet, or the oven at 350 degrees F.
• Freeze: Slice and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
• Note on nutrition info: Pork belly is very rich and filling. I entered 1/4 pound as a serving size and that’s what shown below, but you might be satisfied with less!

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy .

Add Your NotesYour Notes

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.

Crispy Pork Belly Recipe

Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List

• Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
• The Basic Keto Meal Formula
• Understanding Macros
• Keto Food Swaps
• Keto Food List
• Electrolyte Basics
• Keto Diet Types
• Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
• Recipe Reviews

Even though I have a great guide to starting a keto diet , people often ask me for a quick keto cheat sheet they can use. That’s why I created this simple keto diet cheat sheet , so that you can have all the info you need handy. We’ll cover the basic keto formula for building meals, foods to eat and to avoid, delicious keto swaps for high-carb foods, electrolyte basics, and 4 ways to follow the keto lifestyle.

You can keep reading to view this info, or download my keto cheat sheet printable pdf to print out or save ad-free on any device (plus the pdf has more details!).

Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?

Get all this information and MORE in convenient printer-friendly format – 13 cheat sheet pages you can take with you anywhere or keep in your kitchen, plus 4 recipe cookbooks! Includes:

1. Keto food list (230+ foods) – Super detailed & color-coded, with net carb counts, so you’ll know exactly what to eat.
2. Foods to avoid on keto – Detailed and specific list so that you know exactly what to watch out for.
3. Macros cheat sheet – Explains everything you need to know about macros to succeed on keto.
4. Keto food swaps (60+ foods) – Covers virtually every food you love, so you don’t have to miss out!
5. Keto meal formula – With specific food ideas, so it’s easy to mix-and-match.
6. Keto flu guide – Understand what it is and exactly how to avoid it.
7. Electrolyte cheat sheet – With whole food ideas + bonus keto tips.
8. Keto Diet Types – Summary of 4 ways to do keto, so you can choose what fits you best.
9. FOUR (4!) Keto Swaps Recipe EBooks – Dozens of recipes to replace bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, desserts, and other carbs you’d otherwise miss.

Get The Printable Keto Cheat Sheet System + EBooks (Only $37)

The Basic Keto Meal Formula

Eating keto doesn’t have to be complicated! While there are plenty of delicious easy keto recipes to choose from, you don’t even have to cook from a recipe to get started.

Simply follow the keto cheat sheet formula of protein + veggie + fat for your meals.

Be sure to choose a moderate amount of protein, only low carb vegetables (mostly ones that grow above ground), and generous fat to attain an optimal macro ratio. That’s approximately 60-75% of calories from fat, 20-25% protein, and 5-10% from carbohydrates. The table below will give you ideas for what to choose.

Understanding Macros

Macros are macronutrients for short. They include fat, protein, and carbohydrates.

You can calculate your own macros using the macro calculator , but the macro keto cheat sheet below will explain how to look at macros when following a keto lifestyle.

Carbs Are A Limit.

Keeping carbs low is what gets you into ketosis and keeps you there. Ketosis means that you’re using fat as your primary energy source instead of sugar, and requires keeping carbs very low.

A good starting point is 20-25 grams net carbs per day, but you can experiment after a few weeks to see if your body stays in ketosis at higher levels. People who are very active may be able to do more and stay in ketosis, up to around 50 grams per day.

“Carbs are a limit” means that you set a limit for how many carbs to eat per day and don’t exceed it. You don’t have to hit that limit, so if you’re under that’s okay, just don’t go over. Ideally most of your carbs would come from low carb vegetables, and if you’re eating enough veggies, you’ll usually get close to the limit naturally.

A common misconception is that reaching ketosis requires a certain macro ratio, but it’s really only restricting your carb intake that gets you there [ * ]. In the absence of sufficient carbs to use as energy, the body will switch to using fat as fuel. This is called the metabolic state of ketosis.

Protein Is A Goal.

Protein is made up of amino acids, the building blocks of all our cells. It’s a crucial for keeping our muscles strong and for many cellular functions [ * ].

“Protein is a goal” means that you always want to eat enough protein to reach the goal each day, but not exceed it too much. You want enough for your needs, but excess protein can trigger gluconeogenesis, which is protein being converted to sugar [ * ] and can kick you out of ketosis.

Fat Is A Lever.

Fat is the primary macronutrient in a keto lifestyle, because being in ketosis means that fat is your primary fuel source. Fat as a fuel source will come from your food, and if you are losing weight, from your body.

A big advantage of a keto lifestyle is the high fat intake. It keeps you full and satisfied, making it easier to stick to, and using it as the primary fuel source makes it easier on your body to burn body fat, with a lower chance of breaking down your muscle (provided you get enough protein).

Aside from reaching your protein goal and limiting your carbs, the remainder of your calories on a keto diet comes from fat.

Don’t fear fat – it’s your main energy source on keto, and getting enough of it trains your body to use fat for fuel instead of sugar. That means that as long as you are not overdoing your overall calorie intake, you’ll efficiently burn your body fat for fuel as well.

“Fat is a lever” means that you can increase or decrease your fat intake depending on your goals and hunger levels. Increase it (along with exercise) to gain muscle, or decrease it to lose weight.

Keto Food Swaps

One of my favorite challenges is creating recipes, or just discovering, keto food swaps. These are delicious keto replacements for traditionally high-carb or high-sugar foods.

So, I created this keto diet cheat sheet with all the swaps in one place! I also have more keto food swaps in my Easy Keto Cookbook .

Keto Swaps For Breakfast

Keto Swaps For Bread

Keto Swaps For Meals & Side Dishes

Keto Swaps For Snacks & Sauces

Keto Swaps For Cooking & Baking

Keto Swaps For Drinks

If you’re looking specifically for keto alcohol options, browse the full keto alcohol guide .

Keto Food List

When looking for a keto cheat sheet printable, the most-requested information is a keto food list.

The great thing is that keto doesn’t have to feel restrictive. It’s incredibly satisfying and there’s such a wide variety of foods you can eat!

Foods To Eat On Keto

• Leafy greens – Such as spinach, chard, and lettuce.
• Above-ground veggies – Such as peppers, zucchini, and cauliflower.
• Full-fat cream & cheese – Such as heavy cream, sour cream, and full-fat hard cheeses.
• Natural meats – Such as beef, lamb, and pork.
• Berries – Such as raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries.
• Avocados
• Unsweetened nut milks – Such as almond milk and coconut milk.
• Almond flour and coconut flour
• Eggs
• Healthy fats – Such as coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil and butter.

Foods To Avoid On Keto

• White flour & sugar
• Rice & grains – Such as barley, wheat, and corn.
• Milk & yogurt – Such as fruit on the bottom yogurt, sweetened Greek yogurt, and all milk.
• Cereal
• Processed food – Such as granola bars, candy
• Most fruit – Such as apples, bananas, and grapes
• Hydrogenated fats – Such as vegetable oil, soybean oil, and margarine
• Sweetened beverages & condiments – Such as soda, ketchup, and sweet dressings
• Starchy veggies – Such as peas, carrots, and beets.
• Potatoes – Such as sweet potatoes and white potatoes.

That’s the short keto diet cheat sheet version of all the keto food categories, but I recommend downloading the full Keto Cheat Sheet System. It includes a super detailed printable keto food list with over 100 items, including 2 color-coded pages with net carb counts, along with 6 more pages of keto cheat sheets:

Get The Keto Cheat Sheet System PDF (Only $37)

Electrolyte Basics

Getting enough electrolytes is crucial for anyone, but especially so on a keto diet. The reason is that ketosis has a diuretic effect, which increases excretion of water and electrolytes, especially sodium [ * ]. This is often the cause of the keto flu.

For more details on electrolytes and avoiding keto flu, check out the full keto flu guide here .

The important thing to know about electrolytes is that replenishing them will keep keto flu away and keep your body functioning well. I always recommend an electrolyte drink and whole food sources of anything your body needs before resorting to supplements, so I made a list of what to eat to get each of the 3 major electrolytes – sodium, magnesium and potassium.

Here’s your keto diet cheat sheet for getting electrolytes from food:

Keto Diet Types

People follow a keto lifestyle for different reasons. Some do it just to lose weight, others are after better overall health, increased energy, and reduced inflammation.

Strictly speaking, the defining factor of a keto diet is the metabolic state of ketosis, which is achieved by restricting carbs. However, many people (myself included) also reduce or eliminate processed, inflammatory, or low-nutrient foods.

Below is your keto cheat sheet summary of the different ways that people follow keto. You choose what works best for your goals and lifestyle!

• Strict Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, count all calories and macros, and eat clean, unprocessed foods.
• Lazy Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, and track only net carbs OR eat keto foods without tracking.
• Dirty Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, with “if it fits your macros” approach including processed foods.
• Low Carb – Up to 50-100g net carbs daily, less strict.

For a more detailed listing of these different types of keto with pros and cons, grab the Easy Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF below!

Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?

Get all this information and MORE in convenient printer-friendly format – 13 cheat sheet pages you can take with you anywhere or keep in your kitchen, plus 4 recipe cookbooks! Includes:

1. Keto food list (230+ foods) – Super detailed & color-coded, with net carb counts, so you’ll know exactly what to eat.
2. Foods to avoid on keto – Detailed and specific list so that you know exactly what to watch out for.
3. Macros cheat sheet – Explains everything you need to know about macros to succeed on keto.
4. Keto food swaps (60+ swaps) – Covers virtually every food you love, so you don’t have to miss out!
5. Keto meal formula – With specific food ideas, so it’s easy to mix-and-match.
6. Keto flu guide – Understand what it is and exactly how to avoid it.
7. Electrolyte cheat sheet – With whole food ideas + bonus keto tips.
8. Keto Diet Types – Summary of 4 ways to do keto, so you can choose what fits you best.
9. FOUR (4!) Keto Swaps Recipe EBooks – Dozens of recipes to replace bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, desserts, and other carbs you’d otherwise miss.

Get The Printable Keto Cheat Sheet System (75 pages, Only $37!)

Crispy Pork Belly Recipe

Learn how to cook pork belly that’s tender inside and crunchy on top! My crispy pork belly recipe is simple, flavorful, and so easy.

Scan this QR code with your phone’s camera for the full recipe, including tips, step-by-step photos, and storage, or to save it to your account. You can also find it at: https://www.wholesomeyum.com/pork-belly/

Ingredients

• 3 lb Pork belly (with skin)
• 3 tbsp Avocado oil
• 1 tbsp Sea salt
• 1 tbsp Black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C).
2. Using a knife, score the skin of the pork belly.
3. Use a silicone basting brush to brush the avocado oil over the top of the pork belly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Place the pork belly into a baking dish , skin side up, and bake for 1 hour .
5. Increase oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C) and bake for an additional 35-45 minutes , until the top is golden brown.
6. Change oven to broil and broil the pork belly on high for 2-5 minutes , until the skin is crispy to your liking. It will crisp up more as it cools from hot to warm.
7. Allow the pork belly to rest for 10 minutes before cutting into 1-inch slices.

Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 slice, or 1/12 of the entire recipe

• Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get melt-in-your-mouth tender meat with extra crispy skin, and avoid over or under cooking.
• Add more flavor: See my seasoning variations above for ideas!
• Store: Crispy pork belly is best fresh, but leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
• Reheat: The skin loses it’s crispness, but I find it crisps up again in the air fryer . You can also reheat in a hot skillet, or the oven at 350 degrees F.
• Freeze: Slice and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
• Note on nutrition info: Pork belly is very rich and filling. I entered 1/4 pound as a serving size and that’s what shown below, but you might be satisfied with less!

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy .

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. :)