Air Fryer Crispy Pork Belly with Honey Soy Glaze
Pork belly air-fried until the edges turn golden and crisp, then brushed with a sticky honey soy glaze. A rich, savory one-basket dish with a gentle sweetness and no heat.
- Total
- 45 min
- Prep 10 · Cook 30 · Rest 5
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Rendering fat · Basting
- Savory
- Crispy
- Air fryer
Instructions
-
Pat the pork belly dry with paper towels, then cut it into 2 cm cubes. In a small bowl, mix 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp honey, and the finely chopped garlic cloves.
~8 min
Drying the surface prevents steaming so the pork can crisp, and mixing the glaze now lets the garlic flavor meld.
Dry the pork belly thoroughly before air-frying: surface moisture steams the meat and stops the edges from crisping.
-
Toss the pork belly cubes with 1 tsp oil, 0.25 tsp salt, and 0.25 tsp black pepper until evenly coated.
~2 min
A thin, even coat of oil and seasoning helps the cubes brown uniformly instead of steaming or sticking.
-
Place the pork belly in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Air fry at 200°C for 15 minutes, shaking the basket halfway, until the edges are golden and crisp.
~15 min
A single layer lets hot air circulate around every cube, so the edges crisp rather than steam.
Rendering fat Air-fry in a single layer so the fat renders and drips away; crowding traps steam and leaves the cubes greasy and pale.
-
While step 3 cooks
While the pork belly air-fries, stir the honey soy mixture once more so the garlic is evenly distributed.
~2 min
-
Brush the pork belly all over with the honey soy glaze, then air fry at 200°C for 5 minutes more, until the glaze is sticky and the pork is deeply browned.
~5 min
Brushing glaze at the end limits honey's exposure to high heat, keeping it sticky instead of bitter.
Add the glaze only in the last few minutes; honey burns quickly at 200°C, so a short second pass keeps it sticky rather than bitter.
Basting Brush a thin, even coat of glaze and give it only a short second pass; too much honey at 200°C scorches before it turns sticky.
-
Check that the pork belly reaches 63°C in the thickest piece, then rest it for 5 minutes before serving.
~5 min
Resting lets juices redistribute so they stay in the meat instead of running out when cut.