Maple Glazed Pork Belly with Crispy Crackling
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This maple-glazed pork belly is flavorful and tender with the most irresistible crispy crackling. We serve it with sweet and smoky chipotle aioli for a delicious main that’s perfect for entertaining. It’s surprisingly easy to make, and most of the cooking time is hands-off!
Pork belly has a well-earned reputation for being deeply satisfying, and this recipe is one I keep coming back to. I’ve made this maple-glazed pork belly countless times over the years, including during my days running an underground restaurant, and it’s always been a standout. Rich, tender meat paired with crisp crackling never fails to draw people in, yet it’s far more approachable to make than it looks.
This recipe keeps things simple while delivering big, confident flavor. A glaze of maple syrup, brown miso, and Chinese five spice gives the pork a savory-sweet depth, while sesame oil and a generous sprinkle of flaky sea salt help the skin puff and crisp beautifully. Finished with smoky, spicy chipotle aioli, every bite hits that balance of rich, sweet, and bold that keeps guests reaching back for more.
Over time, I’ve learned that the crackling doesn’t need tricks or complicated steps—just a straightforward method and good ingredients. That approach has never let me down, whether I was cooking for a packed table or a quiet dinner at home, and it’s what makes this pork belly so reliably impressive.
BTW: If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, turn them into a pork belly sandwich or pork belly tacos!
Three tips to make perfect crackling
Pork crackling is the term given to the layer of crispy, tasty skin on roast pork. It’s delicious, and there’s nothing quite like it!
Here are my top 3 tips for making perfect crackling:
- Oil the skin. I use 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, but any vegetable oil will work to help render the fat and make it crispy.
- Salt the skin generously, because salt equals flavor. Would you ever eat unsalted potato chips? I didn’t think so. Flaky sea salt works best.
- Broil the skin. The skin needs some heat at the end in order to get crispy. Broiling it crisps it quickly without drying out the meat.
Pork belly myths debunked
I’ve cooked pork belly a lot over the years, experimenting with different techniques and testing what actually makes a difference. These are a few common myths I’ve happily let go of—they save time and consistently lead to better pork belly.
- Pork belly is too fancy for home cooking
This one always makes me smile. Pork belly is actually very forgiving and easy to work with, and I’ve served it at everything from casual dinners to more polished meals. It looks impressive, but it’s far more approachable than it sounds. - Letting it dry out in the fridge
The goal is dry skin, not an overnight stay in the fridge. As long as I thoroughly pat the skin dry with paper towels before it goes into the oven, the crackling turns out beautifully every time. - Marinating the pork belly for hours
I’ve tried long marinades, and while they don’t hurt, I haven’t found that they make a noticeable difference in flavor or texture. A good glaze applied at the right moment delivers plenty of flavor without the extra wait. - Cooking pork belly quickly
Pork belly needs time—there’s no way around it. A slower roast lets the fat render properly, giving you tender, melt-in-the-mouth meat.
What to serve with maple glazed pork belly
This maple glazed pork belly is a versatile meal that you can serve in many ways. In the pictures, I serve it with fluffy white rice and a side of steamed broccoli. It also tastes great with roasted potatoes or veggies, noodle dishes like our soy ginger noodles, or a crunchy Asian salad or cucumber salad.
Maple Glazed Pork Belly with Crispy Crackling Recipe
Ingredients
Pork Belly
- 1 ½ lb boneless pork belly
- 2 tablespoons brown miso
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt (Maldon salt works great)
Chipotle Aioli
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon lime juice (fresh squeezed)
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon pureed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 4 drops liquid smoke
- 1 small garlic clove (very finely minced)
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, then place an ovenproof wire rack on top.
- Dry the pork belly with paper towels. Make cuts in the pork belly skin 1 inch apart. When you finish one direction, make cuts in the other direction so that the top of the pork belly is cut into little squares. This helps the fat render and makes it much easier to cut and eat once it's cooked. Make sure you cut all the way through the skin (into a little of the fat is ok), but do not cut through to the meat. Turn the pork belly over and stab the meat all over with the tip of your knife.1 ½ lb boneless pork belly
- In a small bowl, mix together the miso, maple syrup, and Chinese five-spice. Liberally coat the meat (not the skin!) side of the pork belly. Place the pork belly, skin side up, on top of the wire rack.2 tablespoons brown miso, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice
- Pour the sesame oil over the skin and massage it in. Sprinkle the top liberally with the flaky sea salt.1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
- Bake the pork belly for 2 hours in the center of your oven. Increase the oven temperature to a low broil – see notes! Move the pork belly to a rack in the top third of your oven. Broil it for 10-15 minutes, or until the pork skin is very crispy.
- While the pork is in the oven, make the chipotle aioli. Whisk the ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and place it in the fridge until you are ready to serve it.¼ cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, ½ teaspoon pureed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 4 drops liquid smoke, 1 small garlic clove, ⅛ teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- Remove the pork belly from the oven and let it sit for 15 minutes, uncovered. Slice the pork belly and serve with the chipotle aioli on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
I loved this recipe and the “cracklin” top was phenomenal! Slow and steady is the rule — starting with a dry belly is the MUST DO!
your crackling looks fab!!!
Hi, just a question about the Brown Miso in the recipe. I am in Australia and have not been able to find it. Are you talking about Brown rice Miso? if so, is it the red version or white, or some other type?
Thanks in advance.
Geoffrey.
Here in Canada brown miso is also called Genmai miso and is made with brown rice, so I’d assume it’s the same as brown rice miso. I’ve also made this recipe with red miso, which turned out just as well. I hope that helps!
Im trying to produce a po boy that I had in New Orleans…this sounds close..im off to the shops. Cheers.
Can I adapt this to cooking in a smoker instead of oven?
While I haven’t tried it, I suspect that it would be delicious in a smoker!
Hi Kristen. Made this the other night and actually did a head to head with another batch that was braised in milk for the same cooking time. Concensus: these were the clear winner (although neither really had any leftover staying power. They were all gone the next day). I made a few modifications: I more or less doubled the quantities of the miso-maple syrup and also added a little balsamic vinegar to the mix just because. That also gave me a lot of liquid that I reduced on the stove and drizzled all over the cooked meat. The biggest different was that I started with already cut pork belly strips. That gave me more surface area to shmear the sauce on before cooking. Your tips were great. Next version: sorghum instead of maple syrup. Thanks.
I’m so happy to hear everyone loved the recipe! Love the sound of your next version!
Is this a main dish or an appetizer? In either case, what would you serve with it?
It can be both! As an appetizer, I cut it into smaller pieces and serve it alongside the dip. As the main course, I usually go with a big salad to balance the richness of the pork belly. Sometimes some roasted veggies, too. I had a friend once serve this for brunch over some yam chili with fried eggs and it was amazing that way, too!
What’s the trick to finding a good piece of pork belly? Is there a certain cut one should ask for?
No real trick. Just make sure that the pork belly you buy is a larger slab … occasionally it’ll be cut into smaller pieces. I’ll often ask the butcher to cut out the bone. If that’s not possible, it’s easy to do at home with a sharp knife. 🙂
Hi going to do this today. Do you cook it skin side up or meat side up
Skin side up!
is the temp in degree’s centigrade or F
275 degrees Fahrenheit 🙂
It certainly looks very appetizing. Hopefully, when I try your recipe and method of
cooking belly pork, it will be as good as yours. I’ll let you know – and I’ll be forever
grateful to you because I’ve tried it several times, never done it successfully. I’m
keeping my fingers crossed. I will let you know soon as I’ve done it the first time
I will try your recipe.
Do let me know when you try it. I’ve used this recipe many times and love it. 🙂
That’s the leanest, non fattiest pork belly I have ever seen in my life. Just sayin.
Oh I can assure you there was a nice thick layer of tasty fat under all the crispy skin 🙂
Hey Kristen, thanks for the lovely pork belly recipe! Tried it out this weekend with some rib pork belly, was looking for a simple preparation and it came out nicely. Really liked the chipotle aioli, accidentally put too much maple syrup in but was still very tasty.
I may try it out again this weekend with some tweaks but grazie and great photos!
Ron
So happy to hear it turned out for you! Pork belly is one of my favourites 🙂
Wow Kristen, I am so glad I found your post. Let me tell you I read your “myths” and LOL because guess what – I have done them all! My gosh, your crackling looks divine. I think I am going to give your recipe a go.
Loved the tips and myth-busting. My family and I absolutely cannot live without pork belly–it definitely is up there as one of the godly ingredients 😉 And serving the aioli alongside is positively decadent! Your “Not Miracle Whip” was funny ^^
That looks absolutely wonderful. I love pork belly. I must try this soon.
I am buying a pork belly immediately! This looks amazing. This is my first time seeing your blog, but I’ll definitely be back. 🙂