This pork belly slices recipe is crispy yet tender and incredibly flavorful. It's fatty pork belly baked in the oven with a mix of brown sugar and seasonings until perfectly browned and crispy. It's an easy-to-make alternative to slow-roasted pork belly, and it's ready in an hour!

For more incredible pork recipes, try our porchetta and maple glazed pork belly.

This Pork Belly Slices Recipe on a baking sheet

Pork belly can be intimidating to cook if you're not used to preparing it. There are a lot of myths about needing to marinate it for long periods of time, cooking it super slowly, and so on.

We've found that simple ingredients and simple methods turn out the best-tasting pork belly. So that's what we've done with this pork belly slices recipe.

If you've ever wondered how to cook slices of pork belly, this is our easy, go-to way of preparing it, and it's very very delicious. Simply slice and season the pork belly slices and then bake them until they're crispy. That's it!

There are so many ways you can enjoy these pork belly strips either on their own, with your favorite side dish, or tucked into a sandwich. You're not likely to have leftovers, but if you do, you can heat them up for lunch the next day, too!

Pork belly slices ingredients

We keep it simple with this pork belly slices recipe so the flavor of the pork belly can really shine. All you need is some pork belly, brown sugar, and a few seasonings:

  • Skinless pork belly – pork belly is a fatty cut of meat from the belly of the pig. Since it's become more popular, it's easier to find at your local butcher or grocery store. You can also buy slices of pork belly at the butcher instead of slicing it yourself.
  • Brown sugar – brown sugar adds sweetness and becomes a bit caramelized as it cooks.
  • Seasonings – we use a tasty mix of sweet paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, sea salt, and black pepper.
4 pictures showing how to cook this Pork Belly Slices Recipe.

How to cook pork belly slices

There's nothing complicated about cooking sliced pork belly. It tastes so good when it's warm and crispy that it barely makes it off the pan in our kitchen! Here's how we make it in a few simple steps:

  1. Slice your pork belly into strips, pat them dry with a paper towel, and lay them in a single layer on a baking tray.
  2. Mix the brown sugar and seasonings together.
  3. Sprinkle the mixture over the two sides of the pork belly slices.
  4. Bake the strips for about an hour, flipping them halfway through. They're done when they're browned and crisp.

Full recipe instructions are in the recipe card below.

What to serve with pork belly slices

These pork belly strips are delicious as an alternative to bacon for breakfast or brunch along with some scrambled eggs and fresh fruit.

They taste great on their own with your favorite side, a simple salad, or layered on a bun with coleslaw and fries.

Our favorite side dishes to serve with pork belly slices

Recipe FAQs

Is pork belly the same as bacon?

Pork belly and bacon are similar, but they differ in how they are prepared. Bacon is cured and smoked but pork belly isn't.

How do I store leftover pork belly?

Store any leftover pork belly in your fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat it in a 400-degree Fahrenheit oven for about 10 minutes.

I could only find skin-on pork belly at the butcher, is this ok?

While we love crispy crackling (the skin) we prefer pork belly slices to be skinless. But don't worry, the skin is pretty easy to remove. Simply take a sharp knife and slowly cut away the skin, trying your best not to remove any of the tasty fat below the skin.

Pork Belly Slices on a plate.
This Pork Belly Slices Recipe on a baking sheet

Pork Belly Slices Recipe

This pork belly slices recipe is crispy yet tender and incredibly flavorful. It's fatty pork belly baked in the oven with a mix of brown sugar and seasonings until perfectly browned and crispy. It's an easy-to-make alternative to slow-roasted pork belly, and it's ready in an hour!

If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!

5 stars (47 ratings)
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb skinless pork belly, cut into ½ inch strips
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • ½ teaspoon EACH: onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, and brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper

Instructions 

  • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the pork belly into ½ inch strips and dry them well with a paper towel.
    1 lb skinless pork belly
    image for recipe instruction
  • In a small bowl, mix the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.
    1 teaspoon sweet paprika, ½ teaspoon EACH: onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, and brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
    image for recipe instruction
  • Sprinkle the spices evenly over both sides of the pork belly strips then move the strips onto the baking sheet.
    image for recipe instruction
  • Bake the pork belly strips for 30 minutes. Turn them over and then continue to cook them for another 20-30 minutes, until they're dark golden brown and crispy.
    image for recipe instruction

Notes

The easiest way to slice the pork belly is to turn it upside down so that the meaty part is on top. You can also buy slices of pork belly at the butcher.Ā 
Serving: 1 = ¼ of the recipe, Calories: 591kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 60g, Saturated Fat: 22g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 28g, Cholesterol: 82mg, Sodium: 182mg, Potassium: 222mg, Fiber: 0.2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 258IU, Vitamin C: 0.3mg, Calcium: 7mg, Iron: 1mg
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For more inspiration, check out all of our pork recipes!