2-Ingredient Air Fryer Crispy Pork Belly Recipe (Siew Yoke)

magic mechanic

2-Ingredient Air Fryer Crispy Pork Belly (Siew Yoke)

Two ingredients, ridiculously crispy skin. This air fryer pork belly might be the easiest crispy pork I’ve ever made.

2-Ingredient Air Fryer Crispy Pork Belly (Siew Yoke)

Crispy, blistered pork belly with just pork and salt. A slow air fry renders the fat before a final blast of high heat turns the skin beautifully crunchy, no complicated prep required.

If you're Cantonese don't forget to mix a little of the rendered pork fat from the tray with dark soy sauce to make 黑油熟油 (hak yau suk yau) for drizzling over your rice.

Ingredients:

  • 6 strips skin-on pork belly, about 2 inches thick
  • ½ tsp salt, plus an extra pinch for the skin

Method :

  1. Lay the pork belly strips skin-side up. Prick lots of small holes all over the skin using satay sticks, a fork or the tip of a knife. Be careful of your fingers.
  2. Rub ½ teaspoon salt all over the pork belly.
  3. Place a wire rack over a tray and arrange the pork belly on top, skin-side up. Sprinkle another small pinch of salt over the skin.
  4. Air fry at 170°C for 1 hour.
  5. Open the air fryer and check the pork. If any pieces have fallen over, reposition them so all the skin is facing upwards.
  6. Increase the temperature to 230°C, or your air fryer's highest setting, and air fry for another 5–10 minutes, watching closely, until the skin bubbles, blisters and turns beautifully crisp.
  7. Remove and rest for 10 minutes before chopping.

How we eat it

In our Cantonese family, we like to mix a little of the rendered pork fat from the tray with dark soy sauce to make 黑油熟油 (hak yau suk yau) for drizzling over your rice.

Dear Mama tip: That final blast of high heat is where the magic happens. Pork skin needs to reach at least 210°C to blister. Keep an eye on it, the difference between beautifully blistered and burnt can happen quickly.

What I Used to Make This

These are the tools I use and love. Some links are affiliate, thank you for your quiet support 🤍

All in one

Combi Steam Oven

My current kitchen workhorse. It air fries, steams, bakes, grills, dehydrates and even cleans itself. Compact but powerful, perfect for busy weeknight cooking or batch prepping. I love that it’s made with stainless steel interior and accessories and can replace multiple appliances in one sleek setup.

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Poke a thousand holes

Meat Tenderiser for Crispy Roast Pork Skin

Use this tool to help poke a thousand holes on your roast pork belly skin quickly and effectively. The more holes, the higher likelihood of crunchy bubbly crispy crackling skin

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Non-toxic swap

Glass Air Fryer

I chose a glass air fryer to avoid non-stick coatings. It’s a cleaner, low-tox alternative that lets you actually see your food as it cooks. Perfect for quick dinners, toddler meals, or when I need to walk away and let something crisp quietly on its own

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non-toxic swap

Air Fryer Tray Insert

I use this to cook marinated salmon in the airfryer. Made from food-grade stainless steel, with an optional rack for crisping or roasting. A non-toxic alternative to silicone baskets and wax paper liners

The 15cm size fits perfectly in the Mayer glass air fryer

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Non toxic swap

Bamboo Chopping Board

I swapped out all our plastic cutting boards for wood and haven’t looked back

It’s a simple, non-toxic upgrade that’s gentler on knives and free of microplastic wear. This one’s sturdy, light, easy to clean, and actually looks nice on the counter too

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