Air Fryer Pork Belly Bites

Angela Morris

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These Air Fryer Pork Belly Bites are perfect little morsels of deliciousness, having been cooked to crispy perfection in the air fryer. Serve them as finger food with a sauce on the side and they will be devoured in no time.

If you’ve never cooked pork belly in the air fryer (or any other method, for that matter) before, you’re really missing out. The circulating forced air in the air fryer gets it so crispy and the inside gets so tender and juicy. If you love this recipe then you should try these Crispy Air Fryer Pork Belly Strips.

These aren’t your go-to healthy snack, of course. Pork Belly is quite fatty, but when cooked properly, the fat gets rendered and much of it drips off, leaving you with these delicious little bites. Just eat them in moderation – which admittedly is a bit difficult once you start smelling them cooking in the air fryer.

Why You’ll Love It

• The air fryer with it’s circulating hot air ensures that every inch of the pork belly gets evenly crisped up, resulting in a delightful crunch with each bite.
• making pork belly bites becomes a hassle-free process. Simply season the pork belly, place it in the air fryer basket, and let the cooking begin.
• These pork belly bites are incredibly versatile and can be served in a variety of ways. Whether you want to enjoy them as a mouthwatering appetizer, a flavorful topping for salads or bowls, or as the star of a hearty sandwich or wrap, the possibilities are endless.

Kathryn Donangelo says: I’m so glad we tried this recipe! The pork belly bites were a total hit and super easy to make! Thank you!

NomNomNinja says: I absolutely love these, and have such a hard time not eating them all at once

» You might also like these Air Fryer Steak Bites & Potatoes.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Pork belly – Cut into 1″ pieces, skinless. I find that 1-inch pieces cook best for pork bites, not too small when cooked and not too big that they don’t coo through.
• Dry rub or salt and pepper – While these are my seasoning of choice, feel free to use your favorite spaces for this recipe.

What is Pork Belly?

Pork belly is a boneless cut of meat from the belly of a pig, and it’s a dream come true for meat lovers who adore fatty, juicy, and flavorful dishes. Unlike other cuts, pork belly is rich in fat layers alternating with muscle, making it incredibly tender when cooked properly.

Think of it as bacon’s luxurious and unprocessed cousin; in fact, bacon is often made by smoking and curing slices of pork belly. We like to cook pork belly in the air fryer because it’s a faster method than in the oven, but if slow-cooked, it creates tender, melt-in-your-mouth morsels.

Where to Buy Pork Belly

Pork belly is usually pretty easy to acquire at the grocery. It typically comes in packages of sliced or cubed pieces. Sometimes you’ll find a whole slab of pork belly with the skin still on.

If you can’t find it pre-packaged at the grocery, be sure to ask at the butcher counter. They typically can cut it for you from a slab they have in the back. Or they can order it special for you.

You can ask them to cut it into whatever size pieces you want. The butcher can also remove the skin. For this recipe, it’s best to remove the skin, because it doesn’t have time to get crispy.

If you still can’t find it near you, you can go through an online butcher, like our favorite FarmFoods, who will ship it right out to you.

Helpful Tips

• These are best eaten right away. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
• If your pork belly comes with skin on, remove the skin before cooking.
• If you prefer larger chunks, you may need to cook the bites longer to ensure they’re cooked through.

How to Cook Air Fryer Pork Belly Bites

Step 1: Cut the pork belly

For this recipe, you want to use 1-inch pieces of pork belly. This cooks down to be the perfect bite-sized pieces.

Step 2: Seasoning

Seasoning the pork belly gives it lots of extra flavor. We use our favorite homemade dry rub. I keep a container of this dry rub made up so I can use it on any type of meat or veggie I need to season.

It has paprika, chili powder, mustard powder, onion powder and garlic powder, brown sugar, black pepper and salt. It’s a great addition to these pork belly bites.

Step 3: Add to the air fryer

After seasoning, add the pork belly bites to the basket of your fryer basket. Make sure not to over crowd the basket. You want the air to circulate around all of the pieces.

Step 4: Air fry

Different models will have different cooking times so make sure to consult your manual. Using the air fryer function which runs at 400°F(205°C), I set my air fryer for 8 minutes. Then I flipped them over and set it for another 5 minutes.

Step 5: Serve and enjoy!

The pieces shrink down to little bite-sized morsels that are perfect for snacking. You can dip them in sauce, or just eat them the way they are.

Try Smoked Pork Belly Bites

We’ve recently acquired a Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill that has both an air fryer and smoker capability built in. This is the perfect recipe to make in there. You get the smoked flavor and aroma along with the crispy pork taste. It’s a bit like pork belly burnt ends, which we like to make on the grill in the summer, only quicker and easier.

Sauces for Pork Belly Bites

These little morsels are already super flavorful, but sauce makes everything better, so I suggest serving these with dipping sauce on the side.

One of our favorites at home is Alabama White BBQ Sauce, which is quite easy to make.You can also use a marinade before cooking the bites to give them a little extra flavor. To make them sweeter, try a honey bbq sauce.

They also go well with Ranch Dressing, Blue Cheese dressing, regular BBQ sauce, or even just mayonnaise.

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Air Fryer Pork Belly Bites

These pork belly bites are little morsels of deliciousness, turned crispy in the air fryer.

4.9 from 106 votes

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 13 minutes mins

Total Time 18 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 6 servings

Calories 394 kcal

Equipment

• Air Fryer
• Kitchen Tongs
• Meat thermometer

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 1 pound (454 g) pork belly cut into 1" pieces, skinless
• 1 tablespoon (4 g) dry rub or salt and pepper

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• Cut pork belly into 1" pieces. Sprinkle on the dry rub.
• Place the pork belly bites in the air fryer basket, leaving room for the air to circulate.
• Cook on 400 °F(205°C) for 11-13 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through to ensure even cooking.
• Remove the bites from the air fryer and enjoy with sauce, if desired.

Notes

• These are best eaten right away. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
• If your pork belly comes with skin on, remove the skin before cooking.
• If you prefer larger chunks, you may need to cook the bites longer to ensure they’re cooked through.

All air fryers have different wattage and may cook at different rates. You may need to adjust the time or temp for the best results.

Nutrition

Calories: 394kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 7gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 24mgPotassium: 144mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 25IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Air Fryer, Pork

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Angela Morris

Angela is a talented home cook and passionate advocate for healthy, flavorful cooking in the air fryer. She shares her favorite air fryer recipes and helpful tips for using this versatile kitchen appliance to create delicious, nutritious meals.