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.
» You might also like these Air Fryer Steak Bites & Potatoes.
Super Useful Air Fryer Accessories
Once you’ve started using your air fryer more regularly, you’ll find there are so many other ways you *could* be using it, if you had a few extra useful accessories. Here are a few favorites that we use almost every day.
- 12-piece accessories kit for 3.7-5.8 quart air fryers – includes silicone cake pan, cake barrel, pizza pan, toasting/warming rack, skewer rack, silicone mat, bread rack and more
- Thermopen instant read thermometer for checking the internal temp of your meats
- Evo Oil Sprayer Bottle – BPA, latex, and dehp-free plastic, won’t clog or shatter, reusable, refillable, recyclable
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.
» Looking for more finger foods? Try Air Fryer Pizza Rolls, Air Fryer Gyoza and Crispy Breaded Shrimp.
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 pork belly bites, 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.
Why Use an Air Fryer
An air fryer is an incredibly easy way to cook just about anything. You place the food in a fryer-style basket and hot air rapidly circulates all around the food, making the food crisp – much like deep-frying, but without the oil. You can cook anything you’d make in the oven.
- If you don’t have an air fryer yet, check out these options to find one that fits your needs.
- See reviews and prices for air fryers on Amazon.
- Click to find more recipes to make in your Air Fryer.
- Learn how to make fun things in the air fryer, like potato wedges, pork belly bites, and chicken wings.
How to Cook Pork Belly in the Air Fryer
For this recipe, you want to use 1-inch pieces of pork belly. This cooks down to be the perfect bite-sized pieces.
Step One: 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 Two: Add to Air Fryer
After seasoning, add the pork belly bites to the basket of your air fryer. Make sure not to over crowd the basket. You want the air to circulate around all of the pieces.
Step Three: Set the Cooking Time
Different models will have different cooking times so make sure to consult your manual. Using the air fryer function which runs at 400 degrees, I set my air fryer for 8 minutes. Then I flipped them over and set it for another 5 minutes.
Step Four: 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.
It doesn’t get any easier then that!
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.
They also go really well with Ranch Dressing, Blue Cheese dressing, regular BBQ sauce, or even just mayonnaise.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Like this recipe? We’d love for you to share it with your friends on social media. For more great recipes, follow us on Pinterest and Facebook, where we share our recipes daily.
🥧 If you’re interested in more great recipes, I share all my favorite recipes over at A Food Lover’s Kitchen, and you’ll find Instant Pot recipes at A Pressure Cooker Kitchen, and cocktails and drinks at Savored Sips. Check it out today!
Air Fryer Pork Belly Bites
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork belly cut into 1" pieces, skinless
- 1 tbsp dry rub or salt and pepper
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 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
Pin it for later!
Angie lives in a small town in Oregon where she spends her time reading, creating recipes, and spending time with her two kids.
I can see us all fighting over the last piece, haha! Those crispy little edges are my favorite.
I’m so glad we tried this recipe! The pork belly bites were a total hit and super easy to make! Thank you!
Love you description – pockets of liquid deliciousness 🙂 Definitely a new treat I need to try in my air fryer!
That is such a delicious and addictive dish. Love how crispy and inviting they look. Using the air fryer is a great idea.
Omg. These are so good! I can’t believe you make them in the airfryer.
I have been dying for burnt ends and saw this recipe and just happened to be making pork strips ..I hope I made them right