Air Fryer Recipe
BBQ pork belly
This BBQ pork belly recipe is perfect for air frying, offering a hands-off method for crispy, flavorful results.
Ingredients
- 500g pork belly, cut into 2-inch cubes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp BBQ sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
- In a large bowl, combine olive oil, BBQ sauce, honey, smoked paprika, and garlic powder to prepare the marinade.
- Add pork belly cubes to the marinade, ensuring each piece is well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Preheat the air fryer to 200°C.
- Place marinated pork belly pieces in the air fryer basket, leaving space between each piece.
- Cook for 15-20 minutes, turning halfway, until golden and crispy.
- Allow the pork belly to rest for a few minutes before serving.
Why this works in an air fryer
Small pork belly cubes expose plenty of surface area to the air fryer’s fast convection, so fat renders while the outside browns. Honey and BBQ sauce caramelise quickly, giving a sticky crust, while spacing the pieces lets moisture escape instead of steaming the meat.
Equipment notes
Timing assumes a 4–6 litre basket with the pork in one layer. In a single-drawer air fryer, cook in batches if pieces touch; in a dual-zone model, split the pork evenly between drawers, shake/turn both halfway, and expect 1–3 minutes longer as each drawer has less thermal mass and airflow.
Common pitfalls
- Sauce turning black before the pork is crisp? The sugars are scorching; drop to 180°C for the remaining time and brush on a little extra BBQ sauce only for the last 3–4 minutes next time.
- Pale, wet-looking sides at minute 10? The cubes are too close or sitting in pooled marinade; drain excess marinade, leave gaps, and cook in batches so convection can dry the surface.
- Chewy fat after 20 minutes? The belly pieces are too large or the fat has not rendered; cook 5–8 minutes longer at 170–180°C, turning once, rather than increasing the heat.
- Dry edges with a tough centre? The cubes are unevenly cut; trim to similar 2-inch pieces and remove any much smaller bits early once browned.
Variations & substitutions
- Use maple syrup instead of honey for a deeper, less floral sweetness; it browns similarly, so keep the same temperature but watch the final 5 minutes.
- Swap smoked paprika for chipotle powder for more heat and smoke; use slightly less at first as it can make the crust taste bitter if over-browned.
- Use a Korean-style glaze of gochujang, soy sauce and a little brown sugar instead of BBQ sauce; because soy is salty, reduce added salt and expect faster darkening.
- Use skin-on pork belly cubes if available; cook skin-side up where possible and allow a few extra minutes, but do not overload the basket or the skin will steam rather than blister.
Storage & reheating
Keep leftovers chilled for up to 3 days, then reheat in the air fryer at 180°C for 4–6 minutes until hot through and the edges are crisp again.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
