Pork Belly Fried Rice

Tired of regular fried rice, try this pork belly fried rice, highlighted by the crispy pork belly, crunchy peppers, and eggs.

Once the pork belly is well seared, it creates great flavors that can combine super well with scrambled eggs. Add some green pepper to improve the color and taste. Then we simply season it with soy sauce, salt and pepper, and a small amount of sesame oil. That’s it, a different but delicious pork fried rice.  

I love types of fried rice because it is such a great way of dealing with leftover rice. Diced pork belly provides crispy bites of flavorful meat, while fresh bell peppers and scallions add color and crunch. Every bite is full of aromatic savory taste.

As a pork belly lover, I am seeking new ways of making pork belly, turning it into something delicious, or combined with other ingredients.

Pork belly has lovely names in Chinese: 五花肉, 三线肉 or marbled meats. It comes from the pork stomach and has three layers two of which are lean meat while three of them are fatty meat. So it has a lovely ratio of lean vs. fat meat.

If you love simple yet quick pork belly recipes, you can check my pan-fried pork belly which only needs boiling and pan-frying, or this red braised pork belly which involves traditional Chinese red-brasing. Sui Yuk is a roasted crispy pork belly from Cantonese cuisine.

With crispy pork belly cubes, it is slightly different

It differs from classic fried rice because I include the crispy pork belly.

I use green pepper in this recipe. You can substitute with other greens like broccoli, mustard green, and even bok choy. Adding greens not only makes the color more appealing but also helps to balance the oily taste.

Cook’s Tips

• Remove the extra oil when the pork belly is cured and release lots of oil.
• If you want a darker version, add 2 teaspoons of dark soy sauce.
• Use day-old rice: Using rice that’s been refrigerated overnight helps achieve the best texture in fried rice. Long-grain jasmine rice or basmati rice are the best two options.
• Cut the pork belly small: Cut the pork into small 1/2 inch cubes so it cooks up crispy and mixes evenly into the rice.
• Keep it moving in the wok: Constant tossing and stirring helps maintain the texture and prevent burning.

Ingredients

• Pork belly – Pork belly provides tender, fatty meat that fries up crispy and lends rich, savory flavor to the rice. Choose well-marbled strips with a good balance of fat and lean meat.
• Bell peppers or slightly spicy pepper – Fresh, crisp bell peppers add color, texture, and subtle sweetness to balance the pork belly.
• Eggs– eggs help to add a lovely green color and enhance the flavors. But you can make this without egg too.
• Green onions – Green onions lend bright, fresh onion flavor. I separated the green onion into a white part and a green part. The white part is stir-fried with garlic while the green part is used as garnish at the end.
• Cooked rice – Day-old, chilled rice fries up light and fluffy. Jasmine or basmati rice works best.
• Soy sauce – Soy sauce adds an umami richness as well as that classic Chinese food flavor. I mix a small amount of dark soy sauce to keep it slightly colored. But this one is not as dark as soy sauce fried rice.
• Sesame oil – A touch of sesame oil provides nutty depth and aroma.
• Salt and white pepper – Seasonings enhance the overall flavor of the dish.

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the ingredients, cut the pork belly, and green pepper. Whisk the egg with a small pinch of salt and pepper.

Step 2: Sear the pork belly.

Add a small amount of oil, and place the pork belly in. This process may take several minutes. Be patient, as we want to make the pork belly crispy and less oily.
Step 3: Cook the egg

Once the pork belly turns evenly browned, transfer them to one half of the wok, then place the egg in. Use your turner to break the eggs. And then add scallion and ginger to fry until aromatic.

Step 4: add the rice

Break up any large clumps with your spatula or spoon. Toss and stir fry for 2 minutes, allowing the rice to heat through.

Step 5: seasoning it

Add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and white pepper. Toss well and serve hot. Now we get this aromatic, crispy, and full of pork belly fried rice. If you want something new to try, this is a must-try.

What to serve with it

Even if we pour the extra oil from the pork belly, it contains oily content. So we recommend serving it with pickled or salad.

I usually love to match it with a lovely cucumber salad and match it with a lovely chili oil.

Fried rice lovers, you can also check the following fried rice recipes

1. Egg fried rice
2. Golden fried rice
3. Yang Chou Fried Rice
4. Ground pork fried rice

FAQs

Can I use freshly cooked rice?

It’s best to use day-old rice that’s been refrigerated overnight. The starches crystallize which prevents mushiness. Freshly cooked rice runs the risk of turning soggy in the wok.

Do I need to marinate the pork belly first?

No, there is no need to marinate pork belly.

Can I use brown rice instead of white?

You can, however brown rice tends to be drier. Be sure to use very tender brown rice and add a bit more oil when cooking to prevent dryness. White jasmine or basmati rice is still recommended for the best texture.