If you are an air fryer cooker, this is an incredible pork belly recipe. We use the same marinating process as the previous deep-fried pork belly, but this air-fried version is even better.
This air-fried pork belly differs from the crispy Cantonese pork belly, which is only crispy on the shell. With this method, we get an overall crispy shell. It is similar to char siu but evolved with a crispy shell.
Should I keep the skin or not
When you buy pork belly from the market, it usually comes with skins. I suggest removing the skin for this particular one because it may be hard to chew with this cooking time.
Why is it red?
The red color of the air fryer pork belly comes from an ingredient in the marinating sauce- red bean curd sauce. This sauce carries a special natural coloring ingredient- red yeast rice. It is a savory fermented sauce popular in Chinese cuisine.
Any substitute for the red sauce
If you can find this red bean curd sauce or even red bean curd, I suggest trying it. However, if it is hard to find, several optional substitutions exist.
- Oyster sauce—although the taste may differ slightly, oyster sauce can also provide a great flavor.
- Char Siu sauce—This is a particular sauce for char siu. It can create a similar taste and bring out the red color.
Step by Step Instructions
The first steps are the same with our deep-fried pork belly.
Choose well-marbled pork belly strips. Remove the skin and then cut it into thin strips. Thicker strips are much easier to cook through and better absorb the flavors from the marinating.
Add a tiny pinch of salt and pepper, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, scallion, ginger, and red bean curd sauce. If you don’t want to find red bean curd sauce, skip it and increase the amount of oyster sauce.
The marinated pork belly should be well covered with a plastic wrapper and set aside for at least 4 hours. Or overnight.
Remove the pork belly ginger and scallion from the surface before frying, as they might be burnt in the deep-frying process.
Add 1/4 cup starch and massage to ensure the thin layer covers the pork belly. I use sweet potato starch, my top choice for deep-fried dishes. But cornstarch or even flour works if these ingredients are hard to find. Oops, I shared instructions about how to make this sweet potato starch at home. Here’s how you can use it.
Message for a few minutes until the starch becomes sticky and well-covered on the pork belly strips.
Air fry the pork belly
Brush or sprinkle oil on the surface of the crack, and place the pork belly strip in it. Brushing some oil on the surface of the strips, too.
Air fry at 320 degrees F for 10 minutes, then flip the pork belly over at 320 degrees F for another 10 minutes. We use a lower-temperature air frying process to ensure the pork belly is evenly cooked.
Higher the temperature to 390 degrees F, and heat for 3-4 minutes on each side. This will give the pork strips crispy shells.
Finally, cut into small pieces and serve immediately.
How to reheat
I have to say fresh fried pork belly has the best texture and flavor. So, making two or three strips once and continuing to marinate the leaf is a great idea. However, if you have leftovers, place them back in your air fryer and reheat for three minutes.
The reheated pork belly bites may be slightly dryer, but they are still outstanding.
Air Fryer Pork Belly
Ingredients
- 3 pork belly strips – move the skin and cut into thiner strips
Marinate Pork Belly
- 1/4 tsp salt + 1/8 ground pepper
- 2 tbsp. Shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp. light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp. red bean curd sauce
- 3 scallion cut into sections
- 1 thumb ginger cut into shreds
- oil for brushing
Instructions
Marinate the Pork Belly
- Choose well-marbled pork belly strips. Remove the skin and then cut it into thin strips. Thicker strips are much easier to cook through and absorb the flavors from the marinating better.
- Add a tiny pinch of salt, ground pepper, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, the scallion and ginger, and red bean curd sauce. If you don’t want to find red bean curd sauce, skip it and increase the amount of oyster sauce.
- The marinated pork belly should be well covered with a plastic wrapper and set aside for at least 4 hours. Or overnight.
Adding Starch
- Remove the pork belly ginger and scallion from the surface before frying, as they might be burnt in the deep-frying process.
- Add 1/4 cup starch and massage to ensure the thin layer covers the pork belly. I use sweet potato starch, my top choice for deep-fried dishes. But cornstarch or even flour works if it is hard to find this ingredients.
- Message for a couple of minutes until the starch becomes sticky and well covered on the pork belly strips.
Double Air-frying
- Brush or sprinkle oil on the surface of the crack, and place the pork belly strip in it. Brushing some oil on the surface of the strips, too
- Air fry at 320 degrees F for 10 minutes, then flip the pork belly over at 320 degrees F for another 10 minutes. We are using a lower-temperature air frying process to ensure the pork belly is evenly cooked.
- Higher the temperature to 390 degrees F, and heat for 3-4 minutes on each side. This will give the pork strips crispy shells.
- Cut into bit size and serve immediately.