Crispy, savory, and aromatic deep-fried pork belly is one of my most comforting foods. We will learn to make a traditional Chinese-style deep-fried pork belly that is well-seared and super tender in texture.

As a pork belly lover, I always seek creative recipes. Pork belly, also known as five-layer meat, is the best part for me as it is well-marbled with a perfect ratio of lean meat and fat. It is ideal for stir-frying, stewing, or braising dishes.

There are many ways to cook pork belly. Traditionally, we have Sichuan-style pork belly stir fry and the famous Cantonese crispy pork belly. Then, a more popular pan-fried crispy belly becomes another star. By the way, pork belly can also be steamed in various ways, including Sichuan-style pork belly with rice and steamed pork belly with preserved vegetables.

deep-fried pork belly | chinasichuanfood.com

You may wonder about the taste of deep-fried pork belly and whether it will taste oily. My answer is no. The well-bubble pork belly bites have a strong, crispy shell that brings a strong aromatic flavor, while the inside part can melt in your mouth.

Why should we deep-fry the pork belly twice?

If you are familiar with Chinese cooking, you may already find that we use the double deep-frying method in most deep-frying recipes. This technique allows us to make exceptionally crispy shells with tender interiors. Let’s see the reason for each of the stages.

In the first stage, we usually deep fry at a lower temperature for longer to ensure the interiors are not dried out by keeping the moisture; at the same time, make sure the ingredients are cooked through.

Then, the ingredient is deep-fried again for a very short time. The high temperature quickly makes the outer shell crispier while not affecting the inner side.

Marinate the pork belly

I will call the marinating of the pork belly the most essential part of this dish. Traditionally, we all use a special ingredient—red fermented bean curd—in the marinating for two purposes. Firstly, it gives the pork belly a perfect savory base. Secondly, it also adds a charming red color, similar to the famous Cantonese char siu.

Time is another essential factor. To make the inside of the pork belly savory and full of taste, I highly recommend marinating it for at least 4 hours or even overnight.

Unlike other crispy pork belly recipes, this deep-fried pork belly is slightly floured, which can help expand the crispy shell.

Red Bean Curd Sauce

You may wonder where the beautiful color comes from. It is from a sauce called red bean curd sauce, which is used in the marinating.

Red Bean Curd Sauce, also known as red fermented tofu sauce, is made from soybeans and red yeast rice. Red yeast rice plays the role of a deep reddish color. As a fermented sauce, it has a soft, fermented tanginess with a savory-based taste.

If you don’t have red bean curd, replace this part with oyster sauce.

Step by Step Instructions

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. And this is how you can use them.

Message for a few minutes until the starch becomes sticky and well-covered on the pork belly strips.

Heat the oil to 120 degrees C and add the pork belly. Continue frying for 10 -12 minutes to ensure the pork belly is thoroughly cooked. If you are deep-frying in batches, finish all of them.

Now, turn the fire up and raise the oil temperature to 180 degrees C. Return the pork belly to fry for another 1 minute 30.

Transfer, drain the extra oil, and cut it into small pieces. Here we are: super crispy on the shell and tender inside, deep-fried pork belly.