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This Grilled Pork Belly recipe is the perfect addition to your grilling rotation this summer. It’s packed with sweet and savory flavors from soy sauce, garlic, and honey and grilled to perfection until the skin is crispy and the meat is tender and juicy. Serve it with rice or your favorite sides!
Why Make Grilled Pork Belly
If you’ve never tried cooking pork belly on the grill before, you’ve been missing out! It’s a flavorful choice for a hearty lunch or dinner any day of the week and is sure to be a new family favorite. I love pairing it with a fresh salad or coleslaw for a satisfying meal that balances the rich flavors of the pork.
- Simple ingredients. You’ll only need a handful of ingredients to make this easy pork belly recipe!
- Perfect for grilling during summer, but you can also make it in an air fryer or oven.
- Make-ahead and freezer-friendly. You can easily prepare this in advance, making it perfect for gatherings and cookouts.
Ingredient Notes
All other ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card towards the bottom of this post.
- Pork belly. It’s important to score the pork belly fat and to salt it evenly before marinating.
Sticky sweet sauce:
- Soy sauce. Use a low-sodium soy sauce if you want it to be less salty.
- Oyster sauce. You can substitute it with hoisin sauce or mushroom sauce.
- Garlic. I like using fresh garlic, but you can also use garlic powder or paste.
- Ginger. You’ll need fresh ginger or ginger paste.
- Honey. Or use brown sugar if you don’t have honey.
- Seasonings. I used red pepper flakes to add some spice. You can also season it with ground black pepper.
- Optional ingredients. You can add sriracha and hot sauce for a spicy kick. For garnish, you can use fresh cilantro.
How To Make BBQ Pork Belly
Step One. Score the poke belly fat cap. Salt it evenly on a baking sheet.
Step Two. In a small food processor or medium-sized bowl, combine the sticky sweet sauce ingredients, whisk together, and mix well. Give it a taste and adjust. Pour half of the sauce in a small bowl for basting the pork belly throughout the cook. The reserved sauce will be used for serving.
Step Three. Brush the pork belly on both sides with sauce. Keep the rest of the basting sauce with you while you grill.
Step Three. Heat grill on low. Add the pork belly to the grill, fat side up. Close the lid and cook for 45 minutes, flipping and basting every 10 minutes per side. Pork should reach an internal temp of 160º – 165º for a tender pork belly.
Step Four. Once cooked through, place the pork belly on a clean cutting board or wire rack to rest. Use a sharp knife and slice from the fat side down into bite-sized pieces or cubes. Serve with your favorite sides or over white rice, use leftover reserved sticky sauce as needed.
Recipe Pairings
Serve grilled pork belly with your favorite sides or appetizers and a sticky sweet sauce for dipping. I like to serve mine with a side of rice and Asian coleslaw, I think the flavors complement each other really well. Other great options are spicy cucumber salad and cucumber and tomato salad.
Recipe Tips
- Baste and flip the pork belly every 10 minutes to build layers of flavor and achieve a perfect glaze.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure the pork belly reaches an internal temperature of 160º – 165ºF for safe consumption.
- Let the pork belly rest on a clean cutting board after grilling to retain juices. Slice from the fat side down into bite-sized pieces for serving.
How to Store Grilled Pork Belly
To make it ahead, prepare the sticky sweet sauce ahead of time and use it as a marinade. You can let the pork belly marinate overnight up to 2 days and store it in the refrigerator. You can also grill the pork belly and then store it in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
To reheat, place it in a skillet over low heat until warmed through or warm it in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Scoring the fat cap and grilling fat side up helps render the fat, creating crispy skin. You can also cook it on low heat and baste regularly for a crispy skin.
Yes, if you don’t have a charcoal or gas grill, you can roast pork belly in the oven at a low temperature (around 300ºF) and finish it under the broiler for crispy skin. You can also use a smoker or air fryer.
Other Grilled recipes To Try
Grilled Pork Belly
Equipment
- grill
- baking sheet
Ingredients
Grilled Pork Belly
- 2 lb pork belly
- 1 tsp salt
Sticky Sweet Sauce
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup honey or brown sugar
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp oyster sauce, optional
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ inch fresh ginger minced
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Score the poke belly fat cap. Salt it evenly on a baking sheet. In a small food processor or medium sized bowl, blend or whisk ingredients together. Give it a taste. Add more honey or sugar if desired. Pour half of the sauce in a small bowl for basting the pork belly throughout the cook. The reserved sauce will be used for serving.
- Brush the pork belly on both sides with sauce. Keep the rest of the basting sauce with you while you grill.
- Heat grill on low. Add the pork belly to the grill, fat side up. Close the lid and cook for 45 minutes flipping and basting every 10 minutes. Pork will need to reach internal temp of 160º – 165º
- Once the pork belly is cooked though, take it off the grill and place it on a clean cutting board to rest. Slice from the fat side down into bite sized pieces. Serve with your favorite sides or over rice, use leftover reserved sticky sauce as needed.
Notes
- Baste and flip the pork belly every 10 minutes to build layers of flavor and achieve a perfect glaze.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure the pork belly reaches an internal temperature of 160º – 165ºF for safe consumption.
- Let the pork belly rest on a clean cutting board after grilling to retain juices. Slice from the fat side down into bite-sized pieces for serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The sauce was fantastic. Our pork belly cooked slightly quicker but we did do a little less than one pound. All around a keeper and highly recommended
So happy to hear this great feedback. Thanks so much!