Slow-cooked Sticky Pork Belly

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This decadent sticky pork dish tastes INCREDIBLE! It makes me feel like I’m eating at a fancy restaurant somewhere but, no, I’m actually at home in my slippers and track pants! You’d think this was complicated to make, but it’s actually quite simple. There’s not much chopping or fussing or pre-marinating and the prep is done in 15 minutes. It all goes into one pan (washing up goals!) to slow-cook and the end result is sticky, sweet, fork-tender pork flavoured with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, Chinese five-spice and star anise. I love serving this with steamed rice and greens, with plenty of the delicious sauce drizzled over the top.

The dish is only as spicy as you want it to be as the chilli is optional, so it’s family-friendly. Slow-cooked Sticky Pork Belly is comfort food x 100 and, once you’ve made it, you’ll struggle to pay for this again at that fancy restaurant or order takeout. It’s so satisfying and inexpensive to make at home! My family always look forward to the nights when I cook this dish, and it’s also super impressive to serve to guests when entertaining. The leftovers are just gorgeous the next day, so I often make an extra-large batch. Even better, the dish freezes well.

What type of pork belly do I use?

The recipe calls for 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz) of pork belly, cut into 2–3 cm (¾–1¼ inch) cubes. You don’t need to remove the rind/skin as it cooks down and becomes seriously soft and delicious as it cooks. Pork belly is a relatively low-cost cut of meat, I try to buy the best I can afford that’s sustainably produced, from a good-quality butcher where possible. Most good-quality butchers also only stock only female pork, which has a much less gamey flavour and smell.

What to serve with Slow-cooked Sticky Pork Belly?

Because the pork is rich and indulgent, I highly recommend serving it with something green. Try bok choy, pak choy, Chinese broccoli (gai lan), green beans, snow peas (mangetout), sauteed spinach or silverbeet (Swiss chard), broccolini (tenderstem broccoli) or sliced cucumber. Another option is an Asian-inspired coleslaw with shredded cabbage, carrot, spring onion (scallion) and a sesame soy vinaigrette.

Watch how to make Slow-cooked Sticky Pork Belly

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Slow-cooked Sticky Pork Belly

Author: Nicole

4.8 from 22 votes

“Ive made this recipe numerous times now. So delicious.”

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This decadently delicious Slow-cooked Sticky Pork Belly is made with simple ingredients in just one pan. It’s the perfect comforting family-friendly dish and also ideal for easy entertaining.

Prep 15 minutes mins

Cook 2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Total 2 hours hrs 55 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 1 kg (2¼ lb) pork belly, cut into 2–3 cm (¾–1¼ inch) cubes (you can use up to 1.5 kg/3 lb 5 oz of pork belly for this recipe)
• ▢ 1 whole garlic bulb, peeled and roughly chopped (see note 1)
• ▢ 3 red onions, diced roughly (brown onions are fine too) (see note 1)
• ▢ 1 thumb-sized knob of ginger, sliced and cut into thin matchsticks (see note 1)
• ▢ 115 g (½ cup) brown sugar
• ▢ 125 ml (½ cup) tamari or all-purpose soy sauce (use tamari for gluten-free)
• ▢ 1 tsp Chinese five-spice
• ▢ 2 star anise
• ▢ 500 ml (2 cups) water

TO SERVE

• ▢ Sliced long red chilli (optional)
• ▢ Steamed rice and greens

Equipment

• ▢
  Large Wooden Spoon
• ▢
  Tongs

Instructions

Cook Mode(keeps your screen active)

• Start cooking the pork belly –

  Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium–high heat and cook the pork belly in batches for 5–8 minutes until browned and golden. Set aside. (See note 2 for instructions on cooking in a slow-cooker or pressure cooker.)
• Add the veggies and sauces –

  Add the garlic, onion and ginger to the same pan. Cook for 2–3 minutes until slightly softened and fragrant. 
• Add the brown sugar, tamari (or all-purpose soy sauce), Chinese five-spice, star anise and water. Return the pork to the pan.
• Finish cooking the pork –

  Bring to a gentle simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, place the lid on and cook for 2 hours. Check halfway through and add ½ cup (125 ml) of water if the sauce is sticking to the base of the pan. The sauce will be thin but will caramelise in the last 10 minutes of cooking time.
• Once cooked, the pork should easily break apart with a fork. If not, cook in 15-minute intervals until soft, adding an extra ¼ cup (60 ml) of water as needed.
• Once the pork is soft, remove the lid and turn the heat to high for 5–10 minutes to let the sauce thicken. It is ready when the sauce is sticky and coats the pork.
• Serve –

  Garnish with the sliced chilli (if using) and serve with steamed rice and greens.

Nutrition information

Nutrition Facts

Slow-cooked Sticky Pork Belly

Amount per Serving

Calories

1010

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

92

g

142

%

Saturated Fat

 

33

g

206

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

10

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

44

g

Cholesterol

 

120

mg

40

%

Sodium

 

1207

mg

52

%

Potassium

 

496

mg

14

%

Carbohydrates

 

27

g

9

%

Fiber

 

1

g

4

%

Sugar

 

21

g

23

%

Protein

 

19

g

38

%

Vitamin A

 

21

IU

0

%

Vitamin C

 

6

mg

7

%

Calcium

 

59

mg

6

%

Iron

 

2

mg

11

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Disclaimer re gluten-free and dairy-free recipes

Watch how to make it

Recipe notes

Note 1 – Don’t worry about cutting the ingredients too finely; they will break down in the delicious, sticky sauce.

Note 2 – To cook in a slow-cooker or pressure cooker:

Slow-cooker: Brown the pork as per step 1, then transfer the meat to a slow-cooker. Saute the veggies and sauces as per steps 2 and 3, but only add 1 cup (250 ml) of water. Add them to the pot and cook on low for 6–7 hours or on high for 3½–4 hours, until the pork is soft. To thicken and reduce the sauce, pour the liquid into a wide pan on the stovetop and simmer for 10–15 minutes until sticky and glossy. Toss the pork in the sauce to coat.

Pressure cooker (instant pot): First sear the pork belly in batches on Sauté (High). Remove from the pot. Sauté the onion, garlic and ginger in the fat left in the pot for 2–3 minutes. Add the sugar, tamari, five-spice and star anise but only add 1 cup (250 ml) of water. Return the pork to the pot and cook on High pressure for 30 minutes, then Natural Release for 10 minutes, then Quick Release. Next, and importantly, you need to reduce the sauce. Cook on Sauté (High), with the lid off, for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until glossy and sticky.

Why we MUST reduce afterwards if using a slow-cooker or pressure cooker: Slow-cookers and pressure cookers keep all the moisture in. The flavours stay diluted until the water evaporates. The final 10 minutes of high heat reduction is what creates: gloss, stickiness, caramelisation and that restaurant-style finish. No reduction = pork stew, not sticky pork belly.

Make Ahead

Pork – Cut the pork into pieces as per the recipe and refrigerate in an airtight container up until its expiry date. 

Garlic, onion and ginger – Prepare these ingredients as per the recipe and refrigerate (separate from the meat) in an airtight container for up to 24 hours prior to cooking. 

Leftovers

Refrigerate cooked leftovers for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 2 months, ensuring the pork is well covered in the sticky broth to prevent freezer burn. Best thawed completely overnight in the fridge before reheating. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium–low heat with a splash of boiling water to help loosen the sauce.

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Course braised pork belly, entrée, Main Course, pork belly, slow cooked pork, slow cooker

Cuisine Asian