My favorite way to cook pork belly is to slice it (or buy it pre-sliced), then bake the strips in the oven.
Crispy, fatty, and flavorful, these tasty strips are perfect as a first course, an indulgent main course, or for breakfast instead of bacon.
Pork belly is one of the most indulgent meats you can enjoy. The combination of crispy fat and juicy meat is incredible.
You can cook it whole, but I like to slice it before baking it in the oven. It's like baking bacon in the oven, but these strips need to cook longer because they are much thicker than bacon.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
Pork belly strips: I get them at Costco or Wild Fork Foods. They are about ½-inch thick. They will vary in shape and weight depending on where you get them, but they should be about the same thickness - ½ inch. Sometimes, I buy a whole belly at Whole Foods and slice it at home.
To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
Slicing a Whole Belly Into Strips
As mentioned above, if you can't find slices, you can buy a whole belly and slice it yourself, as shown in the photos below:
If you get a skin-on belly, you'll need to remove the skin first. That's a bit more challenging, but I've done that and used the skin to make pork rinds.
To remove the skin, place the pork belly on a sturdy cutting board. Pull back the skin at the edge, slide a sharp knife between the meat and the skin, and patiently slice the skin away from the meat until all the skin is removed. The image below demonstrates the process:
Variations
These tasty strips are delicious on their own, simply seasoned with salt and pepper. I like to add garlic powder because I love garlic and use it in most of my savory recipes, and smoked paprika, which adds a delightful smoky flavor.
A nice variation is brushing the slices with a mixture of soy sauce or a gluten-free alternative (2 tablespoons), honey (1 tablespoon), and garlic powder (1 teaspoon) before baking for an Asian-style dish.
As shown in the photo below, a simpler variation is to season them with half a teaspoon of smoked salt and nothing else. I often do that, and it's delicious.
Instructions
Since they are thicker than bacon, you'll need to cook these strips in a 400°F oven for 40-50 minutes. In comparison, I cook bacon in the oven for around 20 minutes.
The detailed instructions for making this recipe are listed in the recipe card below. Here are the basic steps:
Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the pork belly slices on the baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle them with the seasonings.
Bake until browned and crispy, for about 20 minutes on each side, then serve. Carefully drain the pan midway through baking. Here are the strips after 20 minutes on the first side:
And here they are after 20 more minutes on the second side:
See how gorgeous they are in this close-up photo:
Expert Tips
- If the strips are not browned enough after baking on the second side, flip them again and continue baking until they are browned and crispy, for 5-10 more minutes.
- Bake thinner strips, cut like thick-cut bacon, at 400°F for 10 minutes; drain the fat, flip, and bake for 5-7 more minutes, until crispy.
Recipe FAQs
This cut comes from the pig's abdomen. It's the boneless cut that remains after the loin and ribs have been removed. It's a wonderfully fatty cut, so you definitely want to brown and crisp it.
Not exactly. While they both come from the animal's abdomen, the belly is a fresh cut of meat, while bacon is typically smoked, cured, and thinly sliced.
The belly is typically sold whole. But even when it's sliced, the slices are much thicker than bacon slices.
This cut is best when oven-roasted, as this method ensures that the fat becomes browned and crisp. My favorite method is slicing the belly into strips and baking them in a 400°F oven for around 20 minutes per side.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve these tasty strips as an appetizer or a main course. Here's a photo of them served as a first course on an appetizer plate:
When served as the main course, I like to add a light side dish such as arugula salad, steamed asparagus, microwave broccoli (as shown in the photo below), or sauteed spinach.
These strips are also excellent for breakfast or brunch. I like to serve them with fried or soft scrambled eggs, fresh berries, and keto biscuits.
Here's a photo I took of a recent breakfast of pork belly slices and fried eggs. The plate is garnished with red pepper flakes and dried parsley.
Storing Leftovers
Pork belly strips are best enjoyed fresh out of the oven. But you can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to four days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power or on a rimmed baking sheet in a 350°F oven.
My favorite way to use the leftovers is to chop them and add them to a salad or a bowl. Take a look at this gorgeous bowl I made for lunch the other day: on a bed of cauliflower rice (sauteed in olive oil and seasoned with garlic powder and smoked paprika), I arranged chopped pork belly, a fried egg topped with chile crunch, steamed broccoli, and kimchi.
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Recipe Card
Pork Belly Strips
Ingredients
- 1.5 pound pork belly strips - skinless, ½-inch thick
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with high-heat-resistant parchment paper.
- Place the pork belly strips in the pan in a single layer. Sprinkle them with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Or simply season them with half a teaspoon of smoked salt.
- Roast the strips for 20 minutes. Carefully drain the pan and flip the strips to the other side.
- Continue baking on the second side until the strips are browned and crispy, for about 20 more minutes. If the strips are not browned and crisp, flip them again and bake until browned, for 5-10 more minutes. See the notes below for the suggested cooking time for thinner strips.
- Drain on paper towels and serve.
Video
Notes
- The nutrition info is approximate. It was taken from the USDA database for cooked bacon and adjusted for less sodium. When I use skinless strips from Wild Fork Foods, a 1.5 pound package of raw strips makes about 12 ounces of cooked strips (a lot of fat is rendered out during cooking, especially if you like them browned and crisp).
- Bake thinner strips, cut like thick-cut bacon, at 400°F for 10 minutes; drain the fat, flip, and bake for 5-7 more minutes, until crispy.
- If the slices are not browned enough after baking them on the second side, flip them again and continue baking until browned and crispy, for 5-10 more minutes.
- Wear long oven mitts when removing the pan from the oven.
- These strips are best when fresh out of the oven. But if you have leftovers, you can keep them in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power or on a rimmed baking sheet in a 350°F oven.
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
Cristine
Thank you for sharing this recipe! Bought a pack of slice pork belly at Sam's Club and didn't know an easy way to cook it. I followed exactly the recipe instruction and it turn out delicious. Definitely going to make it again for my picky eaters.
Vered DeLeeuw
Yay! I'm so glad this was a success, Cristine! Thanks for the comment.
Cochran Patti
First batch cooked today didn’t last past lunch and dinner. Then my mom asked me to buy some for her to make! The cooked fat is so delicious!
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad this was such a huge hit, Patti!
JanEt Murch
My mom use to make this when I was a kid, we called it side pork. We like it with the rind. She would slice it and slit the rind so it wouldn’t curl. We love it hot or left over cold. What a snack. My son loves it.
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Janet,
Glad you like it! I agree that cold leftovers are delicious.
Jenny Clarke
I don't like pork belly or strips but I made this for my husband tonight and he thoroughly enjoyed it, so it looks like I'll be cooking it again! Very easy too which is always a bonus.
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad your husband enjoyed this recipe, Jenny! Thank you for taking the time to write a review.
Malcolm McLaren
Super recipe! I added a tiny sprinkle of smoked ghost pepper powder after cooking, which enhanced the smokiness and adds a kick. I had a lonely hotdog bun and popped a slice in with some mustard and ketchup. I'm so pleased I had a leftover bun, it was awesome.
Vered DeLeeuw
It does sound awesome, Malcolm!
L Lowman
I used thicker pieces of pork belly, and I lined the pan with aluminum foil sprayed with nonstick spray (since I didn’t want the parchment paper to burn). I sprinkled them with just a pinch of garlic powder, onion powder, and a little paprika. I baked them about 15-20 minutes longer, pouring off the grease to get them extra crispy. They were delicious! Definitely a keeper and will be making them again.
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad this recipe was a success for you!
Karla Marks
My daughter asked me to make pork belly and mimic a recipe she had at a restaurant, glazed with a bbq/marionberry mixture. I'm trying it today and will let you know how it turned out. It seems like the possibilities are endless..
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Karla,
Sounds amazing! Please do come back and let us know how it turned out.
Stephen Roden
My wife and I want to try the recipe, but we are concerned about the amount of fat, that is on the meat.
Does this drain off during the cooking?
Thanks!
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Stephen,
Part of the fat drains off. However, pork belly is extremely fatty even when cooked, so if you prefer to avoid very high-fat foods, it's probably not the next choice for you.
Carol Hegwer
What do you put on the strips to make them sweet while baking?
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Carol,
You can brush the slices with a mixture of soy sauce or a gluten-free alternative (2 tablespoons), honey or maple syrup (1-2 tablespoons), and garlic powder (1 teaspoon) before baking.
Carol
Can't wait to try this!
Vered DeLeeuw
I hope you like it, Carol! Please come back and share your experience.
Cathy Anshutz
what if you don't have any smoke seasoning like the smoked paprika or the smoked salt it should be okay without it right
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Cathy,
Yes! These pork belly strips are delicious even without the smoky flavor, although the smoky seasonings enhance them. But you can use just salt and pepper with great results.