Honey Glazed Crispy Pork Belly

This Honey Glazed Crispy Pork Belly is roasted and crunchy on the outside, fork tender on the inside, with a basting of honey to contrast the Spanish dry rub spices like smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne and garlic powder. Meat candy right here people. Delish.

Honey Glazed Crispy Pork Belly

Here’s a great one for the weekend friends.  I mean who doesn’t love a Crispy Pork Belly? It’s the only thing holding me back from ever being a vegetarian. I loves me the bacon.

Every time I see a pork belly recipe it is usually Asian in marinade, glaze or spice mix and while I do enjoy that, I enjoy other spice blends that transport me. One that does that for is smoked paprika. Add some earthy, warm cumin and others spices and I feel like I could be sitting at a bar in Madrid snacking on this cut up into little nibbles.

Tapas are small little plates of savory appetizers in Spain, just enough to wet the appetite and keep you wondering what’s next.

First things first you need to score the top skin of the pork belly with a sharp knife. Not cutting all the way through, just a cross hatch marking on the top. Most pork bellies come in one piece. I like to cut mine into long strips. I feel this way you get more edges all crispy and coated in the dry rub for maximum flavor and crunch appeal. The inside is still tender.

Next up is a tasty spice rub and I felt influenced by Spanish paprika. It’s a smoked paprika to be exact, and I mixed some up with kosher salt, cumin, garlic and cayenne. If cayenne scares you, the slow render of this pork belly mellows the heat.

Just look at this after 1 hour in the oven roasting! The pork skin bubbles up and gets super crispy like chicharrón. Chicharrón are made from pork skin that has usually been seasoned and then deep fried. The hard, dried pork skin puffs up and get crunchy. Usually this is served with a sprinkling of salt or a spice mix.

At this point after an hour of slowly rendering we baste this with the honey and dry sherry mixture. Added sweetness with a beautiful nuanced flavor.

After basting twice and another 30 minutes at a lower temperature, this roasted, crispy pork belly is ready to rest before slicing. The outside is super crispy, crunchy while the inside is a beautifully tender and unctuous rendered pork. The warm and earthy smoked paprika and cumin are wonderful with the rich pork. The honey glazes this to a sweet and sticky, finger licking bite. After bite. After bite.

Served warm in small chunks with your favorite beverage of choice, this is wonderful. Sometimes at this point after it’s completely cooled I wrap it in plastic wrap to keep it straight and refrigerate overnight. The next day, remove from wrap, and slice lengthwise. Pan fry to crisp up and serve it in a sandwich.

Although that rarely happens. There is usually none left.

Like Pork Belly? Try my Asian Pork Belly Sandwich or my Szechuan Red Braised Pork Belly. Enjoy!

Honey Glazed Crispy Pork Belly

This Honey Glazed Crispy Pork Belly is roasted and crunchy on the outside, fork tender on the inside, with a basting of honey to contrast the Spanish dry rub spices like smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne and garlic powder. Meat candy right here people. Delish.

4.87 from 15 votes

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Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American, Western

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 659kcal

Author: Kevin Is Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 lb pork belly
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne powder
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 tbsp dry sherry

Instructions

• Slice into 2-3 10" x 1" x 1" slabs of pork belly, depending on size of pork belly. Score the skin with a sharp knife with crosshatch marks. Cut the one piece of pork belly into 2-3 long strips (see Note 1).
• In a small bowl mix together the spice rub. Rub the pork belly all over with spice rub to ensure it's coated. Refrigerate covered for 30 minutes or preferably overnight.
• Preheat your oven to 350°F. Roast uncovered in greased pan for 60 minutes skin side up.
• In a small bowl combine honey and dry sherry. Baste pork belly with honey sherry mixture. Drop temperature to 250°F and continue to render for 20 minutes. Baste one more time and continue cooking for 10 more minutes.
• Allow to cool before slicing.

Notes

I like to cut the pork belly into strips so you get more of the outside crispy. Just be sure to coat with the dry rub. Cut first, dry rub second.

 

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.

Nutrition

Calories: 659kcal | Carbohydrates: 18.8g | Protein: 11.1g | Fat: 60.5g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 28.2g | Cholesterol: 81.6mg | Sodium: 1511.4mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 17.6g

Have you made this recipe? Let me know on InstagramTag @KevinIsCooking and hashtag me #keviniscooking!