Candied Pork Belly {recipe}

I am really partial to our pork belly.

It’s easy to cook and so versatile! But – I heard y’all when you told me that you need meals that are fast, and sometimes it’s hard to find time to marinade meat before you cook it. In light of that – I was determined to try and cook our pork belly without having to do anything ahead of time. With my master taste-tester ready (that would be my daughter, she never minces her words when it comes to my cooking), I came up with this simple way to cook pork belly in under 25 minutes!

Especially since this recipe uses brown sugar and honey, the end result is decadent and rich. A little bit adds a ton of flavor to lots weeknight dinners – I like to serve mine as a salad topping! It would also be excellent in a rice bowl with sautéed onion and zucchini, mixed in with braised Brussels sprouts, or a way to dress up a can of baked beans or a baked potato. I also think you could create some pretty spectacular deviled eggs by topping them with this pork belly. If you wanted breakfast for dinner – you could make some grits, stir in this pork belly, and top with a fried egg.

My daughter gave this recipe her approval, although she thought I made it a bit too salty. I thought they weren’t salty enough – so that’s why I suggest 1 – 2 tsps of salt in the seasoning mix. Whatever the amount of salt you prefer – don’t skip the salt while you’re cooking the pork belly in the skillet.

One other word of caution – don’t lose hope while you watch the pork belly cook in the skillet! It does not smell like bacon, nor does it have the pink coloring of bacon. In fact, it doesn’t look all that appetizing when you first put it in the oven. Also watch it carefully, the sugar can go from caramelized to burned pretty quickly (I learned that the hard way!!). But I promise that once it’s cooked all the way and the sugar has caramelized, it looks, smells, and tastes delicious!!

Candied Pork Belly

~1 lb sliced pork belly (1 package from our online store)

1-2 tsp salt + salt to taste

1 tsp liquid smoke (optional, leave out if you don’t want a smoky flavor, or use smoked paprika if that’s what you have on hand)

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375F and prepare a large, rimmed cookie sheet by lining with parchment paper or non-stick foil. Set aside. Cut up the pork belly (I use kitchen scissors) into bite-size pieces, add a little salt, and cook on the stove top in a skillet for about 5 minutes, or until a little of the fat has rendered and the pork is starting to shrink and brown. Turn off the heat and use a slotted spoon to move the pork belly into a large mixing bowl. Combine the salt, liquid smoke, honey, and brown sugar and then spoon over the pork belly. Stir until the mixture has liquified and coated the meat. Transfer the meat to the prepared cookie sheet. Try to spread everything into one layer – but some overlap is fine. Cook in the oven on the middle rack for 12-14 minutes (watch closely! The sugar should look nice and browned, but not be burnt). When you remove it from the oven, you can transfer the pork belly to a strainer over a bowl to drain excess fat.

Let me know if you make this recipe! I love to hear how you make my recipes your own.