These air fryer pork belly bites are full of flavour, crispy and tender made simply using the air fryer to ensure they are cooked to perfection. These bite sized appetisers are sweet and spicy and delicious served dunked in your favourite BBQ sauce. A great addition to the holiday table!
If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know the big project in my life recently has been a kitchen renovation. That has meant living without an oven for a few months. And while as a food blogger and baking enthusiast this has been a challenge, the silver lining has been that I have FINALLY fallen in love with my air fryer.
The air fryer is a great addition to the kitchen, providing quicker, crisper results than an oven without the mess and fuss of traditional frying.
Pork belly is a rich meat due to its fatty nature and for that reason, it becomes so crispy and melt-in-your-mouth delicious when cooked in the air fryer without the need for long cooking times.
We’re also enhancing the flavours to make sure these are anything but boring with the addition of a few spices giving them a flavourful and spicy kick. If spicy isn’t your thing, you can skip the chilli and these will still pack a tonne of flavour in each bite.
Serve these up with your favourite BBQ sauce as an appetiser or snack, or as a side to a bigger dinner or BBQ get together.
Key Ingredients
These air fryer pork belly bites are made super flavourful by raiding the spice rack! There are a few ingredients listed, but most of which should be pantry staples making this recipe a super simple appetiser or light lunch.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Pork belly – a fatty cut of meat from the belly of a pig. The fat ensures the meat stays tender and juicy making it perfect for these little bite sized morsels.
- Spices – to make sure these pork belly bites are full of flavour we’re using a combination of garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and chilli powder. You can adjust the amount of chilli powder or omit all together depending on how spicy you like things.
- Salt and pepper – seasoning will ensure the best flavour. Don’t be afraid to taste and add more after cooking as well.
- Maple syrup – balances out the chilli with some subtle sweetness and helps the pork belly to caramelise while cooking.
- Olive oil – helps ensure the pork belly crisps up while cooking.
- Chilli flakes and chopped chives – adds a bit of extra flavour and colour for serving.
Equipment and Tools
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Air fryer – It’s no surprise you’ll need an air fryer to make this recipe. This is the one I have which I love and use a lot! It is perfect for 2 people, but if you’re feeding a family look for an XL or XXL size.
Step-By-Step Instructions
For this recipe, you’ll need an air fryer. I have the Philips Essential L Compact which is a 4.1L capacity and while I do like it because it doesn’t take up a lot of bench space and is usually fine for my 2 person household, I do need to cook most things in batches. For this reason I am looking to replace it with a larger one in the new year. Any type you have will work for this recipe, just be sure to adjust based on the size or type (basket vs tray).
Begin by preheating your air fryer to 180°C (356°F). While it warms up, take your pork belly and cut it into 1-inch cubes after patting it dry with a paper towel.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the pork belly cubes with the spices, ensuring an even coating. Introduce the maple syrup and olive oil to the mix, continuing to toss until each piece is thoroughly coated.
To prevent sticking, lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil. Arrange a single layer of the marinated pork pieces, allowing some space around each for the best results, however they will shrink during cooking (you can see how much in the photos below). Depending on your air fryer’s size, you may need to cook the pork belly bites in batches.
Cook for 18-20 minutes, shaking the basket twice to guarantee uniform cooking and prevent sticking. Once done, elevate the flavours with a sprinkle of chilli flakes and a generous helping of chopped chives.
For the finishing touch, serve these delectable bites with your preferred BBQ sauce and enjoy the perfect blend of crispy texture and sweet and spicy flavours of chilli and maple in every bite!
Recipe FAQs
Yes you can! You can bake them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper in a 180°C oven for 40-45 minutes or until crispy. Ensure the pork belly pieces are in a single layer and turn them a couple of times as they bake to ensure even cooking.
Yes as written these pork belly bites are a little bit spicy however you can adjust the level of chilli based on your tastes and preferences or omit all together.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More easy appetizers:
Easy Baked Beef Meatballs
Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
Classic Sausage Rolls
Thai Chicken Meatballs
Air Fryer Pork Belly Bites
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 kilogram approx. pork belly
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Chilli flakes and chopped chives to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 180°C and prepare the pork belly. Pat the pork belly dry with a paper towel and cut into 1 inch cubes.
- Place the pork belly pieces in a large mixing bowl with all the spices and toss to coat the pieces. Add in the maple syrup and olive oil and continue to mix until all the pork belly pieces are coated.
- Lightly spray the basket of your air fryer with cooking oil to prevent sticking and add in a single layer of the pork pieces, ensuring there is a little space around each. The pork will shrink as it cooks. Depending on the size and type of your air fryer, you may need to cook your pork belly bites in batches.
- Cook the pork belly for 18-20 minutes, shaking the basket twice during cooking time to ensure evening cooking.
- Once cooked, top with a sprinkle of chilli flakes and chopped chives. Serve with your favourite BBQ sauce for dipping.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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