Fried Pork Belly (南乳炸五花肉)

Learn how a restaurant chef makes the crispiest, most flavorful fried pork belly!

flodesk gif
Prep Time
10 min
Total Time
20 min
Yields
4 servings
YouTube Tutorial

A Recipe by Daddy Lau

My dad's been cooking Chinese food for over 50 years - as a kid fending for himself in Guangzhou, as the head chef of his own restaurant, and as a loving father in our home.

Hopefully, by learning this recipe, you'll get to experience some of the delicious joy we felt growing up eating his food!

- Randy

Fried Pork Belly with Red Fermented Bean Curd (南乳炸五花肉) is a quintessential Hakka-style dish. With a super crispy texture and irresistible flavor, this Chinese pork belly is one of the best pork dishes you'll ever make.

Today, my dad will share his crispy pork belly recipe, along with all the tips and tricks he's developed over the years. It's a fast and easy dish you can quickly whip up on a weeknight meal or for a special ocassion.

An expert chef's tip for the crispiest pork belly

Just like in our Salt and Pepper Squid, Fried Chicken Wings and other fried dishes, Daddy Lau's pork belly recipe calls for using a technique called double frying. Frying the pork twice not only gives it a crispiest crust, but also helps keep the meat juicy and tender.

The double fry method, called 返炸 (faan zaa) in Cantonese, helps expel moisture to maximize crunchiness. It's usually done at a higher temperature than the first fry and for less time — in the case of pork belly, just 30 seconds!

Check out a quick story summary of our recipe!

Ingredients

Weight: US
oz
g
Volume: US
cup
mL
Servings
4

Marinade Ingredients

  • 2 oz red fermented bean curd
  • 2 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoon oyster sauce
  • 0.25 teaspoon white pepper

Main Ingredients

  • 14 oz pork belly
  • 8 oz corn oil (

    up to 10 oz may be needed

    )
  • 3 oz green bean (

    cleaned and trimmed

    )

Batter Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoon flour
  • 0.50 teaspoon baking powder
  • 5 tablespoon water

On red fermented bean curd

If red fermented bean curd (南乳 naam jyu) sounds familiar, that's because it's been used in previous Made With Lau recipes! The ingredient is essential to my dad's Char Siu and Buddha's Delight.

As its name suggests, red fermented bean curd is made from tofu that's been preserved in red yeast rice, which gives it the distinct amber color and a strong umami flavor. It has a curd-like texture that has earned it the occasional nickname of "Chinese cheese." Jars are available at most Chinese supermarkets and also online:

On pork belly

For this dish, my dad recommends selecting a thicker piece of pork belly with clear alternating strips of fat and meat. Avoid choosing one that's too fatty.

Step 1: Prep pork

Cut the pork belly (14 oz) into 1/2-inch thick slices. Place the sliced pork belly into the marinade bowl and mix to thoroughly cover. Set aside

Step 2: Prep marinade

In a medium bowl, combine the red fermented bean curd (2 oz), sugar (2 teaspoon), oyster sauce (2 teaspoon) and white pepper (0.25 teaspoon). Mix together with a spoon.

Chef's Tip: For a deeper color, add some additional liquid from the red fermented bean curd to the mixture.

Add the pork to the marinade mixture and mix to combine.

Step 3: Prep batter

In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch (3 tablespoon), flour (3 tablespoon), baking powder (0.50 teaspoon) and water (5 tablespoon). Stir until there are no more visible clumps.

Chef's Tip: When adding the water to the batter, it's best to start with a bit of the liquid and add more as needed.

Step 4: Cook pork belly

Heat a wok on high heat. While the wok is heating, add half of the batter to the marinated pork belly and use a spoon to mix and coat the pieces.

Once the wok is hot, add the corn oil (8 oz). Continue to heat the wok until the oil temperature reaches 350°F. You can check the temperature using a thermometer or use my dad's chopstick test. Simply place a wooden chopstick into the wok. If it bubbles, then it's time to fry!

Lower the heat to medium. Fry the green beans (3 oz) for 1 minute. Remove the beans using a spider and set aside to drain.

Add the pork belly to the wok one slice at a time, making sure not to crowd the wok. Cook in batches if needed. Fry the pork belly for 1 to 2 minutes, moving the pieces around with a pair of chopsticks to prevent sticking. Lower the heat if the pork cooks to quickly or starts to burn. Remove the pork belly and set aside. Repeat until all of the pork has been fried.

Heat the oil in the wok to 375°F. Fry the pork in batches for 30 seconds, repeating until all of the meat has been double fried.

To plate, place the slices of pork belly on a serving platter with the green beans on the side.

FAQ

Can I use frozen pork belly?

  • Yes! But be sure to thoroughly thaw it first, especially since the pork belly will be fried.

Why isn't my pork belly crispy?

  • For the crispiest pork belly, make sure the meat is dry before cooking with it. If there's any moisture on the meat, use a paper towel to pat it dry first.

Summary

Print Recipe
Made With Lau
madewithlau.com/recipes/fried-pork-belly
Fried Pork Belly (南乳炸五花肉)
Learn how a restaurant chef makes the crispiest, most flavorful fried pork belly!
  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Total Time: 20 min
  • Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients

Marinade Ingredients

  • 2 oz red fermented bean curd
  • 2 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoon oyster sauce
  • 0.25 teaspoon white pepper

Main Ingredients

  • 14 oz pork belly
  • 8 oz corn oil (

    up to 10 oz may be needed

    )
  • 3 oz green bean (

    cleaned and trimmed

    )

Batter Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoon flour
  • 0.50 teaspoon baking powder
  • 5 tablespoon water

Step 1 - Prep pork

↑ Jump to details

Cut the pork belly (14 oz) into 1/2-inch thick slices. Place into the marinade and mix to thoroughly cover. Set aside

Step 2 - Prep marinade

↑ Jump to details

In a medium bowl, combine the red fermented bean curd (2 oz), sugar (2 teaspoon), oyster sauce (2 teaspoon) and white pepper (0.25 teaspoon). Mix together with a spoon. Add some liquid from the bean curd jar for a deeper color.

Add the pork to the marinade mixture and mix to combine.

Step 3 - Prep batter

↑ Jump to details

In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch (3 tablespoon), flour (3 tablespoon), baking powder (0.50 teaspoon) and water (5 tablespoon). Stir until there are no more visible clumps

Step 4 - Cook pork belly

↑ Jump to details

Heat a wok on high heat. As the wok heats up, add half of the batter to the marinated pork belly and stir to combine.

Once the wok is hot, add the corn oil (8 oz). Continue to heat the wok until the oil temperature reaches 350°F.

Lower the heat to medium. Fry the green beans (3 oz) for 1 minute. Remove the beans and set aside to drain.

Add the pork belly to the wok one slice at a time, making sure not to crowd the wok. Cook in batches if needed. Fry the pork belly for 1 to 2 minutes, moving the pieces around with a pair of chopsticks to prevent sticking. Lower the heat if the pork cooks to quickly or starts to burn. Remove the pork belly and set aside. Repeat until all of the pork has been fried.

Heat the oil in the wok to 375°F. Fry the pork for 30 seconds, repeating until all of the meat has been double fried.

To plate, place the slices of pork belly on a serving platter with the green beans on the side.

Step 5 - Take pictures
Whip out your camera (1). Begin taking photos (1,000,000). Pick your favorites!
Step 6 - Share and tag us on Instagram @madewithlau #madewithlau!
Did you have fun making this recipe? We'd love to see & hear about it. (Especially my dad. He would be THRILLED!)

Enjoy!

We have many, many happy memories of enjoying this dish growing up.

Now, hopefully, you can create your own memories with this dish with your loved ones.

Also, I cordially invite you to eat with us and learn more about the dish, Chinese culture, and my family.

Cheers, and thanks for cooking with us!

Feel free to comment below if you have any questions about the recipe.