You'll be eating Pork Belly every night of the week with this easy Maple Smoked version! Simply delicious crispy top and perfectly cooked through. Yum.
Pork Belly is something you might associate with long cooking times and tricky techniques, but this recipe is way easier than you think, and honestly, so delicious. We use a maple, smoked paprika and miso sauce to give it a lovely, sweet and salty, smoked flavour, and that crispy pork crackling is so satisfying to crunch down on.
We pair this lovely rich meat with a crisp coleslaw and tangy lime dressing - it cuts through the richness perfectly - and some steamed rice.
This dinner is so much easier than you think and such a winner! Enjoy.
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Maple Pork Belly Ingredients
- Pork belly (sliced if available)
- White cabbage
- Cucumber
- Mint
- Avocado
- Sesame oil
- Maple syrup
- Apple cider vinegar
- Soy
- Smoked paprika
- White miso
- Lime
- Microwave rice
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Maple Pork Belly
1. Preheat your oven to 180 C. Line a baking tray with foil.
2. Slice pork belly (pork rashers) into 1.5cm slices (if not already sliced). Score the skin of your pork belly, then set slices on their side on the tray and in the oven for 12 minutes.
- 500g pork belly (sliced if available)
3. Finely slice cabbage in half, and then into very thin slices - we want it like coleslaw. Slice cucumber in half lengthways, scoop out seeds with a spoon and then slice into half moons. Pick mint leaves. Slice avocado into fans.
For kids, place their portion of avocado and cucumber on their plate now.
Place everything else into a large serving bowl for our salad.
- ½ white cabbage
- 1 cucumber
- ½ bunch mint
- 1 avocado
4. At the 12 minute mark, take the pork rashers out and turn onto the other side. Place back in the oven for 10 mins.
5. Mix sesame oil, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, soy, smoked paprika and white miso and whisk until combined.
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2.5 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoon soy
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon white miso
6. Pour half of this mixture into another bowl and juice lime into it - this will be our salad dressing. The other half will be used on the pork. Meanwhile, heat up microwave rice.
- 2 limes
- 450g microwave rice
7. Take pork out again and turn on the grill on your oven. Turn the pork so it is skin side up. Pour over the sauce and put the pork under the grill for 5-7 minutes, until the skin is crispy and golden. Keep checking on it to make sure it doesn’t burn (each grill is a little different).
TIP: You can keep pork skin side up by propping each piece next to each other.
8. When the pork is ready, serve with salad (drizzle over dressing) and rice.
For kids, slice pork into small pieces and serve theirs with plain rice, avocado and cucumber.
Substitutions
- Alternative proteins - You can swap pork belly for chicken thighs. Cover the chicken in oil and cook under the grill for 4-5 mins each side, adding sauce when you turn them.
- Vegetarian - To make this vegetarian, swap the pork for either a lovely hearty vegetable like pumpkin, cauliflower, potatoes, mushrooms (or all these), or use halloumi instead of pork belly, and grill for 3-4 minutes each side, adding the sauce when you turn it. Yum.
- Gluten Free - Swap soy sauce for tamari.
- Dairy Free - This recipe is dairy free.
Kid-Friendly Variations
- Make this kid friendly by slicing pork belly into fingers.
- Serve cucumber and avocado together with rice.
- Skip the dressing and cabbage.
Equipment
You will need an oven grill, a baking tray, foil.
Top tip
When grilling the crackling in the last step, make sure to watch the meat carefully. Some grill trays are closer than others, so it may well cook quicker than the time I’ve suggested, or, on the other hand, it may take a little longer. Just keep an eye on it and take it out when it is lovely and crispy and golden.
Recipe
Maple Smoked Pork Belly
Equipment
- Oven grill
- Baking tray
- Foil
Ingredients
- 500 g pork belly sliced if available
- ½ white cabbage
- 1 cucumber
- ½ bunch mint
- 1 avocado
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2.5 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoon soy
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon white miso
- 2 lime
- 450 g microwave rice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 C. Line a baking tray with foil.
- Slice pork belly (pork rashers) into 1.5cm slices (if not already sliced). Score the skin of your pork belly, then set slices on their side on the tray and in the oven for 12 minutes.500 g pork belly
- Finely slice cabbage in half, and then into very thin slices - we want it like coleslaw. Slice cucumber in half lengthways, scoop out seeds with a spoon and then slice into half moons. Pick mint leaves. Slice avocado into fans.For kids, place their portion of avocado and cucumber on their plate now.Place everything else into a large serving bowl for our salad.½ white cabbage, 1 cucumber, ½ bunch mint, 1 avocado
- At the 12 minute mark, take the pork rashers out and turn onto the other side. Place back in the oven for 10 mins.
- Mix sesame oil, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, soy, smoked paprika and white miso and whisk until combined.2 tablespoon sesame oil, 3 tablespoon maple syrup, 2.5 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 3 tablespoon soy, 2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon white miso
- Pour half of this mixture into another bowl and juice lime into it - this will be our salad dressing. The other half will be used on the pork. Meanwhile, heat up microwave rice.2 lime, 450 g microwave rice
- Take pork out again and turn on the grill on your oven. Turn the pork so it is skin side up. Pour over the sauce and put the pork under the grill for 5-7 minutes, until the skin is crispy and golden. Keep checking on it to make sure it doesn’t burn (each grill is a little different).TIP: You can keep pork skin side up by propping each piece next to each other.
- When the pork is ready, serve with salad (drizzle over dressing) and rice.For kids, slice pork into small pieces and serve theirs with plain rice, avocado and cucumber.
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