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Chinese roast pork or siu yuk. Save yourself a trip to Chinatown and use this easy recipe for the best and crispiest Chinese roast pork belly at home.
Chinese Roast Pork Recipe
In my cookbook “Easy Chinese Recipes,” I have a Chinese roast pork belly recipe, or siu yuk.
When it comes to Chinese roast pork, one could never have enough of the crispy skinned roasted pork belly. It’s sinfully delicious!
This Chinese Roast Pork recipe is from my good friend Robert Danhi’s Facebook page. Robert and his wife made the roast pork following a recipe gathered from a church in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
This is the PERFECT recipe for Chinese roast pork belly! It’s absolutely mouthwatering.
The recipe is easy, hassle-free and fail-proof. I guarantee you crispy, crunchy, absolutely aromatic and to-die-for pork crackling, melt-in-your-mouth pork belly.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This is the easiest and best recipe you’ll find online. There is no need to poke the pork skin, there is no no vinegar in the recipe.
There is also no need to par-boil the pork belly before roasting.
The end result is very crispy pork crackling. The pork belly is also juicy, tender, with the melt-in-your-mouth pork fat.
The taste is a bit salty and aromatic. The aroma comes from the garlic and five-spice powder.
Ingredients
- Pork belly
- Five spice powder
- Garlic
- Kosher salt
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Make This Recipe
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), arrange a pan on the bottom 1/3 of oven rack and fill with water. The pork belly should be roasted using the rack above it.
Step 2: Wash and use paper towels to dry the pork belly.
Step 3: Make some horizontal slits on the sides of the belly, then rub the meat side with the five spice powder.
Step 4: Insert each garlic and push them deep inside the pork belly.
Step 5: Layer the top of the pork belly with the salt evenly.
Step 6: Place the pork belly on a wire rack. This is how it should look before going into the oven.
Step 7: Place the pork belly at the top 1/3 of the oven and roast for 1 hour. While baking, the oil will drip to the bottom pan with water.
Step 8: Bake until the salt crust forms, the salt should be hardened. Check water in the pan below and add if needed. This is how the pork belly and salt crust will look like in the oven. You have to insert the garlic deep inside the horizontal slits or else they will be pushed out during the roasting process.
Step 9: Remove the pork belly from the oven, pull off the salt crust and discard.
Step 10: Raise the heat of oven to 465°F (240°C), place the pork belly back in the oven and roast for another 40 minutes.
Step 11: Remove from oven and let set for 10 minutes.
Step 12: Cut and serve immediately with some chili sauce and hoisin sauce, or eat as is.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 446 calories per serving.
What To Serve With This Recipe
Serve this dish with rice or noodles. For a Chinese meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Chinese Roast Pork Belly
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. pork belly
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon five spice powder
- Kosher salt, for layering
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), arrange a pan on the bottom 1/3 of oven rack and fill with water. The pork belly should be roasted using the rack above it.
- Wash and use paper towels to dry the pork belly.
- Make some horizontal slits on the sides of the belly, then rub the meat side with the five spice powder.
- Insert each garlic and push them deep inside the pork belly.
- Layer the top of the pork belly with the salt evenly.
- Place the pork belly on a wire rack. This is how it should look before going into the oven.
- Place the pork belly at the top 1/3 of the oven and roast for 1 hour. While baking, the oil will drip to the bottom pan with water.
- Bake until the salt crust forms, the salt should be hardened. Check water in the pan below and add if needed. This is how the pork belly and salt crust will look like in the oven. You have to insert the garlic deep inside the horizontal slits or else they will be pushed out during the roasting process.
- Remove the pork belly from the oven, pull off the salt crust and discard.
- Raise the heat of oven to 465°F (240°C), place the pork belly back in the oven and roast for another 40 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let set for 10 minutes.
- Cut and serve immediately with some chili sauce and hoisin sauce, or eat as is.
Video
Notes
- Bake until the salt crust forms, the salt should be hardened.
- Check water in the pan below and add if needed.
- You have to insert the garlic deep inside the horizontal slits or else they will be pushed out during the roasting process.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Bee, I just wanted to thank you so much for yr beautiful & simple recipe. It was a success. I used the grill mode. Bye. From Seremban, N. Sembilan, Malaysia
Thanks for letting me know. I am glad that you enjoyed the Chinese roast pork recipe. It’s much better than buying from outside, right?? :)
I intend to make it tomorrow. 1 have an oven with top & bottom heat mode (for baking cakes) or grilling mode (for char siew). Which mode should I use? tku again.
I think you need top heating…but maybe grilling might work, too. I don’t know for sure.
i see that u din reply a person who ask u about air fryer.. Can we use air fryer
I don’t know, I haven’t tried it.
How long does it takes for the salt crust to form?
My oven has heating elements on top and bottom… Should I choose either one or have both working?
Hi Bee, can I bake it with a halogen oven? What if I omit the garlic? Really look forward to trying this awesome dish!
Not familiar with halogen oven. Why would you want to omit the garlic, it makes the roast pork aromatic and great.
I use my halogen oven in making this. Read the oven manual to check how it compares with a conventional oven. Mine says it cooks 40% faster. So I adjust the time needed to roast the pork. It’s a trial and error on the temp and time. :-)
Just to check, put a water pan at bottom 1/3 rack throughout. And also, the pork goes in and out always to the top 1/3 rack of the oven all the time?
Is it ok if I prick holes at the top part? Do I need brush vinegar somewhere? Heard it tastes better with it. Thanks!
You don’t have to do the vinegar and pricking holes if you follow the recipe exactly. Yes all goes to the top 1/3 rack.
Hi Bee!
Is the water optional? Will the pork belly come out the same even if I don’t use water?
Thanks!
Vincenzo
Hi Bee, does the tray of water remain in the oven for the whole cooking process or is it removed when you take the pork out to remove the salt crust? Can’t wait to try this ?
Leave it there all the time. Add more water to refill.
yr recipe sounds so simple. can’t wait to try it. By the way, should the garlic be 6 pips or 6 cloves? tku
6 cloves. By the way, I think pips and cloves are the same. Basically 6 cloves and not 6 head/bulks.
Hi can I use air fryer. Any adjustment on time & temperature needed.
Tq
Hi. If I have a 2.5 lb pork belly to roast, how do I adjust the roasting time both for the salt hardening part and after removing it. Thanks!