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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, thanks for the great recipe. Made this tonight and it was a hit! I was wondering… why is the salt needed? Thank you.
Make the skin salty and also sucked the moisture or water out of the skin so it becomes crispy when on higher heat.
Where can i buy 5 spiec powder?
You can buy online here: http://www.asiansupermarket365.com/Dried-Five-Spice-Powder-p/pcfzjj.htm
not too sure what i am cooking it does appear to form roast pork havent tried yet too hot. just exixting being able does it on tv.have exercise safety hence mo danger.its 10 pastb10 pm wed nite in houston texas.hi there where ever you are.
hi Bee,
what is the water for?
To create steam in the oven.
I was so exicted to make this recipe. It looked so easy and seemed to be great since I am watching my carbohydrate intake. I could just eat without sauce with no worries. I never ate chinese five spice either and found that I liked it. It was almost sweet without the sugar. I enjoyed your pork recipe. My BF did not, I was so bummed and hurt Rasa. Thanks for making it easy and not overwhelming. Keep it coming!!
Hello Bee, is my first time posting. Have been receiving updates with great pictures. Am no good cook at all to a family of 5 but checking your recipes with simple steps and great pics seems possible to do it. Was thinking of making roast pork one day …as my friend said is simple and said she does it well but did not share! Finally, yours came in and am so delighted. Will try when I am on both feet again (femur fracture). Thanks again and keep sharing !
Was this recipe borrowed from the Legacy Cookbook published by various contributor for a fund raising event for church. Was permission sought please?
Fairly – I am not sure, I didn’t see the book but I learned it from my chef friend Robert Danhi’s Facebook page. I gave the best credit I could and Robert credited it to a church cookbook.
Hi, what is the dipping sauce you do it with? Looks delicious!
Hoisin Sauce.
Hi Bee, I tried this yesterday. Everything was good at the beginning but when I remove the salt and want to further roast at 240c, the skin just burned after 5 min. ?. Is the temperature too high?
It shouldn’t be. Put it at bottom tray or cover it with aluminum foil so it doesn’t get burned.
Ok thanks. I will try again hopefully it will be good this time :)
I got the burnt skin too :( i turn down the temperature to 180 and the rest crisped nicely. Sans a few burnt marks. Think its unecessary to turn the heat til 240
Turning the heat up to 240 makes the skin super crispy, you can cover with alunimum foil.
Actually, it taste better to refrigerate overnite when marinated with the 5 spice powder. Moreover, it can make the skin drier (do poke holes) as this will make the skin for crunchy and crackling
Give a try and u will love it … yummy and delicious !