Smoked Pork Belly
intro
Melt-in-your-mouth slow-smoked pork belly with crispy rendered skin, coated in a sweet-savory rub, a classic crowd-pleasing Southern BBQ staple.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep and trim pork
Pat the 900g skin-on pork belly completely dry with paper towels. Use a sharp knife to score the skin in a 2.5cm (1-inch) crosshatch pattern, cutting only through the skin and top 0.5cm fat layer, not into the underlying meat. Trim any loose, hanging fat edges to create an even, uniform rectangular block.
Coat with dry rub
In a small glass bowl, mix 3 tbsp light brown sugar, 1 tbsp kosher salt, 2 tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, and 1 tsp ground black pepper until evenly combined with no clumps. Rub the entire surface of the pork belly (including the scored skin, sides, and bottom meat layer) with the spice mix, pressing firmly to help the rub adhere. Let the seasoned pork rest at room temperature for 45 minutes to allow the salt to draw out moisture and the rub to penetrate.
Preheat the smoker
Preheat your offset, electric, or pellet smoker to 120°C (250°F) set to indirect heat. Add 2 of the pre-soaked apple wood chunks to the fire box or smoker wood tray once the unit reaches target temperature, waiting 5-10 minutes until thin, wispy light blue smoke begins to flow steadily from the vent before adding the pork.
Smoke pork initially
Place the seasoned pork belly on the smoker grate, skin-side up, positioned away from direct heat. Close the smoker lid and maintain a steady internal temperature of 115-125°C (240-260°F) for 3 hours, avoiding unnecessary lid openings to prevent heat and smoke loss. After the first 90 minutes, quickly open the lid to spritz the pork surface evenly with 30ml (2 tbsp) of apple cider vinegar to keep it moist, add the remaining 2 pre-soaked apple wood chunks to the fire, then immediately close the lid.
Wrap and finish cooking
After 3 hours of open smoking, carefully transfer the dark mahogany-colored pork belly to a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Spritz the entire pork surface with the remaining 30ml (2 tbsp) apple cider vinegar, then wrap the foil tightly around the pork to create a fully airtight seal. Return the wrapped pork to the smoker and cook for an additional 2 hours at 120°C (250°F), until the internal temperature reaches 93°C (200°F) when measured with an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part, avoiding contact with fat.
Rest and slice to serve
Remove the wrapped pork belly from the smoker and let it rest, still fully wrapped, for 30 minutes at room temperature to allow juices to redistribute through the meat. If desired, unwrap and place the pork skin-side down on a preheated cast iron pan over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes to crisp the scored skin before slicing against the grain into 1.25cm (1/2-inch) thick pieces to serve.
Tips
2.When scoring the pork skin, only cut through the skin and top 0.5cm fat layer, not the underlying meat—deep cuts will cause flavorful juices and rendered fat to leak out during the long cook.
3.If you do not own a dedicated smoker, set up a charcoal grill for two-zone indirect heat, place apple wood chunks directly on the hot coals, and maintain a steady 120°C (250°F) temperature for the full cook time.
OMG this smoked pork belly is an absolute game changer for our weekend cookouts! Did the full 6.5 hour smoke over hickory, rendered perfectly, crispy edges that had my whole crew fighting over the last pieces. Brought half to a neighborhood potluck last weekend and people were begging for the recipe before I even left. 10/10 will be making this monthly.
Meal prepped a big batch of this Sunday to add to tacos, breakfast hash, and sandwiches all week and it’s SO good. My kids loved the crispy burnt end bits so much they snuck extra pieces straight off the cutting board before I could even portion it out. Worth every minute of cook time, no regrets.
First time ever smoking any kind of pork, followed the recipe exactly but my edges came out a little chewier than I expected? Flavor was unreal though, the rub ratio is perfect, can’t wait to try again.
Sliced this up thin after smoking and used it for pork belly sliders at my kid’s birthday party and every single guest asked for seconds. I was worried 6.5 hours was too long of a cook for a party but it was totally low-effort once I got the smoker temp set, zero stress.
Made this for a fancy date night in with my partner, served it with a cherry bourbon reduction and roasted root veggies and it felt like a restaurant quality meal. We were both shocked how easy it was to pull off even with the longer cook time, it basically cooks itself once it’s on the smoker!
Was able to grab pork belly on sale at my local grocery store for super cheap and this recipe turned a cheap cut into the most luxurious meal I’ve made all month. Way better than spending $25 on a tiny order of smoked pork belly at the BBQ spot down the street, will be doing this on repeat.
Loved the flavor of this, but I had to swap out the paprika in the rub for a smoked sweet paprika because of a nightshade sensitivity and it still worked great! Only issue I had was my smoker kept fluctuating temp the first hour so I added an extra 20 minutes at the end to compensate.
Brought this to our office potluck yesterday and I’m not kidding, the entire pan was gone in 10 minutes. People were hovering by the food table waiting for me to set it down! The cook time looks intimidating at first but it’s so hands off, I was able to get all my work done while it smoked on my back porch.
Made this last weekend for family dinner and served it with coleslaw and cornbread, and even my super picky brother who swears he "hates all BBQ food" went back for thirds. The bark on this is unreal, perfectly salty and smoky without being overpowering.
Used my tiny tabletop electric smoker for this and it worked way better than I expected! Had to cut the pork belly into two smaller chunks to fit, but it still got that perfect smoke ring and rendered fat. Next time I’ll grab a bigger cut so I have more leftovers, the small batch I made was gone in one sitting.
Who knew smoked pork belly would be the star of my brunch spread? I cubed it and added it to my breakfast scramble with peppers and cheese, and my guests were raving the whole time. Way better than regular bacon, I’ll never go back.
Tried this for my first ever smoke and the flavor was great, but I think I messed up the rub ratio? Mine came out way saltier than the photos look, even after I followed the measurements. Did I use the wrong kind of salt by accident?
Vacuum sealed half of this after it cooled and froze it for quick weeknight meals, and it reheats perfectly! Just toss it in the oven for 10 minutes to crisp the edges back up and it tastes just as good as the day I smoked it. Game changer for busy weeks when I don’t have time to cook for hours.
Tried this with a mix of mesquite and pecan wood because that’s what I had lying around, and the smoke flavor was a little stronger than I expected, but still really tasty. Would pecan alone be a better pick for someone who doesn’t love super intense smoke?
I cubed the last 1/3 of the pork belly to make burnt ends, tossed them in a little brown sugar and BBQ sauce for the last 45 minutes of the cook, and they were life changing. My family said they’re better than the brisket burnt ends we get at our favorite BBQ spot. Will be doing that every single time I make this from now on.
Just pulled this off the smoker 10 minutes ago and had to hop on to leave a review before we even finish dinner. The crust is perfectly crispy, the fat renders so it’s melt-in-your-mouth, not greasy at all. My roommate and I are already planning when we can make this again for our friend group next weekend. Zero notes, 10/10.