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If you are a fan of crispy, tender, melt-in-your-mouth pieces of pork, you will fall in love with this pork belly sandwich!
Easy to make and absolutely delicious with a sweet and savory glaze, this sandwich is perfection for pork lovers!
If you're a fan of the classic BLT, this pork belly sandwich is for you. It has so much delicious flavor and is ultra easy to make.
Serve the slow roasted pork belly on a toasted bun or bread of your choice, slather it with spicy mayo, and top with tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, or whatever you like!
Doesn't that sound like a winner? And easy to make in advance if you want to cook the pork belly first, then reheat it when you're ready for sandwiches.
And did I mention most of the "cook" time is hands off? This has quickly become one of our favorite sandwiches, close to our delicious Vietnamese banh mi, sous vide french dip, gooey bagel breakfast sandwich, and the ultimate sous vide roast beef sandwich.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
- The pork belly is slow cooked until tender, then crisped in a pan for the ultimate crisp-tender texture.
- The glaze adds a sweet and savory flavor to the pork belly.
- Who doesn't love a quick and easy homemade spicy mayo!
- Can be made in advance for easy weeknight meals or lunches.
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Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and amounts is included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
You can buy pork belly pre-sliced or buy a slab of it and slice it yourself. Putting it in the freezer for an hour or so will make it easier to slice.
I look for pork belly that has a equitable fat to meat content so it's not overly fatty when eating it. You'll also want to be sure you remove the outer skin as it can be tough.
The glaze is made with white miso paste which gives it an ultra umami flavor, as well as champagne vinegar, soy sauce and honey. You can substitute white wine vinegar for the champagne if you need to.
For the spicy mayonnaise, you can use regular mayonnaise or even kewpie mayonnaise for an extra burst of flavor! Hoisin sauce and sriracha add the extra umami and spice to the mayo.
Step By Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 275°F.
Season the pork belly with salt and pepper.
Place on a baking rack over a baking sheet and bake for 2 hours, flipping once halfway through.
Start basting with the glaze at the one hour mark, basting every 15 minutes until done.
While the pork is baking, combine the ingredients for the spicy mayo and store in the fridge until ready for use.
Remove the pork from the oven and brush any remaining glaze on.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add the pork belly pieces.
Brown on each side about 2-3 minutes to crisp it, being careful the glaze doesn't burn. If it starts to burn, add a touch of water to the pan.
How to Make the Glaze
Combine the ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer until thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
Expert Tips
- It is easier to slice the pork belly if it is at least partially frozen.
- Remove the skin as it can be tough. Skin can be removed before or after cooking as desired.
- Watch the pork belly closely when browning it in the pan - the glaze can cause it to burn quickly. Add water to the pan if it starts to burn.
- Toasting the bread you're using will help it to stand up to the weight of the pork belly.
- Add whatever toppings you like. We use lettuce and tomato, but use whatever you prefer.
Serving Options
- Instead of the spicy mayo, you can use one of these amazing sauces: chimichurri mayo, red chimichurri, Cajun remoulade, barbecue sauce, cilantro chimichurri, peri peri sauce.
- Serve it on sandwich buns, toasted sourdough bread, pesto challah bread, or any bread of your choice.
- If you prefer to not eat it on a sandwich, you can chop the pork belly up and serve it with this Chinese fried rice, this Instant Pot ramen, alongside this tsukemen, on tacos, or in this Bun Thit Nuong.
- Alongside the sandwich, I like to serve it with these Parmesan truffle fries, baked parsnip fries, fire roasted tomatoes (also good on the sandwich), air fryer broccoli, or air fryer tater tots.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pork belly is very versatile and can be served with many different things. It's delicious served with roasted vegetables like these honey roasted parsnips, chopped up in fried rice, alongside french fries, with mashed potatoes, or cheesy grits.
This is a pork belly, lettuce and tomato sandwich. It's similar to a BLT, but with pork belly instead of bacon.
While the skin is edible, I find it can be tough so recommend removing it. You can remove it before or after cooking it.
Pork belly and bacon are cut from the same part of the pig (the belly). Bacon is typically smoked and cured, while pork belly is typically sold raw (no smoke or cure). You can make bacon out of pork belly.
Storage and Reheating Options
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge. Pork belly can be reheated in the microwave, or in a skillet to re-crisp it. Just be sure not to burn it as the glaze can burn quickly.
You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat per above instructions.
More Pork Belly Recipes
We LOVE pork belly around here. Check out some other favorite pork belly recipes:
- Sous vide pork belly
- Air fryer pork belly
- Japanese braised pork belly
- Pork belly yakisoba
- Chinese braised pork belly
- Pork belly tacos
If you love this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below and let us know your favorite thing about it. We'd also love to connect on Instagram! Follow us at @went_here_8_this for awesome recipes and all sorts of fun food stuff 🙂
Recipe
Pork Belly Sandwich
Ingredients
- ½ pound pork belly sliced ¼" thick, skin removed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- Tomato slices for serving
- Lettuce for serving
- Sandwich buns for serving
- Pickles for serving
Glaze:
- 2 teaspoons champagne vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons white miso paste
Spicy Mayo:
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 ½ teaspoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Season the pork belly with salt and pepper.
- Place on a baking rack over a baking sheet and bake for 2 hours, flipping once halfway through.
- Start basting with the glaze at the one hour mark, basting every 15 minutes until done.
- While the pork is baking, combine the ingredients for the spicy mayo and store in the fridge until ready for use.
- Remove the pork from the oven and brush any remaining glaze on.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add the pork belly pieces.
- Brown on each side about 2-3 minutes to crisp it, being careful the glaze doesn't burn. If it starts to burn, add a touch of water to the pan.
Glaze:
- Combine the ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer until thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
Expert Tips:
- It is easier to slice the pork belly if it is at least partially frozen.
- Remove the skin as it can be tough. Skin can be removed before or after cooking as desired.
- Watch the pork belly closely when browning it in the pan - the glaze can cause it to burn quickly. Add water to the pan if it starts to burn.
- Toasting the bread you're using will help it to stand up to the weight of the pork belly.
- Add whatever toppings you like. We use lettuce and tomato, but use whatever you prefer.
Nutrition
anita
I love how tender the pork belly came out. Really good.
Danielle
So glad to hear it!