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More Pork Recipes
Sticky Sweet Chilli Pork Belly
Sweet chilli pork belly is one of my ultimate indulgent dinners – crispy, caramelised edges and tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat. I slow-roast the pork until it’s golden, then coat it in a glossy sweet chilli glaze that’s got the perfect balance of heat and sweetness. It’s the kind of dish that feels like a treat but is surprisingly easy to throw together. Perfect with rice, noodles, or tucked into bao buns for a hands-down crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
Pork Belly
- 1kg pork belly slices
- 6 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp hot broad bean paste
- 2 tbsp honey
- 4 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp minced ginger
- 2 tsp minced garlic
Glaze
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp cornflour
To Serve
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Spring onions, finely sliced
Instructions
Pork Belly
- Marinade pork belly in soy sauce, bean paste, honey, sesame oil, ginger and garlic for 30-60 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 160C.
- Remove pork belly slices from marinade, and set aside any excess liquid to create the glaze.
- Arrange pork belly slices in a single layer on a baking tray. Transfer to the hot oven, and bake for 45 minutes.
- Brush the glaze (instructions below) over the slices, and return to the oven for an additional 45 minutes.
- Once cooked, remove from oven and brush on additional glaze as required. Serve hot, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds and sliced spring onions.
Glaze
- In a small pot, whisk together water and cornflour until well combined before stirring through the excess marinade.
- Heat the sauce over low-medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until bubbling.
- Remove from heat and brush across pork belly slices.
What I Cook With
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 645Total Fat: 47gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 31gCholesterol: 140mgSodium: 1054mgCarbohydrates: 13gNet Carbohydrates: 0gFiber: 1gSugar: 9gSugar Alcohols: 0gProtein: 41g
Please note, this nutrition information is to be used as a guide only. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
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Sticky Sweet Chilli Pork Belly
Recipe Inspo At Its Finest
Last year, one of my favourite Christmas gifts was Diana Henry’s From the Oven to the Table, a cooking tome that celebrates the brilliance of tray-bakes and one-pot wonders. You know the kind of book that makes you mutter “genius” under your breath every few pages? That’s this one. My copy has more neon post-it flags than any other cookbook I own. It’s from this book that today’s Sticky Sweet Chilli Pork Belly takes its delicious cue. Specifically, her Pork Belly Strips (page 39) got the gears turning. Naturally, I made a few tweaks.
Diana’s original recipe calls for soy bean paste, which I did not have and never do. So, in classic fashion, I swapped it for soy sauce. When I realised I was also out of chilli paste, I reached for hot broad bean paste instead. I doubled some things, halved others, and then took it a step further by turning the marinade into a glaze. I wanted something stickier, something that clung to the pork like a hungry toddler at daycare pick-up.
That’s the joy of a good recipe, though. You follow it once, make it your own the next time, and soon enough it feels like yours. You know it’s Diana’s, but it’s also not. And that’s the magic, isn’t it? Those tiny substitutions, those improv jazz moves in the kitchen. That’s when it becomes less about following a script and more about finding your own rhythm.
Pork Belly Obsession
In our home, pork belly is a firm favourite. It’s right up there with roast chicken and aggressively buttered toast. There’s something about that tender, fatty meat that just sings. It’s forgiving, flavourful, and wildly affordable – honestly, what’s not to love? It also happens to be one of those things that feels like a treat, even though it’s deceptively simple to cook.
I lean hard into Chinese and Japanese flavours when I make pork belly – they just work so well together. Soy, ginger, a bit of heat – they lift that fattiness into something borderline divine. It’s not trying to be delicate or subtle. It’s here to coat your mouth in joy. It’s here to tell you that calories don’t count today.
So that’s what this Sticky Sweet Chilli Pork Belly does. It delivers big on bold flavours. You get the deep umami from soy, that punchy heat from the broad bean paste, and then there’s the glaze. Oh, the glaze. It turns glossy and clings beautifully. You’ll be licking your fingers and your plate, and if you’re like me, probably the edge of the tray while no one’s looking.
Making it Yours
If you don’t have broad bean paste, that’s fine. Use gochujang or a bit of sriracha. No honey? Try maple syrup. Don’t get too bogged down in the exactness of it – the whole point of this Sticky Sweet Chilli Pork Belly is that it’s flexible. Adaptable. The kind of dish that works whether you’re feeding a crew on a weeknight or showing off a bit at a dinner party.
The glaze is optional, but I do recommend it. Just a quick mix of water and cornflour added to the leftover marinade and simmered until thick. It elevates the whole thing and makes everything feel just that little bit more polished. Like you know what you’re doing, even if you’re slightly winging it.
Serve it however you like. I love it with steamed rice, a scattering of sesame seeds, and finely sliced spring onions. Sometimes I throw some roasted greens on the side for good measure. Other times, it’s just pork belly and a glass of something cold. You do you.
Ingredients Breakdown
The pork belly is the star here, naturally. It brings that indulgent, melt-in-the-mouth quality we all secretly (or not-so-secretly) crave. The marinade wraps around it like a big flavourful hug, layering saltiness, heat, and sweetness in all the right places. And because pork belly is such a forgiving cut, it soaks up every bit of it like it was made for this exact dish.
The glaze is a last-minute flourish that turns everything glossy and gorgeous. It’s thick, rich, and clings to the meat like it doesn’t want to let go. It’s the difference between “yum” and “oh-my-god-what-is-this-witchcraft?” It also makes the final presentation feel that little bit more special without a whole lot of extra effort.
To finish, I throw over a handful of toasted sesame seeds and some finely sliced spring onions. It adds crunch, freshness, and colour. You could absolutely leave them off, but it does make everything feel a bit more finished. A bit more smug-and-smiling as you bring it to the table.
going ot try this tonight love it!!!!
This recipe is delicious! Thank you so much for sharing it!
OMG! This Pork Belly recipe looks so delicious! I’m loving that Sweet Chili Glaze! I need to make this ASAP!
wow! This looks so good! I need t try it out soon.
WOW, talk about delicious! I cant wait to give this recipe a try!
This looks amazing, the glaze really makes this dish! Will make this very soon.
Let me know how it goes!! Thanks for stopping by x
That looks- and sounds- so damned delicious. I’m incredibly jealous!
Haha! Thanks so much xx