Pork · Air fryer

Crispy Air Fryer Pork Belly with Perfect Crackling

Pork belly skin that actually crisps up, no soggy patches, no disappointments. This method uses vinegar and salt to draw out moisture before air frying, then finishes with a scorching high heat to shatter the crackling. The meat stays tender underneath.

R By Richard · Adapted from Food How · Published 10 June 2026
👁 106.8k source views ❤️ 1k source likes
⏱Prep 15 min
🌡Temp 200°C
⏲Air fry 60 min
🍽Serves 4
Crispy Air Fryer Pork Belly (Crispiest Crackling Ever!)

Source video by Food How on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules and is marked for human review.

This air fryer pork belly uses a two-stage cook to guarantee crisp crackling every time. The skin is scored, brushed with vinegar and covered in a salt crust during a low-temperature first stage to draw out moisture. The salt is then removed, the skin is oiled, and a high-heat second stage puffs and crisps the crackling while keeping the meat juicy. The seasoning is kept simple so the pork flavour leads.

Ingredients

Main
  • pork belly, skin on, patted dry, sized to fit your air fryer basket
Seasoning (meat side)
  • 0.25 tspfine salt
  • 0.5 tsppaprika
  • 0.5 tsppork belly rub or favourite spice mix
  • black pepper
Skin treatment
  • olive oil
  • white vinegar
  • coarse salt (for salt crust)

Method

  1. Pat the pork belly all over with paper towels until really dry, making sure it fits in your air fryer basket.

    ~2 min

  2. With the meat side up, score the meat in straight lines with a sharp knife, then score again at an angle to make a criss-cross pattern of small squares.

    ~3 min

  3. Flip the pork belly skin side up and use a skewer or sharp knife to poke holes all over the skin. Pierce the skin only, do not go deep into the meat.

    ~3 min

  4. Flip back to meat side up. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp fine salt, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp pork belly rub and a pinch of black pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and rub the seasoning into the scored cuts.

    ~2 min

  5. Lay out at least two layers of aluminium foil and rub the surface with a little olive oil. Place the pork belly on the foil, skin side up.

    ~2 min

  6. Brush the skin all over with white vinegar, then cover the entire skin with an even layer of coarse salt to form a salt crust. Fold the sides of the foil up around the pork belly to hold the salt and catch juices.

    ~3 min

  7. Carefully place the pork belly in the air fryer basket. Cook at 125°C (250°F) for 30 minutes.

    ~30 min

  8. Remove the basket. Gently lift off the hardened salt crust in one piece, then brush or scrape any remaining salt off the skin. Wipe the foil clean of salty fat.

    ~2 min

  9. Place the pork belly back on the foil and drizzle olive oil over the skin. Spread the oil evenly across the whole skin with a brush or your fingers.

    ~1 min

  10. Return to the air fryer and cook at 200°C (400°F) for 30 minutes, until the skin is golden brown, puffed up and crisp.

    ~30 min

  11. Rest briefly, then slice and serve. The crackling should shatter and the meat should be juicy and tender.

    ~5 min

Frequently asked

Why do I need to cover the skin with salt for the first stage?
The salt crust draws moisture out of the skin while it cooks gently at 125°C. Dry skin is the single biggest factor in good crackling. Because the salt sits in a thick crust on top of the skin, it pulls water out without making the meat itself salty, as long as you lift the crust off cleanly and brush away any residue before the second stage.
Do I need to preheat my air fryer?
It is not required for this recipe because the first stage is a low, gentle 125°C dry-out. Just load the pork belly in and start the timer. For the second high-heat stage at 200°C you can preheat for 2-3 minutes if your model has the function, but it is not essential.
Can I skip the white vinegar?
You can, but you will get less puff in the crackling. The acid in the vinegar helps break down the surface of the skin so it blisters and crisps more dramatically once it hits the high heat. White wine vinegar or rice vinegar work too.
How do I stop the meat drying out?
The two-stage method is designed to prevent this. The low 125°C stage renders some fat and dries the skin without overcooking the meat, and the high 200°C stage is only long enough to crisp the skin. Do not extend the second stage beyond 30 minutes unless your piece is very thick, and rest the pork before slicing so the juices settle.
My pork belly skin is not crispy enough. What went wrong?
Usually one of three things: the skin was not patted properly dry before scoring, the salt crust was too thin to draw out moisture, or the second stage did not get hot enough. Make sure your air fryer is actually reaching 200°C, and if needed give it an extra 5 minutes at the end with the skin checked closely.
Extraction notes (transparency): Quantity of pork belly not stated in transcript; left null. Quantities of olive oil, white vinegar and salt crust not specified; marked 'to taste' or noted. Black pepper quantity stated only as 'a bit'. | Second-pass critique flagged 2 fabricated and 11 quantified issues. See critique.issues for detail.