Easy Honey Glazed Baked Pork Belly
Achieve perfectly charred, sweet, and savory pork belly right in your oven. This foolproof recipe uses a simple soy and sugar marinade for irresistibly sticky, bite-sized pieces.
While traditional barbecue requires an outdoor grill, this oven-baked method brings the beloved flavors of sticky, caramelized pork belly indoors. By marinating the meat in a sweet and savory blend of soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar—an easy swap for honey—the pork develops a beautiful glaze as it roasts. Taking the extra step to briefly freeze the meat before slicing ensures perfect, uniform pieces that crisp up evenly on the pan.
Ingredients
- 500 g pork belly
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp black pepper powder
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp cooking wine
Instructions
- 1Slice the pork belly
Carefully slice the slab of raw pork belly into thin, uniform pieces on a wooden cutting board. Pro tip: placing the pork belly in the freezer for about an hour beforehand makes it much easier to achieve even slices.
Tip: Chilling the meat briefly in the freezer firms it up, allowing for cleaner and more consistent cuts. - 2Marinate the pork
In a large metal bowl, combine the sliced pork belly with minced garlic, black pepper powder, white sugar, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and a splash of cooking wine. These ingredients form the base of the savory and sweet glaze.
Tip: If you are out of honey, white sugar is an excellent substitute that still caramelizes beautifully during roasting. - 3Mix and marinate
Using chopsticks or clean hands, thoroughly mix the pork belly slices with the seasonings in the bowl to ensure every piece is well-coated. Let the meat marinate for at least half an hour to allow the flavors to penetrate the pork.
Tip: Ensure the mixture is uniform so the flavors are evenly distributed across all slices. - 4Prepare for baking
Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and arrange the marinated pork belly slices in a single, flat layer. Spreading them out ensures that each piece cooks evenly and develops a nice char.
Tip: Avoid overlapping the slices to ensure they roast properly rather than steaming. - 5Bake the pork belly
Place the tray of arranged pork belly into a preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius. Bake using both top and bottom heat for approximately 20 minutes until the edges are nicely browned and caramelized.
Tip: Keep an eye on the oven near the end of the cooking time to ensure the glaze doesnt burn.
