This recipe comes from my husband’s brother’s wife (yes, my sister-in-law)! She’s Chinese and shared her family’s braised pork belly recipe with us one day, and I immediately asked her for the recipe. It’s SO GOOD.
It’s her signature dish, and I can see why… I’m drooling just thinking about it haha. I made a few small tweaks to suit my own taste, but the heart of the dish is still very much hers. It’s become one of those comforting recipes I know I’ll come back to again and again. But probably just on special occasions (Jeff said if I make this too often, he’ll get fat).
As it slowly cooks, the pork becomes incredibly tender while soaking up the rich flavors of soy sauce, garlic, onion, and a touch of sweetness. The result is melt-in-your-mouth pork with a deeply savory, slightly sweet braising liquid that’s perfect spooned over a bowl of steamed rice.
One of my favorite additions is the boiled eggs. During the last hour of cooking, they soak up the braising liquid, becoming flavorful all the way through. Combined with the pork and plenty of rice, it’s simple, comforting, and incredibly satisfying. Plus incredibly easy! Like, too easy for how good it is!
While this recipe takes time, the Instant Pot’s Slow Cook function does almost all the work for you. Seriously, it’s a set-it-and-forget-it meal. It’s the perfect dish to start in the afternoon and come home to. So let’s get started!
Instructions:
- In the Instant Pot (or whatever slow cooker you’re using), sauté the pork belly until lightly browned.
- Add the remaining ingredients to create the savory-sweet braising liquid.
- Slow cook until the pork is tender and melt-in-your-mouth.
- Add boiled eggs during the last hour to soak up the flavors.
- Serve over rice with plenty of the rich braising sauce.
Ingredients:
- Pork belly: The star of the dish, pork belly becomes incredibly tender and rich after slow cooking, with the fat adding flavor and a melt-in-your-mouth texture. You can use different types of meat, but nothing (specifically lean meats) will give you the same result as pork belly because it’s fatty and delicious.
- Onion: Adds natural sweetness and depth to the braising liquid as it slowly cooks down.
- Garlic: Brings a savory, aromatic flavor that complements the richness of the pork.
- Brown sugar: Balances the salty soy sauce and adds a subtle sweetness to the sauce.
- Soy sauce: Provides the main savory, umami flavor and creates the foundation of the braising liquid.
- Dark soy sauce: Adds deeper color and a slightly richer flavor to the dish. Regular soy sauce can be used as a substitute.
- Mirin: A Japanese sweet rice wine that adds sweetness and complexity while helping create a glossy sauce. You can also use rice wine!
- Water: Creates the braising liquid that the pork slowly cooks in and absorbs over time.
- Eggs: Simmered in the braising liquid to soak up the savory flavors and add a rich, satisfying element to the dish. Optional but I love this addition.
Braised Pork Belly
- Total Time: 5 hours 50 minutes
Description
Tender, melt-in-your-mouth pork belly slowly braised in a rich, savory-sweet soy sauce broth. The slow cooking allows the pork to become incredibly soft. Add boiled eggs for the perfect comforting meal.
I used an Instant Pot for this dish, but you can use any appliance with a slow cooker option, like a Crock Pot!
Ingredients
- 2 lb boneless pork belly, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 5 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (or substitute regular soy sauce)
- 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 4 1/2 cups water
- 4 eggs
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add the pork belly and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes (you want to make sure the pork gets a little bit of a sear), until lightly browned.
- To the Instant Pot, add the diced onion, minced garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, mirin, and water. Stir to combine.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the steam release valve to Venting. Select the Slow Cook function, choose the More setting, and cook for 5 hours 30 minutes.
- About 1 hour and 30 minutes before the pork is finished cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil. Gently lower in the eggs and boil for 7 minutes 30 seconds (this is the best time I’ve found to avoid overcooking the eggs in the broth later on).
- Transfer the eggs immediately to an ice bath, peel, and add them to the Instant Pot. Continue cooking for the remaining hour so the eggs can absorb the braising liquid.
- Serve the braised pork belly and eggs over steamed rice with a spoonful of the braising broth.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 hours 45 minutes
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