Smoked and Fried Asian Pork Belly Bites
Smoky, crispy, and sticky all in one bite - pork belly is smoked low and slow on the pellet grill until tender, deep-fried for a crispy crust, then tossed in the best sticky sweet Asian glaze. Part barbecue, part takeout, and completely addictive.
Ingredients
- 5-6 lb pork belly skinless
- 1 tablespoon coarse black pepper
- ½ tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ tablespoon Lawry's seasoned salt
- 8 cups vegetable oil for frying
For the Asian Glaze:
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup Thai sweet chili sauce
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili crisp like Mr. Bing or Chef Troy's brand
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
Instructions
- Prep the grill: Preheat your pellet grill or smoker to 275℉ with your choice of wood or pellets.
- Prep and season the pork belly: Cut the pork belly into 1-inch wide strips. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and seasoned salt. Season the strips lightly on all sides with the mixture. *Be sure to not over-season, since cutting the pork into strips exposes more surface area than a slab.
- Smoke the pork belly: Preheat your pellet grill to 250°F. Smoke the pork belly strips until they reach an internal temperature of 185-190°F.
- Rest and cube: Remove the pork belly from the smoker and let it cool slightly. Cut into 1-inch cubes.
- Heat the frying oil: While the pork is cooling, heat 8 cups vegetable oil, for frying in a deep fryer or heavy pot to 350°F.
- Make the glaze: In a skillet over medium heat, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, Thai sweet chili sauce, chili crisp, oyster sauce, and fish sauce. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thickened to a glossy, sticky glaze.
- Fry the pork belly: Deep fry the pork belly cubes in batches until golden and crispy, about 3-4 minutes per batch.
- Toss and serve: Transfer the fried pork belly cubes to a large mixing bowl. Pour the warm glaze over top and toss until every piece is coated. Serve immediately while hot and sticky.
Notes
- About the sauce: We absolutely LOVE this Asian-style sauce. The sticky Asian glaze is fantastic on ribs, too, so don’t feel limited to just this cut if you fall in love with the sauce.
- You can skip the fry: If you want to skip the frying step, then smoke the cubed pork belly until it reaches an internal temperature of about 190-195°F. Then, toss with the Asian-style sauce in a disposable foil pan, and return to the smoker for another 15-30 minutes for the sauce to tack up, similar to pork belly burnt ends. If you skip frying, then don't reduce the glaze as much in the skillet, because it will thicken on the smoker.