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Water-Fried Pork Belly is a cooking method that went viral across Taiwanese YouTube a few years ago, and it’s easy to see why. The method starts by gently poaching pork belly in a little water, which cooks the meat through and draws out any impurities. Once the water evaporates, the pork carries on cooking in its own rendered fat, turning the skin beautifully golden and crisp.

The result is pork belly with crackling, crisp edges and a juicy, tender centre, all without a drop of added oil. It’s a one-pan method that’s beginner-friendly, requires very little hands-on effort, and gives you a lighter, less greasy version of crispy pork belly than deep-frying ever could.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

No deep-frying required: the pork crisps up in its own rendered fat, so there’s no need for a vat of oil.
Crispy outside, juicy inside: the water-poaching step keeps the meat tender while the skin turns golden and crackling.
Genuinely one-pan: everything happens in a single frying pan, from poaching to crisping.
Beginner-friendly: no deep-fry thermometer, no complicated technique, just a bit of patience.

Tips for Making This Recipe

Let the Water Evaporate Naturally : Resist the urge to turn up the heat to speed things along. Letting the water evaporate slowly gives the pork time to cook through gently before it starts frying, which is key to a tender, evenly cooked centre.
Skim Off the Impurities : As the pork simmers, foam and impurities will rise to the surface. Skim these off as they appear. This step is what gives the finished pork its clean, savoury flavour rather than anything muddy or greasy.
Watch for Splatter : Once the water has evaporated and the pork starts frying in its own fat, things can get a little messy. Partially covering the pan with a lid helps contain the splatter while still letting the skin crisp up properly.

Final Thoughts

Water-Fried Pork Belly proves that crispy, crackling pork doesn’t need a deep fryer. With just a pan, a little water, and a bit of patience, you get pork belly that’s crisp on the outside, juicy on the inside, and far less greasy than you’d expect. It’s simple enough for a weeknight, but impressive enough to serve when you have people over.

Crispy Water-Fried Pork Belly

Wanting

This Water-Fried Pork Belly is a popular one-pan cooking method in Taiwan that's surprisingly easy and beginner-friendly. The pork is first gently cooked with a little water, then crisped in its own rendered fat, creating juicy, flavourful pork belly with irresistibly crispy edges.

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Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Asian

Ingredients

240 g pork belly, cut into 3 large pieces
30 ml cooking wine
2–3 spring onion stems
3–5 slices of ginger
Water enough to come halfway up the pork

Optional to serve

Dipping sauce of your choice
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Prepare the Pork: Place the pork belly in a frying pan. Add enough cold water to come halfway up the sides of the pork. Add the cooking wine, spring onion stems, and ginger slices.

The cooking wine, ginger, and spring onion help reduce any unwanted porky odours while subtly enhancing the flavour of the meat.

Cook the Pork: Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Skim off any foam or impurities that rise to the surface.
Render the Fat: Continue cooking until all the water has evaporated. Remove the ginger and spring onion, then allow the pork to fry in its own rendered fat. If there's excess oil, carefully wipe some away with kitchen paper.
Crisp the Pork: Turn the pork occasionally until all sides are golden brown and crispy. If the fat starts to splatter, partially cover the pan with a lid.
Serve: Slice the pork into bite-sized pieces and serve with your favourite dipping sauce, or simply season with salt and pepper.

Video

Notes

Keyword Pork