My Simple Pork Belly Experiment (Finally Taking It Seriously 😆)

I’ve owned my air fryer for about a year now, and if I’m being honest… it was basically living the “decorative appliance” life. 😂 I grilled some prawns with it in the past, but it was more like testing the waters than actually cooking with intention. This month feels different though, maybe it’s the new-year energy, or maybe I’m just craving a shift in how I eat and what I put into my body.

Most days, I’m a hawker centre person. Hawker food is convenient, affordable, and honestly, Singapore’s hawker flavours are hard to beat. But somewhere in between all my food adventures and blog posts, I started thinking: someday, I want to share recipes too. Not just “I ate this” (which I LOVE), but “I made this, and you can try it too.” Of course, I’m still a newbie, so for now I’m learning one simple experiment at a time, then eating my results like a happy little food guinea pig. 😄

So today’s mission: air-fried pork belly.

I bought a slab of pork belly that looked so promising, thick layers, a proper fat cap, and that satisfying “this will be juicy” vibe. I didn’t overcomplicate anything because I really wanted to taste the pork itself. For seasoning, I kept it super simple: gourmet sea salt crystals, mixed pepper, and Italian herbs. That’s it. Three seasonings, no fancy marinade, no long ingredient list. Sometimes simplicity is the best way to learn, right?

First, I brushed a light layer of oil all over the pork belly. Not too much, just enough to help the seasoning cling and to encourage that beautiful browning later. Then I sprinkled the salt, pepper, and Italian herb blend generously. The herbs smelled immediately fragrant in that dry, earthy way, like a shortcut to “roast dinner vibes.”

After letting it rest for a few minutes, I placed it into the air fryer on foil (trust me, pork belly is not a clean-cooking situation). I set the air fryer to 200°C for 25 minutes, and halfway through, I flipped it so the cooking would be more even. This flipping part felt like a mini chef moment, LOL, like I was doing something very professional when really, I was just trying not to burn my dinner.

And when it was done… wow.

The top had turned a gorgeous golden-brown with darker, slightly charred specks from the pepper and herbs. The fat looked rendered and glossy, and the smell was insanely tempting—savory, peppery, and warm. When I sliced it, the pork belly revealed those neat layers: tender meat, soft fat, and a lightly crisped exterior. Each slice looked juicy, and the herbs stayed clinging to the surface like tiny flavour confetti.

Taste-wise, it was simple but satisfying. The salt brought out the natural sweetness of the pork, the pepper gave it a bold little kick, and the Italian herbs added that gentle, aromatic finish that made it feel “fancier” than it actually was. If I had one tiny note for next time, I might push the crispiness even more, maybe a few extra minutes or a final blast at a higher heat (carefully!) just to get that fat cap even more crackly.

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Overall, I’m genuinely happy with this experiment. It’s not a complicated recipe, but it feels like a real step toward cooking more at home—and I love that I get to eat my progress. 😋 Bon appetit, and here’s to more air fryer adventures soon!

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