Sweet + Spicy Pork Belly Tacos
Irresistible pork belly tacos are a mashup of textures and flavors. Crispy, tender, sweet and spicy, these tacos are a must-try recipe!
You’ll Sing for These Easy Pork Belly Tacos
Pork belly, pork belly, pork belly…taa-aacooos! 🎵 I made up a little jingle when I cooked this recipe the other day and can’t get it out of my head. (And, no…I’m not going to sing it out loud for you.)
These tacos make me happy! Why shouldn’t they have their own jingle?
For real though, if you’re into crispy pork carnitas, you’ve got to try these pork belly tacos. They have a mashup of textures…tender bits of meat and silky streaks of fat from slow roasting and crispy, caramelized edges from the final sauté.
The spicy comes from a super easy chipotle salsa that is first blended, then cooked, to intensify the color and flavor. Honey is added to some of the salsa to make things sweet. And, when sautéed with the pork belly, it becomes a sticky, spicy, addictive taco filling!
Gather Your Ingredients
I’ve provided substitutions next to the key ingredient to help you tailor this recipe to your needs or personal taste. But first, a word about the star of our show…
Skinless Pork Belly
This is the same cut used to make bacon, only it hasn’t been cured or smoked. Pork belly is available in many mainstream grocery stores today, but you may need to hit up a traditional butcher or international market in some regions.
I chose skinless for ease and method of preparation. You can find it in different forms: large slab, thick cut slices (may range from 2 to 3-inches wide), thin cut slices (similar in look to bacon), even shaved (looks like little rolls). A slab or thick cut slices are perfect for this recipe as they can be trimmed down to 1/2-inch thick pieces for roasting. Look for cuts that have an even thickness throughout.
If you can only find skin-on, that’s ok. Set the belly skin-side up on your cutting board. Position a sharp knife parallel to the board and make a cut just below the skin. Peel it back and continue along the length of the belly. (Psst! This is easier to do if the pork belly is cold.)
Ok, you’re also going to need…
- Kosher salt & black pepper
- Fresh garlic
- Ro-Tel – a mix of seasoned diced tomatoes and green chiles. Fire-roasted diced tomatoes combined with some of your favorite spices would make a nice substitute.
- Chipotle chilis in adobo sauce – chipotles bring a nice smoky quality to the salsa. A couple of the peppers and some of the sauce go into the salsa. I toss in a couple, but feel free to use more or less depending on the level of spice you want.
- Avocado oil – or another high-smoke point oil, to “fry” the salsa.
- Honey – honey and chipotle are partners in crime…in the best way! You can substitute with maple syrup or brown sugar if you prefer.
- Lime – a little squeeze of lime juice will brighten up the leftover salsa (that’s not mixed with honey) to use as a condiment for the tacos. The rest of the lime can be cut into wedges for serving.
- Small tortillas – street taco size are just right for these pork belly tacos. Flour or corn tortillas…your choice.
- Garnishes – I really want the pork belly to shine here, so the garnishes are simple – red onion (or white onion), radish, and fresh cilantro. While my guys love raw onion on everything, I prefer these tacos with pickled onions.
Let’s Get Cooking Pork Belly Tacos
I have to give a couple shout outs. First, to Chef Bayless whose recipes for Essential Quick-Cooked Tomato-Chipotle Sauce and Sweet-and-Smoky Pork Chops inspired these flavors (from Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen). The second high five goes to Matt Pittman from Meat Church BBQ – after watching his video for pork belly burnt ends (drool-worthy!), I was like…I’m digging this low and slow method. I don’t have a smoker, but the oven works!
Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you on your way.
- Season the pork – Season the pork belly with salt & pepper and let it sit for about 15 minutes.
- Slow roast the pork belly – Arrange the pieces in a single layer across a wire rack set inside a baking sheet (to catch the fat that will render during roasting). Roast for 1 hour in a 275°F preheated oven. Careful not to spill any fat that has pooled in the pan, flip the pieces over and roast for 1 more hour. The pork belly should be fork tender, but not falling apart.
- Blend the salsa – Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, combine the Ro-Tel, chipotle chili, adobo sauce, and garlic. Pulse several times to create a sauce that is mostly puree with tiny chunky bits.
- Cook the salsa – Heat the avocado oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high until screaming hot. Dump in the puree all at once; cook and stir for about 5 minutes until it thickens and deepens in color. Season to taste with kosher salt.
- Make the glaze – Remove 1/2 cup of the salsa to a bowl and combine with the honey to make a sweet glaze. Transfer the remaining salsa to another bowl and stir in the juice of a quarter of a lime.
- Crisp up + glaze the pork belly – Cut the roasted pork belly into small strips. Heat a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium-high. (There’s no need to add oil.) Add the pork belly strips and brown for 3 to 4 minutes. Now add the sweet glaze and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until it becomes sticky and there’s a bit of charring on some of the pork.
- Chow down! – Serve the crispy pork belly in your choice of flour or corn tortillas, garnished with onion, radish, cilantro and a drizzle of the lime-infused salsa.
Helpful Recipe Tips
Why slow roast first? Why not just sauté? – Pork belly is a tough cut of meat. Slow roasting helps to tenderize that tissue and render the fat into flavor-giving juices so you end up with tender, moist meat. You’ll notice there are still some soft fatty tissue after roasting. That will render even further during the sauté and help to crisp up the exterior of the meat. If you were to skip the slow roast, and simply fry up 2 pounds of pork belly strips, your skillet would be swimming in pork fat that would need to be poured off periodically. Messy and dangerous. By the end of that process, you’d end up with either soggy pork belly or crispy, but maybe not so tender pieces.
Easier clean up. – Completely cover your sheet pan with aluminum foil. Allow pooled fat to cool and set up after roasting, then roll it up and toss it in the trash. Or…you can save that fat for another cooking application by straining it into a sealable container (I have little blocks of duck fat in my freezer for such opportunities).
Make Ahead Option
Much of this recipe is passive, but getting some of the work done ahead of time, even a day before, is always a great option if you’re entertaining or just ridiculously busy.
Here are some make ahead steps you can complete the day before:
- Roast the pork belly as instructed. Cool, slice into small strips, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
- Blend and cook the salsa. Cool, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
- Prep the onion and radish. Dice or julienne the onion. Thinly slice the radish. Place in separate containers with a splash of water to help keep them crisp and prevent them from drying out. Cover and refrigerate.
Pork Belly Leftovers
Storing + reheating – Transfer cooled, glazed pork belly to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet with a little salsa or broth, or microwave until warmed through.
What to do with leftovers – In addition to making more tacos, use leftover pork belly in an egg scramble or omelet, toss some into a burrito bowl, or roll into a lunchtime BLT wrap with crisp lettuce, tomato and a chipotle mayo.
For the Love of Tacos…
- Baked Crispy Ground Turkey Tacos
- DIY Low Sodium Taco Seasoning
- Slow Cooker Smoky BBQ Beef Tacos
- How to Host a Taco Bar Party
Sweet + Spicy Pork Belly Tacos
Equipment
- cast iron skillet, or large non-stick skillet
Ingredients
- 2 pounds skinless pork belly, cut in half to make 2 shorter lengths, then cut into 1/2″ strips
- kosher salt & black pepper
- 1 can Ro-Tel, 10-ounce can
- 2 chipotle chilis, packed in adobo
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce, from the can/jar
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil, (or other high-heat oil)
- 3 tablespoons honey, or more, to taste
- ¼ lime, use remainder for garnish
- 16 small flour, or corn tortillas, (street taco size)
- ½ small red onion, diced small or julienned
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced
- ½ bunch cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 275°F. Place a wire rack inside a sheet pan.
- Season the pork belly with salt & pepper and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Arrange the pieces in a single layer across the wire rack (use 2 racks/pans, if necessary) so there is just a bit of room between the slices. Slow roast for 1 hour, then flip the pieces over and roast for 1 more hour (take care not to spill any rendered fat that pools in the sheet pan). The pork belly should be fork tender, but not falling apart.
- Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, combine the Ro-Tel, chipotle chili, adobo sauce, and garlic. Pulse several times to create a sauce that is more puree than chunky (but small chunky bits are fine).
- Heat the avocado oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high until screaming hot. Dump in the puree all at once; cook and stir for about 5 minutes until it thickens and deepens in color. Season to taste with kosher salt.
- Remove 1/2 cup of the sauce to a bowl and combine with the honey to make a sweet glaze. Transfer the remaining sauce to another bowl and stir in the juice of a quarter of a lime; reserve for serving.
- Cut the roasted pork belly into lardons (small strips). Heat a large non-stick skillet (cast iron is perfect for this) over medium-high. No need to add any oil. Add the pork belly strips and brown for 3 to 4 minutes (work in batches if needed). Now add the sweet glaze and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until it becomes sticky and there’s a bit of charring on some of the pork.
- Serve the pork belly in your choice of flour or corn tortillas, garnished with onion, radish, cilantro and a drizzle of the lime-infused salsa.
Notes
- Roast the pork belly as instructed. Cool, slice into small strips, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
- Blend and cook the salsa. Cool, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
- Prep the onion and radish. Dice or julienne the onion. Thinly slice the radish. Place in separate containers with a splash of water to help keep them crisp and prevent them from drying out. Cover and refrigerate.
Nutrition
Pin for Later! Sweet + Spicy Pork Belly Taco Recipe
