Braised Chinese Five-Spice Pork Belly with Star Anise

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-05-02 · Updated 2026-05-02

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are drafted and published.

Succulent pork belly slowly braised in a fragrant mixture of Chinese five-spice and star anise, resulting in tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat with a glossy, richly flavored sauce. This Chinese-inspired pork recipe, ready in about 75 minutes, pairs pork belly, soy sauce, dark soy sauce for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 450 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Prep: 15 min Cook: 60 min Serves 4 Chinese cuisine 450 cal/serving

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Ingredients

1.5 pounds pork belly
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1/4 cup Shaoxing wine
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 cups water
1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
3 whole star anise
1-inch piece, sliced ginger
2, cut into 2-inch pieces green onions
4 cloves, smashed garlic
2 tbsp vegetable oil

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Instructions

Step 1: Cut 1.5 pounds pork belly into 2-inch chunks and pat dry. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and brown pork pieces on all sides for about 5 minutes until golden and slightly crispy.
Step 2: Add 1-inch sliced ginger, 4 smashed garlic cloves, and 2 green onions cut into 2-inch pieces to the pot, sautéing for 2 minutes until fragrant.
Step 3: Pour in 1/3 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1/4 cup Shaoxing wine, and 2 tbsp brown sugar. Stir to coat the pork, then add 2 cups water, 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder, and 3 whole star anise.
Step 4: Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover partially. Simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally until pork is tender and sauce has thickened to a glossy sheen.
Step 5: Remove star anise and green onions before serving. Serve hot with steamed white rice.