Braised Taiwanese Pork Belly with Five-Spice Sauce

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-06-04 · Updated 2026-06-04

Tender pork belly slowly braised in a fragrant five-spice soy sauce mixture, served with steamed rice. This Chinese-inspired pork recipe, ready in about 75 minutes, pairs pork belly, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine 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.

Ingredients

• 1 lb pork belly
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 whole star anise
• 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 4, smashed garlic cloves
• 1-inch piece, sliced ginger
• 2, cut into thirds scallions
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• to serve steamed jasmine rice

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Instructions

1. Step 1: Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add 1 lb pork belly cut into 1-inch cubes and sear for 4-5 minutes until all sides are golden brown.
2. Step 2: Add 4 smashed garlic cloves, 1-inch sliced ginger, and 2 cut scallions to the pot, sautéing for 2 minutes until aromatic.
3. Step 3: Pour in 1/3 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine, and 2 tbsp brown sugar. Stir to coat the pork, then add 1 cup water, 2 whole star anise, and 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder.
4. Step 4: Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 1 hour until pork is tender and sauce has thickened.
5. Step 5: Remove star anise and scallions before serving. Serve hot over steamed jasmine rice.