Crispy Pan-Fried Pork Belly with Quick Pickled Cucumbers
Golden-brown pork belly slices served with a tangy cucumber salad for a refreshing contrast. This Vietnamese recipe, ready in about 55 minutes, pairs Pork belly, Rice vinegar, Sugar 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
- 12 oz, skin-on Pork belly
- 2 tbsp Rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1, sliced thin Cucumber
- 1/4 tsp Red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup, chopped Fresh cilantro
- 2 Lime wedges
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: Pat 12 oz pork belly dry with paper towels; score skin in a crisscross pattern with a sharp knife.
- Step 2: Heat a large skillet over medium heat; place pork belly skin-side down and cook for 15-20 minutes until skin is golden and crispy, flipping once to cook fat side for 10 minutes.
- Step 3: While pork cooks, combine 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar, and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl, stirring until sugar dissolves; add 1 sliced cucumber and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, let sit for 15 minutes.
- Step 4: Slice pork belly into 1/4-inch thick pieces; serve with pickled cucumbers and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, with lime wedges on the side.








