Pan-Fried Rafute-Style Pork Belly with Brown Sugar Glaze

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-07-31 · Updated 2026-07-31

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.

Tender pork belly cubes pan-fried and finished with a rich Okinawan-inspired glaze of brown sugar and soy sauce for a sweet-savory finish. This Japanese-inspired pork recipe, ready in about 30 minutes, pairs pork belly, brown sugar, soy sauce for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 520 calories and feeds 3, 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: 10 min Cook: 20 min Serves 3 Japanese cuisine 520 cal/serving

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Ingredients

350g, cut into 1-inch cubes pork belly
3 tbsp brown sugar
4 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp, grated ginger
2 cloves, minced garlic
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1 stalk, chopped for garnish green onions

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Instructions

Step 1: Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 350g pork belly cubes and sear for 5-6 minutes, turning occasionally until edges are golden and crispy.
Step 2: Reduce heat to medium, add 1 tbsp grated ginger and 2 minced garlic cloves to the pan, sautéing for 1 minute until fragrant.
Step 3: Stir in 3 tbsp brown sugar, 4 tbsp soy sauce, and 1/4 cup water. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens and coats the pork belly.
Step 4: Remove from heat and garnish with 1 chopped green onion stalk before serving with steamed rice or greens.