Slow-Braised Pork Belly with Five-Spice and Soy Glaze

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-06-20 · Updated 2026-06-20

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 developed and reviewed.

Tender pork belly slowly braised in a fragrant five-spice and soy sauce blend, creating a rich, savory glaze perfect over steamed rice. This Chinese-inspired pork recipe, ready in about 125 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 480 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: 20 min Cook: 105 min Serves 4 Chinese cuisine 480 cal/serving

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Ingredients

1.5 pounds, skin on, cut into 2-inch pieces pork belly
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
3 tbsp Shaoxing wine
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 whole star anise
1 stick (3 inches) cinnamon stick
1 tsp five-spice powder
1-inch piece, sliced ginger
4 cloves, smashed garlic cloves
2 cups water
3, cut into 2-inch pieces scallions
2 tbsp vegetable oil

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Instructions

Step 1: Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottom pot over medium-high heat. Add 1.5 pounds pork belly pieces skin side down and sear for 4-5 minutes until the skin is golden and crisp; flip and sear the other sides for 3 minutes. Remove pork and set aside.
Step 2: Reduce heat to medium, add 4 smashed garlic cloves and 1-inch sliced ginger, sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant.
Step 3: Add 1/3 cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce, 3 tablespoons Shaoxing wine, and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves.
Step 4: Return pork belly to the pot. Add 2 whole star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon five-spice powder, 3 scallions, and 2 cups water until pork is just submerged.
Step 5: Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook on low heat for 1 hour 30 minutes until pork is tender and sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.
Step 6: Remove lid and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes to reduce sauce to a sticky glaze coating the pork. Serve hot over steamed rice.