Served with a tasty vinegar sauce, this Air Fryer Lechon Kawali is a juicy, crispy, crunchy skin and savoury treat for the whole family.
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- no oil required.
- crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside!
- can be serve as appetizer or as main dish.
- very easy to make.
Ok everyone, it's soul food time! This crispy skin pork belly lechon kawali is one of my absolute favorite dishes, but something we only eat on special occasions, like birthdays and big parties.
This iconic Filipino recipe consists of pork belly slab deep-fried in a pan or wok, but today we are using an air fryer. Seasoned beforehand, it is sliced into cubes after cooking.
The wonderful part of modern Air Fryers is the reduction of oil. You get the same result but only need a fraction of the oil!
What is Lechon Kawali?
Lechon is the Spanish word for "Pig" so it is possible the name derives from Spanish colonizers when they arrived in the Philippines in the 16th century. Roasted pig has a large cultural significance for Filipinos, so this particular dish is a natural evolution from that.
Crispy Pork Belly (Lechon Kawali) shares a resemblance with the famous Bagnet dish. The main difference is Bagnet is dry, light, and totally crispy. Whereas this dish is crispy on the outside but moist on the inside and has tender meat.
This air fryer pork belly recipe is trending on tiktok - make pork bites at home!
Ingredients Needed
- pork belly
- soy sauce
- vinegar
- bay leaves
- garlic
- peppercorns
- onion powder
- garlic salt
- kosher salt
How to make Air Fryer Crispy Lechon Kawali
Step 1: In a large pot, add water, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, onion powder and garlic salt. Add pork belly and simmer in high heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until meat is tender.
Step 2: Remove pork from the pot then drain excess liquid and let it cool. Rub pork with rock salt or sea salt.
Step 3: Place pork belly in air fryer basket and air fry at 375 for 25 minutes.
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Recipe
Super Easy Crispy Air Fryer Lechon Kawali
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 lb. pork belly skin on
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- ¼ teaspoon peppercorns
- 5 pieces bayleaves
- salt rub
- 5-6 cups water for boiling
Instructions
- In a large pot, add water, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bayleaves, peppercorns, onion powder and garlic salt. Add pork belly and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until meat is tender.
- Remove pork from the pot then drain excess liquid and let it cool.
- Rub pork with rock salt or sea salt.
- Air Fry at 375 for 25 minutes until the skin is golden brown and crispy.
- Transfer to a cutting board and wipe off the excess salt while letting the pork rest for at least 5 minutes.
- Serve with vinegar dipping sauce by mixing vinegar, soy sauce, onion and black pepper.
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