Thick pieces of BBQ pork belly are baked until crispy and slathered with a smoky hot BBQ sauce. Only 1 carb per bite despite all that taste!
The first time I ever had pork belly was at a fancy schmancy charity event that my husband was being honored at. At this particular event, they had local restaurants from all across the Cincinnati area come and serve samples of their most popular dishes.
One restaurant — the Quarter Bistro for those of you who are curious — served this pork belly appetizer that was TO. DIE. FOR. I was 8 months pregnant at the time but I still salivate when I think about those little piggy bites of heaven. And actually, the restaurant won some sort of award, too.
Needless to say, it was love at first bite. (I think I’ve been watching too many Hallmark Christmas movies because that was super cheesy).
Ever since then, I’ve been meaning to play in the kitchen with some pork belly.
Why You Will LOVE This Recipe
- If you’ve never had pork belly, it is essentially really thick bacon. It’s super fatty. Normally that would gross me out because I don’t like gristle but pork belly is far from that. It’s rich, velvety, and packs SO much flavor. If you like bacon, you’ll LOVE pork belly!
- I wanted to create a pork belly recipe that would be party friendly! Yummy appetizers are a must and these BBQ Pork Belly Bites totally fit the bill.
- The recipe couldn’t be any easier. They take just a little time to crisp up in the oven and then a few extra minutes to caramelize the sauce.
- They’re sticky, sweet, and a little spicy. You can dial the spice up or down depending on your preferences. Wet wipes are totally optional.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs pork belly strips (about 6 thick strips)
- 1/3 cup sugar-free BBQ sauce
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- dash Worcestershire
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp brown sugar substitute
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Place the pork belly strips on a baking sheet with a wire rack. Liberally salt and pepper the pork belly.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Flip to the other side and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Whisk together all ingredients for the glaze. Use a basting brush to liberally coat each piece of pork belly.
- Place back in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove, baste again, and bake for another 5 minutes. Watch closely to prevent burning.
- Slice each strip into 5 bite-sized pieces. Serve with additional sauce for dipping.
What To Serve With Pork Belly Bites
Given the versatility of the pork belly bites, you can go in a number of directions when doing up a side dish. Cauliflower rice is an easy one. Delicious and microwaveable so it’s done quickly. Zucchini or squash noodles are a great pasta alternative. I would also suggest coleslaw with a low-carb mayo. This is a traditional complement to pork bites; just be aware of the ingredients if you’re following a strict keto diet.
FAQs
I used G Hughes sugar-free barbecue sauce. I use it regularly.
Sukrin Gold. It’s a superb alternative to brown sugar or white sugar.
Sure. Go with soy sauce. Coconut aminos is slightly sweeter and has less salt than soy sauce but overall, it looks and tastes the same.
How To Store Pork Belly Bites
Let them cool first. Wrap them in either plastic or aluminum foil then put them in the fridge where they will last for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them for 3 months. When it comes time to eat them, you can either microwave them for 2 minutes or warm them in the oven at 350 F for 10-15 minutes.
BBQ Pork Belly Bites
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs pork belly strips about 6 thick strips
- 1/3 cup sugar free bbq sauce I used G. Hughes
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos or soy sauce
- dash worcestershire
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp brown sugar substitute I used Sukrin Gold
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Place the pork belly strips on a baking sheet with a wire rack. Liberally salt and pepper the pork belly.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Flip to the other side and bake an additional 10 minutes.
- Whisk together all ingredients for the glaze. Use a basting brush to liberally coat each piece of pork belly.
- Place back in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove, baste again, and bake another 5 minutes. Watch closely to prevent burning.
- Slice each strip into 5 bite size pieces. Serve with additional sauce for dipping.
Nutrition
