Pork Belly on the BBQ: Recipe with Dry Rub | Crispy Bark
Pork belly can develop a seasoned dark bark and tender meat on the BBQ. The result depends on thickness, fat and connective tissue, temperature and time. This page provides a recipe for a whole piece with dry rub. Bark is the seasoned outer layer of the meat; crispy skin, or crackling, is a separate layer requiring a different approach.
What do you need?
Ingredients (for 4 people)
- 1–1.5 kg pork belly (with or without skin — see tips)
- 4–5 tablespoons dry rub of your choice (see below)
- Optional: 1 tablespoon oil to help the rub adhere
- Optional: a splash of apple cider vinegar or apple juice for flavour, not as a guarantee of extra tenderness
Equipment
- BBQ (charcoal or gas)
- Meat thermometer (highly recommended)
- Sharp knife for scoring the skin
- Aluminium foil
Which dry rub should you use?
Pork belly has a rich, fatty flavour that calls for rubs with depth. These are our top choices:
- Memphis BBQ Rub — Sweet, smoky flavour with brown sugar. This is a flavour choice, not a guaranteed caramel coating; avoid burning.
- Toscana Fire — Italian-inspired with a fennel character. An aromatic flavour option for pork.
- Carolina Gold — Mustard character as an alternative to sweet and smoky. Colour and crust depend on cooking too, not only on the rub.
- Jamaican Jerk — Hot and aromatic, for a more assertively spiced flavour.
Step-by-step recipe
Step 1: prepare and season in the refrigerator
- Pat the pork belly dry. Do not wash raw meat; keep boards, knives and hands clean.
- If using skin-on belly, score shallowly if desired without cutting into the meat. Scoring does not make rub penetrate deeply. Skinless belly is the simplest option for bark; for skin-on belly, follow the separate skin guidance too.
- Use the optional tablespoon of oil sparingly on the meat and press the 4–5 tablespoons of rub onto the flesh and sides. For crackling, keep the skin as dry as possible and free from a thick coating of sugary rub.
- If desired, leave for about 1 hour or overnight in the refrigerator around 4°C, within the meat’s storage life. Do not season and rest at room temperature. An overnight rest is optional, not a guarantee of deeper flavour.
Step 2: cook indirectly at 150–160°C
- Set up direct and indirect zones, with a suitable drip tray beneath the meat if needed, following your barbecue’s instructions. Dripping fat must not cause sustained flames.
- Place the meat on the indirect side, skin or fat side up, and close the lid. Adjust the orientation if the heat source overexposes one side.
- Use the existing 2 to 2.5 hours as an initial planning estimate for 1–1.5 kg, not a guaranteed finish time. Thickness and desired tenderness may require considerably longer, especially for a softer texture.
- A splash of apple cider vinegar or apple juice after about 1.5 hours is optional for surface flavour. It is not a proven way to tenderise the centre and may temporarily moisten the crust.
Step 3: finish the bark and optional skin
Bark already develops during indirect cooking. Do not automatically move the belly to direct heat at 70–75°C or routinely cook it for 10–15 minutes per side over coals. Dripping fat can flare up; sugar and spices can burn before the desired texture develops.
If more colour is needed, finish briefly with controlled heat and constant supervision, preferably indirectly or in a suitable oven. Move the meat away from flare-ups. A black, burnt coating is not successful bark.
Crackling is a separate option: keep the skin dry, then finish carefully with overhead or high indirect heat once the meat is appropriately cooked and tender, following your equipment instructions. Do not routinely put it skin-side down over coals for the last five minutes. No single fixed finishing time guarantees crisp skin.
Step 4: assess safety and tenderness separately
- For fresh, intact whole pork cuts, a core temperature of 63°C followed by at least 3 minutes of rest is a practical safety guideline. This does not establish that connective-tissue-rich belly is pleasantly tender. Check several places in the meat, not only a fat layer.
- The existing 70–75°C range can be a checkpoint for slicing, but does not guarantee tenderness. Continue cooking indirectly if the meat is still tough.
- The existing 88–93°C range is a possible checkpoint for a softer texture, not a guarantee that the belly will fall apart. A probe should enter with little resistance; judge texture rather than a number alone.
- A brown crust and glistening fat do not establish a safe core temperature.
Measuring core temperature: practical guide | BBQ temperatures and cooking times
Step 5: rest and serve
If desired, rest for 10–15 minutes as a practical serving plan. Cover bark only loosely; do not seal crisp skin tightly under foil, as steam softens it. Do not assume resting will supply an unmet safety temperature.
Slice about 1–1.5 cm thick and serve promptly with clean equipment. For a longer wait, hold the dish at a measured minimum of 60°C rather than relying on foil or an unmonitored warm spot.
Pork belly in the oven
Cook on a rack over a suitable tray, for example at the existing oven temperature of 150°C. The listed 2–2.5 hours is only an initial estimate. Check core temperature and texture as for the barbecue.
Foil is optional and retains moisture, leaving bark or skin less dry. Remove it before finishing. The existing 220°C and 15–20 minutes are not a fixed setting for every grill or broiler function: follow the oven instructions, stay nearby and check much earlier. Sugary rub burns particularly quickly. Do not cover skin during a crisping finish.
Serving suggestions
- Sliced — as a main course with coleslaw and cornbread
- Diced as a pork belly burnt ends variation: finish tender cooked cubes in a suitable tray over indirect heat, not routinely for another 30 minutes over the fire.
- In a bao bun — with pickled cucumber and hoisin sauce for an Asian twist
- On a sharing board — in thin slices as a snack
Tips for bark and crackling
- Exterior fat does not automatically melt deep into the meat. Fat-side up is a starting point, not a guarantee of juiciness.
- 150–160°C is the method chosen for this recipe, not the only temperature at which pork belly can become tender.
- Bark is the seasoned outer layer; crackling is crisp skin. A thick layer of wet or sugary rub on the skin does not automatically help.
- An overnight refrigerated rest with rub is optional. Salt can move differently from other spices; scoring does not produce deep absorption of every rub ingredient.
- Cool leftovers quickly in small shallow containers and refrigerate around 4°C within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above approximately 32°C. As conservative guidance, use correctly chilled leftovers within 2 days and reheat throughout to 74°C. Reheating does not reliably make improperly stored leftovers safe.
Frequently asked questions
How long does pork belly take on the BBQ?
Start with the existing estimate of 2 to 2.5 hours at 150–160°C indirectly, but allow for longer cooking. Thickness and desired texture largely determine the actual time. Do not automatically add half an hour over direct heat.
At what core temperature is pork belly done?
For a fresh, intact whole cut, 63°C with at least 3 minutes of rest is a safety guideline. The existing 70–75°C and 88–93°C ranges are texture checkpoints, not guarantees of juicy slices or falling-apart meat.
Skin-on or skinless?
Without skin, focus on bark. Skin-on belly also has a separate layer that must be kept dry and finished under control. Scoring alone does not guarantee crackling.
What are pork belly burnt ends?
These are pork belly cubes inspired by burnt ends, not necessarily burnt pieces. For a simple variation, cut already-tender cooked belly into approximately 3 × 3 cm cubes and optionally finish with sauce in a suitable tray over indirect heat. The existing 20–30 minutes is only a guide; check sauce and texture. Do not add half an hour directly over coals.
More pork inspiration
Ready to start?
Choose a rub you enjoy and plan around doneness and texture rather than a guaranteed finish time.