Quick Pork Belly Fried Rice

Name: Quick Pork Belly Fried Rice
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 10 oz pork belly slices (280 g, Note 1); ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt (or Kosher); ⅛ teaspoon black pepper; 1 tablespoon honey; 2 tablespoons soy sauce (+ extra if needed); 1 tablespoon fish sauce; 1 teaspoon sesame oil; ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper ( more to taste); ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper; 2 eggs (large); 1 garlic clove; 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (Note 2); ½ onion (about 2 oz/ 60 g); ½ cup carrots (diced, about 2 oz/ 60 g); ½ cup green bell pepper (chopped, about 2 oz/ 60 g); 2 green onions; 3 cups cooked rice ( day-old, about 430 g Note 3); the green parts from the green onions; 1 teaspoon sesame seeds (toasted )

This is an easy recipe for pork belly fried rice made with crispy pork belly pieces, eggs, and crunchy vegetables – ready in about 20 minutes.

Jump to Recipe

plate full of fried rice topped with eggs and green onions.

Turn leftover rice into a complete meal and make some pork belly fried rice tonight. And if you like fried rice, you could also try our Quick Ketchup Fried Rice, the Simple Tuna Fried Rice, or Fried Rice with Spam and Eggs.

Forget the take-out and make pork fried rice with eggs and veggies coated in a spicy sauce in less than 20 minutes. A perfect lunch or dinner for any day of the week: fast, easy, budget-friendly, and so delicious.

Contents

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Recipe ingredients

listed ingredients for making fried rice with pork, vegetables and sauce.

Pork belly slices, about 10 oz (280 g). The pork belly comes from the animal’s underside and consists of layers of meat and fat. Choose pieces that have as much meat as possible. Remove the skin before chopping and searing the meat.

Day-old rice. You can cook the rice one day ahead or use leftover rice.
- Basmati or Jasmine rice are perfect for this recipe. Alternatively, use brown rice or a mix of Basmati and wild rice; they are nuttier and chewier and will change the character of the recipe a little bit, but I think you will like it; I know we do.

Eggs: Two large eggs.
Vegetables: Carrots, green bell pepper (any other color is fine), onions, and the white parts of green onions.
Ingredients for the sauce: Sesame oil, honey, soy sauce, and fish sauce.
Spices: Garlic, ginger, cayenne pepper, fine sea salt or Kosher salt, and ground black pepper.
For the garnish: The green parts of the green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

How to make fried rice with pork belly?

Prepare ingredients: Remove the skin and cut the pork belly slices into pieces. Season them with salt and pepper. Set aside (1).

uncooked, chopped pork belly on a white plate.

Clean and chop the vegetables and set them aside. Keep about ½ of the green parts of the green onions separated from the rest; you will need them for the garnish.
Grate garlic and ginger and set them aside.
Mix the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl.

Cook pork: Fry the meat cubes in the hot wok or skillet on medium-high heat, shaking the pan often until they are crispy and cooked (2). Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon.
If too much fat is in the pan, pour away most of it, leaving only about one tablespoon in the pan.

Cook eggs: Whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Add them to the hot pan and cook them on low heat until cooked yet still slightly wet (don’t overcook them, or they will be dry). Transfer them to a plate (3).

Cook vegetables: Heat another tablespoon of pork fat or vegetable oil in the pan. Cook the onions, carrots, peppers, the white parts of the green onions, and ½ of their green parts for about 2 minutes (4).
Add garlic and ginger and stir for another minute.

cooking diced carrots, peppers and onion in a large pan.

Add the rice and the sauce. Stir well to break the lumps in the rice, and mix it thoroughly with the sauce. Stir fry it for 3-4 minutes or until hot. Taste and add 1-2 tablespoons extra soy sauce if necessary (5).

frying rice and vegetables with soy sauce in a large pan.

Stir in the pork belly pieces and the chopped eggs (6).
Garnish with green onions and toasted sesame seeds, and serve immediately.

adding eggs and pork pieces to fried rice in the pan.

Expert Tips

Fat: The pork belly bites will leave quite a lot of fat in the pan. Remove it before proceeding with the recipe. You can discard or keep it in a bowl and use some to fry the rice later in the recipe.

Use day-old rice, freshly cooked grains will turn soggy during frying. Only chilled rice will have the chewy texture that fried rice should have.

Prepare all the vegetables before you start cooking. Once the cooking begins, you will not have the time to chop things in between.
Don’t overcook the veggies; they are better when they are slightly crunchy.

Additions or substitutions

Use other vegetables: peppers of any color, broccoli or cauliflower florets, frozen pea, sugar snap peas, green beans, zucchini, and so on. I even cooked the dish with pumpkin pieces, and I liked it.
Serve the pork belly fried rice with a fried egg on top instead of making scrambled eggs.
Use other cuts of pork, like pork tenderloin or pork neck. Adjust the cooking time accordingly. See the Recipe FAQ if you want to use bacon instead of pork belly.
Make fried rice with chicken, turkey, or any meat leftovers.
Use these Quick Pork Belly Bites or Marinated Pork Belly (chopped) to make today’s recipe.

close up of fried rice with pork, eggs and vegetables.

Recipe FAQ

Should you boil pork belly before cooking?

Usually not; it depends on the recipe. The pork belly pieces needed for today’s recipe don’t have to be boiled.

How long does it take to pan-fry pork belly?

It only takes about 5 minutes to cook the belly pieces.

Can I use bacon instead of pork belly?

You can; the dish will be slightly different but still delicious. Pork belly is more or less the same cut as bacon, but unlike bacon, it is uncured. If you use thick chopped pieces, cook them in the pan for 4-5 minutes. If you use thin-cut bacon, crisp the slices in the pan, chop them and add them to the finished dish.

How to store?

Refrigerate the pork belly fried rice in an airtight container; it will last about 3 days.
Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge and reheat before serving.
Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

How to serve?

Serve as it is or with some extra sauce like sriracha, sweet or hot chili sauce.
Side dish ideas: Fresh salad or steamed vegetables like pak choi, spinach, kale, broccoli, peas, etc.

plate with fried rice topped with eggs and green onion on a table cloth.

More Asian-style dishes

Check out the web story for this recipe: How to make Pork Belly Fried Rice

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