Air Fryer BBQ Pork Belly Burnt Ends

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Sticky, candy-edged cubes of pork belly that taste like they came off a smoker but take under 40 minutes in one air fryer basket. A brown sugar and smoked paprika rub crisps the outside while the fat renders away, then a quick toss in barbecue sauce and honey glazes everything into proper burnt ends. Eight ingredients, five steps, no second pan.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb skinless pork belly
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 1/3 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 tbsp honey

Instructions

1. Pat the pork belly very dry with paper towels and cut it into 1-inch cubes. In a bowl, toss the cubes with the brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until every piece is coated.
2. Preheat the air fryer to 380°F for 3 minutes. Pour 2 tablespoons of water into the drawer beneath the basket (this catches the rendering fat and stops it smoking), then arrange the pork in a single layer with a little space between cubes. Work in two batches if your basket is small.
3. Air fry at 380°F for 12 minutes. Pull the basket out, shake or turn the cubes with tongs, and carefully drain off the rendered fat from the drawer. Return and cook another 10 to 12 minutes, until the pork is deep golden and crisp at the edges.
4. Tip the pork into a bowl, add the barbecue sauce and honey, and toss to coat. Return the coated cubes to the basket, raise the heat to 400°F, and cook 4 minutes, until the glaze is bubbling, dark, and tacky.
5. Let the burnt ends sit in the basket for 5 minutes so the glaze sets and clings, then scrape everything into a bowl, tossing with any sticky bits from the basket, and serve hot with toothpicks.

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Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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