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chicharron-plated.webpSmoked pork belly burnt ends with puffed crispy chicharrón skin on a plate

Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends (Chicharrón Style)

Smoked pork belly burnt ends with puffed chicharrón-style crispy skin, slow smoked at 250°F and finished in the air fryer for the ultimate crispy-juicy bite.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Dry Brine Time 1 day
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American, BBQ, Mexican
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pork Belly
  • 2-3 lbs pork belly skin-on
  • Kosher salt for dry brining the skin
  • Your favorite BBQ rub for the meat side
Finish
  • 2-3 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce your favorite

Equipment

  • Smoker
  • Air fryer or oven broiler
  • Wire rack and sheet pan
  • Sharp knife or skewer
  • Silicone Brush

Method
 

  1. Day before: Pat pork belly dry. Poke holes all over the skin. Cover skin with kosher salt. Place uncovered in the fridge for 24 hours.
  2. Rinse off all salt and pat dry. Score meat side into 1/2-inch cubes (cut to skin, not through). Season meat side only with BBQ rub.
  3. Preheat smoker to 250°F. Place pork belly skin-side up. Smoke for 3 hours. At the 2-hour mark, baste skin with white vinegar.
  4. Remove from smoker. Transfer to air fryer at 450°F or oven broiler on high. Cook 5-10 minutes until skin puffs up like chicharrón. Watch closely.
  5. Flip over and brush meat side with BBQ sauce. Slice along scored lines into cubes. Serve immediately.

Notes

Dry = Puff: The drier the skin after the overnight brine, the better the chicharrón puff. Never skip the 24-hour uncovered fridge rest.
Vinegar: Tightens skin proteins for even, uniform puffing. Without it you get patchy results.
Watch the crisp: Skin goes from perfect to burnt in under 60 seconds. Stay in front of the air fryer or broiler the entire time.

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