Ryan's Recipe Journal
← Back to the journal

Updated May 9, 2026

Lechon Kawali (Chicharrón)

Lechon Kawali is a Filipino pork belly dish that’s traditionally deep fried to perfection. You will find different version of this in many countries like China, Vietnam an LatAm countries. A few notes: Cutting slits (or scoring) pork belly

Watch it cooked

Lechon Kawali is a Filipino pork belly dish that’s traditionally deep fried to perfection. You will find different version of this in many countries like China, Vietnam an LatAm countries. A few notes:

Cutting slits (or scoring) pork belly helps marinades penetrate deeply, allows excess fat to render, and is the secret to achieving perfectly crispy crackling

Simmering the pork belly is the key factor to a tender and juicy pork belly.

Moisture is the ultimate enemy of crispy pork crackling. Baking the pork belly at a very low temperature is the key to drying the skin ensures the perfect, bubbly crunch.

Method

  1. 1.
    Prepare the pork belly slab by cutting slits at the meat side of the pork belly.
  2. 2.
    Rub seasonings at the bottom of the pork belly (salt and garlic powder).
  3. 3.
    Simmer the pork belly for 2-3 hours. Add the whole pepper corns, bayleaves and soy sauce (you can also just use salt here).
  4. 4.
    Let the pork belly rest and dry for about 30 mins to an hour.
  5. 5.
    Bake the pork belly for 3-4 hours. This is the most critical part — you will have to make some judgement. The key is to get the skin to a point where it’s not rubber/leathery anymore but still flexible.
  6. 6.
    After baking, let the pork belly rest again for 30 minutes.
  7. 7.
    Heat oil until it reaches 270C.
  8. 8.
    Pour the hot oil over the skin of the pork belly — watch the magic happen