Easy Lechon Kawali Recipe (Deep Fried Pork Belly)

From SoYummySoEasy.com

What Is Lechon Kawali and Why It's a Filipino Kitchen Staple

Lechon Kawali is one of the most universally loved dishes in the Filipino kitchen — a slab of pork belly that is first boiled in seasoned water until tender, then deep fried in a kawali (wok or frying pan) until the skin blisters into a gloriously crispy, golden crackling. The name is straightforward: lechon for the crispy roasted pork it resembles, and kawali for the pan it is cooked in. It is also known as lechon carajay in some parts of the Philippines. Unlike traditional whole-pig lechon which requires hours of charcoal roasting and a team of pit masters, lechon kawali is completely achievable in a home kitchen with minimal equipment and just six basic ingredients. It is budget-friendly, beginner-accessible, and endlessly versatile — served as a main dish with steamed rice, as a pulutan (drinking snack) for gatherings, or as a protein base for other dishes. Leftovers work beautifully repurposed into Pakbet, stir-fried kangkong with bagoong, or sisig. It is typically served with lechon sauce made from pork liver, or a simple toyomansi dip of soy sauce and calamansi, and often paired with atsara (pickled green papaya) on the side. When taken even further — fried longer and more extensively until every part is shatteringly crunchy — lechon kawali essentially becomes the Ilocano Bagnet, a variant of chicharon.

Tips:

• Make sure the pork belly is fully tender after boiling before moving to the frying stage — this is what ensures juicy, flavorful meat inside the crispy shell.
• Let the boiled pork cool down completely before rubbing with salt and before frying — this step helps the skin dry out and crisp up properly.
• The oil must be very hot before the pork belly goes in — cold oil will result in soft, greasy skin instead of a proper crackling.
• Deep frying will cause oil splatters — always have a pan cover nearby as a safety shield, but never cover the pan completely as trapped steam will make the splattering worse.
• Flip the pork belly during frying to ensure all sides are evenly browned and crispy.
• Let the pork rest and cool slightly before chopping — this makes for cleaner cuts and better texture.
• Serve immediately while hot for the best crackling experience.

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Recipe

Servings: 4 | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes | Calories: ~1,726 kcal per serving

Ingredients

• 1 kg pork belly (liempo)
• 2 tablespoons salt (divided)
• 2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
• 5 pieces dried bay leaves
• 1 liter water
• 3 cups cooking oil (for deep frying)

Instructions

Part 1 — Boil the Pork Belly

1. Bring water to a boil — Pour the water into a large cooking pot and bring to a full boil over high heat.
2. Add the pork and seasonings — Add the pork belly, 1 tablespoon of salt, the whole peppercorns, and the dried bay leaves. Reduce to a simmer.
3. Simmer until tender — Cook for about 30 minutes or until the pork belly is fully tender when pierced with a fork.
4. Remove and cool — Lift the pork belly out of the pot and set aside on a rack or plate to cool down for a few minutes.
5. Rub with salt — Once cooled enough to handle, rub the remaining 1 tablespoon of salt evenly all over the surface of the pork belly, including all sides and the skin.

Part 2 — Deep Fry the Pork Belly

6. Heat the oil — Pour the cooking oil into a deep pot or kawali and heat over high heat until the oil is very hot.
7. Fry the pork belly — Carefully lower the salted pork belly into the hot oil. Fry until the skin and surface turn deep golden brown and crispy. Keep a pan cover nearby in case of oil splatters — but do not cover completely.
8. Flip and fry the other side — Turn the pork belly over and fry the opposite side until equally golden and crispy.
9. Remove and rest — Lift the pork belly out of the oil and drain on a rack or paper towels. Let it cool slightly before chopping.
10. Chop and serve — Chop the lechon kawali into bite-sized portions. Serve hot with steamed rice and your choice of dipping sauce — lechon sauce, toyomansi, or vinegar with garlic.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Serving Size	~649g
Calories	1,726
Total Fat	175.8g
Cholesterol	113mg
Sodium	6,069mg
Potassium	724mg
Total Carbohydrate	4.7g
Dietary Fiber	0.3g
Total Sugars	3.2g
Protein	38.9g

Note: Sodium is high due to the full salt rub applied to the whole slab — actual intake per individual piece will be significantly lower.

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Six ingredients, one pot, one kawali, and a little patience — Lechon Kawali is the crispy pork dish every Filipino home cook should have in their repertoire!