Chinese 5 Spice Garlic Pork Belly Bites delivers tender morsel Pork Belly Bites infused with a blend of warm spices and garlicky essence in a thickened gravy served over sautéed Cabbage. Easy, simple and delicious with the use of an Instant Pot and a Skillet.

If you are looking for something healthy, this one is not for you. Just keep on scrolling. If you are looking for something a little guilt heaven, keep on reading. Pork Belly is a boneless but fatty cut from the belly of a pig. Hence the Pork Belly. Rich and savory due to the hight fat content and tends to take on the flavors you cook it with. It can be prepared with a crispy texture, braised, baked, roasted amongst others. Today, let’s talk about using the Instant Pot.

I love my Instant Pot. It is very multifunctional and using the Pressure Cooker function has cut down some of the cooking time in many of my recipes. Pork Belly roasting time varies from 45-60 minutes depending on the size of the cut. When you are short on time and not looking to wait long for dinner, having an Instant Pot provides a tender morsel in less than 25 minutes.

Chinese 5 Spice is just that. 5 Spices including Star Anise, Fennel Seeds, Peppercorns, Cinnamon & Cloves. While it is a perfect blend for my Belly Bites, each is defined on the palate bringing warmth in every bite. In addition to Garlic, Brown Sugar and Soy Sauce, the powerful presence in this recipe does not go unnoticed. Pairs well with my favorite sautéed Cabbage & Onions and its mild sweetness without the heaviness of an added starch. Check out this recipe for Chinese 5 Spice Garlic Pork Belly Bites where dinner can be on the table in no time.

Chinese 5 Spice Garlic Pork Belly Bites

Instant Pot Pork Belly infused with Chinese 5 Spice, Garlic & additional warm spices served over Sautéed Cabbage.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Instant Pot
  • Cutting Board
  • Knife
  • Bowl
  • Skillet

Ingredients
  

Protein

  • 2 lbs Pork Belly Sliced into bite size pieces.

Produce

  • 1 Head of Cabbage Small and sliced thinly.
  • 1 Yellow Onion Sliced thinly.
  • 8 Garlic Cloves Minced or leave whole.

Dairy

  • 4 Eggs (Optional) Soft Boiled

Seasonings

  • 1 tbsp Garlic Herb Seasoning No Salt
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Adobo
  • 2 tsp Chinese 5 Spice
  • 1 tsp Onion Powder
  • 2 tsp Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Condiments/Pantry

  • 2 tbsp Mushroom Soy Sauce May substitute for regular Soy Sauce.
  • 2 cups Vegetable Broth Can substitute for what you have on hand.
  • 1 tbsp Cornstarch
  • Garlic Chili Sauce (Optional)

Oil

  • Olive Oil

Instructions
 

Pork Belly Preparation

  • Place sliced Pork Belly into a Bowl. Add Garlic Herb Seasoning, 1 tbsp Adobo, 1 tsp Chinese 5 Spice, Onion Powder, 1 tsp Brown Sugar, Black Pepper & Soy Sauce. Stir to incorporate ingredients being sugar to coat the Pork Belly thoroughly. Set aside to marinade for 15 minutes.
    ***This can also be done by placing ingredients listed into a large Ziplock Bag and seal. Use your hands to mix and massage ingredients into the Pork Belly.

Instant Pot

  • Turn on the Sauté function.
  • Drizzle Olive oil into Pot to coat. Add marinaded Pork Belly into Pot and Sauté for 5 minutes or until evenly browned stirring periodically.
  • In a small bowl, add Broth and remaining Chinese 5 Spice, Brown Sugar, Garlic & Cornstarch. Whisk ingredients until incorporated.
  • Once Pork Belly is browned, turn off Instant Pot.
  • Add Broth mixture directly into Instant Pot. Stir to incorporate.
  • Place lid securely onto Instant Pot and turn on Pressure Cook function. Set for 20 minutes. Once cooking process is complete, let it release on its own.

Cabbage

  • While Pork Belly is cooking, heat Skillet on medium/high. Drizzle Olive Oil to coat.
  • Add, sliced Cabbage, Onions and remaining Adobo and begin sautéing for 7-10 minutes or until tender and caramalized being sure to stir to avoid buring. Taste to see if additional seasoning is needed. Lower cooking temperature to low stirring periodically until ready to serve.

Pork Belly

  • Once Instant Pot is done releasing pressure, turn it off and open. Give it a stir.
    *** If sauce isn't thick enough, mix 1 tbsp of Cornstarch & 2 tbsp of Water to create a slurry. Turn the Sauté function on and add slurry into the mixture and stir continuously. Once the temperature starts to rise, it will begin to thicken. Turn it off.

Serving

  • Place a generous serving of Sautéed Cabbage on plate. Top off with thePork Belly and Sauce. Place Soft Boiled Eggs on top (Optional) with a dollop of Garlic Chili Sauce (Optional) and enjoy.
Keyword Cabbage, Chinese 5 Spice, Instant Pot, Pork Belly