Spicy Maple Keto Pork Belly Bites

by KetoFocus.com

A keto pork belly recipe that is an absolute crowd pleaser!

4.8 Stars (6 Reviews) 8 Comments

Keto pork belly bites are dusted with a spicy seasoning, tossed in the air fryer to get juicy and crispy then coated with a sweet sugar-free maple syrup for the ultimate crowd-favorite low carb appetizer.

These keto pork belly bites will disappear quickly if you serve them at your next tailgating event, holiday party or family gathering. They are the perfect balance of spice with sweet and fat from the juicy flavorful pork belly and wonderful treat on the keto diet.

The air fryer allow for crispy pork belly on the outside, but juicy meat on the inside.

Serve these bite sized keto appetizers alone or with your other low carb favorites!

juicy pork belly bites

What is pork belly?

Pork belly is a cut from the underside or ‘belly’ of a pig.

It is a boneless cut of pork that is served fresh and not cured or smoked. It is succulent and is rich in flavor thanks to all the fat.

Some pork belly cuts include the skin which can crisp more than the meatier part of the pork belly.

keto appetizers on a table with some small plates

Keto Pork Belly Bites Recipe Video

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Crispy Pork Belly Ingredients

  • 1 pound pork belly, rinsed and patted dry
  • 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 - 4 tablespoons sugar free maple syrup

Spicy Maple Keto Pork Belly Bites Directions

  • Spicy Maple Keto Pork Belly Bites
  • Where can you buy pork belly?

    Sourcing different food and meat ingredients to complete your latest keto recipe can be interesting.

    Finding a place pork belly is sold takes some creativity.

    Costco

    First off, we have found pork belly at Costco. We have found that Costco is an excellent source for harder to find, yet also higher quality cuts of meats.

    Local meat shops

    Do a search for local meat shops and give them call to see if they have pork belly in stock. Some carry it, while others might have to order it in.

    Local grocery stores

    Similar to the local meat shops, we have see chain grocery stores carry pork belly. Many times, this pork belly has been prepared with seasoning, but not always. If you don’t see it in the meat case, ask behind the counter. There are also times that some stores can order it in for you.

    Online meat shops

    There are numerous places online that sell pork belly. Doing a search for “order pork belly online” will give you numerous options. We have had great success ordering from Snake River Farms but I should be clear, that SRF sells a premium pork that is 5 – 7x the cost of sourcing locally. With that said, they are amazing high quality cuts.

    What's the difference between pork belly and bacon?

    Pork belly and bacon both come from the same region of the hog.

    In fact, bacon comes from pork belly, but pork belly is not bacon. The main difference between pork belly and bacon is that bacon is smoked or cured while pork belly is uncured and not smoked – it is fresh.

    cutting up pork belly with a knife

    Spicy seasoning

    To achieve the spicy flavor of this rich pork belly dish, we use 6 spices:

    • chili powder
    • paprika
    • cayenne pepper
    • black pepper
    • salt
    • garlic powder

    If you wish to increase the level of heat, just add more chili powder or cayenne pepper.

    Sugar free maple syrup

    To offset the spicy flavor, we toss our final cooked keto pork belly bites in a couple tablespoons of sugar-free maple syrup.

    There are lots of keto approved maple syrups available to purchase. You may also find some at your grocery store. Here are some of my favorites.

    Alternative coatings or additions could be:

    mixing the pork belly in the seasoning

    How to cook pork bell in the air fryer?

    For the most crispy pork belly bites, I recommend frying these keto appetizers in the air fryer.

    The benefit of using an air fryer is that it keeps your pork bites juicy in the inside but gets they crispy on the outside. Plus they don’t take as long to cook and clean up is easier too.

    inserting pork belly into the air fryer

    How to cook pork belly strips & chunks in the oven?

    If you don’t own an air fryer, you can bake these keto pork belly bites in the oven!

    I recommend placing your pork belly chunks on top of a wire rack that sits on top of a baking tray. This will allow the fat to drop down as the pork belly bakes and allows for air to reach underneath the bites for even cooking.

    Make sure you line your baking tray with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Then bake in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Of course, you may need to adjust the cooking time depending on the thickness of your pork belly.

    Nutritional information & Macros

    Nutrition Information

    Spicy Maple Keto Pork Belly Bites

    Servings: 8

    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 303
    Fat 30.1g
    Protein 5.2g
    Total Carbs 4g
    Net Carbs 0.4g

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    8 Comments

    1. I am new to Keto and found your website. I watched several videos and really like the recipes. I’m looking for recipes that will work for the whole family, not just me. Time is of the essence when trying to juggle work and family. I don’t want to spend a lot of time preparing two different meals. Do you have a 30 day menu available that includes main courses as well as snacks for each day to follow?

      1. Hi Sheryl! That is something that I plan to create in the future. As a working mom, I get where you are coming from and I’m right there with ya on trying to find easy keto recipes to make that the whole family will enjoy.

    2. I made this tonight and it was really delicious. I actually liked it better without the syrup. Will definitely make this again.

      1. Yes it is. Sometimes the sugar-free maple syrup can increase blood sugar in some people so maybe dust with sugar-free brown sugar sweetener like Brown Swerve instead.

    3. Do you know if this is the same thing as pork burnt ends? I had them recently (not keto) at a restaurant. I had them leave the sauce off to make it better. Anyway, that would be amazing to make my own (assuming I can find the meat). The internet said burnt ends are made from belly cut.

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