What Sauce Goes With Pork Belly? ⋆ 6 Ideal Combinations ⋆

Are you frying up some pork belly? Or perhaps pan roasting the pork belly? Either option is a good one! But what sauce can you serve alongside it? Well, you’ve come to the right place. These are the best to pair with pork belly!

So what sauces go with pork belly? The best sauces for pork belly include honey and garlic, soy and ginger sauce, mustard sauce, pepper sauce, parsley sauce, or whiskey-soy sauce!

Pork belly is often used in Asian cooking, so not surprisingly, some of the pork belly sauce recipes are distinctly Asian in nature. That’s where honey and garlic, soy, and ginger sauces come in.

As pork belly is furthermore found in more traditional European and British (and, therefore, American) cuisine, you’ll also find that it is often paired with classical sauces found there too.

You guessed it; that’s where mustard, pepper, and parsley are commonly paired with pork belly.

And then you have recipes where East meets West too! Whiskey-soy, of course!

But if you don’t like the sound of those combinations, you are probably wondering – can you serve pork belly without a sauce? Technically yes, the meat is quite fatty, so it has flavor.

However, most pork belly recipes become bland if it doesn’t come with a sauce.

Especially if you’re serving it with rice or potatoes. 

Of course, if you spice the pork belly when frying or roasting it, you don’t technically need a sauce. 

Though, frankly, it’s just one of those dishes that are normally served with sauce. 

Now, let’s deep dive into these different and recommended sauces and how to make them!

Best Sauces For Pork Belly (Pork Belly Sauce Options)

• Honey and garlic sauce–sweet and distinctly garlicky with a nice touch of roasted sesame seeds
• Sweet soy and ginger sauce–if you want a sweet Asian sauce but prefer ginger to garlic, this is an excellent option
• Mustard sauce–a nice mustard sauce rarely goes wrong! This one calls for bacon, too, which can only add to the taste profile
• Pepper sauce–another classic sauce
• Whisky-soy sauce–a distinctly Asian sauce with a Western touch 
• Parsley sauce–a very mild and creamy 

Pork Belly With Honey Garlic Sauce

This recipe is suitable for pork belly that has been cubed and fried so that it’s nice and crispy. 

The sauce calls for a lot of garlic, so bear in mind you might not smell great afterward! 

If you want to lessen the sting (and stink), you can boil the garlic before using it, but it will change the flavor profile. 

Ingredients

• ¼ Cup honey
• 3 Tbsp tamari sauce or soy sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
• 2 Green onions, chopped
• Salt, to taste

Method

Step One: Mince the garlic and chop the green onions. 

Step Two: Put the honey, garlic, and tamari sauce in a pan (preferably the one you friend the pork in so that the juices are still there–you can remove the excess fat). 

Step Three: Turn the heat up fairly high and wait for the sauce to boil, then turn it down and cook for one minute–stir continuously. 

Step Four: Remove the sauce from the heat. Add in one tablespoon of sesame seeds and the fried pork, if you like. Then sprinkle with the green onion and the remaining sesame seeds before serving. Alternatively, plate the fried pork belly and spook over the sauce, then sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds and green onion.   

Pork Belly With Sweet Soy and Ginger Sauce

This sweet soy and ginger sauce is distinctly Asian and absolutely delicious! Perfect if you like a sweet and sticky sauce. 

Great when you are serving crispy fried pork belly. Note that the sauce does pack a punch if you use a nice, spicy piece of ginger.

If you’re serving it to someone who is sensitive to hot sauces, leave it on the side. If it’s someone who wants more heat, just add some red pepper flakes!

Ingredients

• ¾ Cup (185 ml) Kikkoman Sweet Soy Sauce 
• ¼ Cup (60 ml) rice vinegar 
• 3 Star anise 
• 2 Tsp Chinese Five Spice powder 
• 4 Cm piece fresh ginger, finely grated 

Method

Step One: Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. 

Step Two: Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, reduce the heat and let the sauce gently simmer for about 10 minutes. At this point, the sauce should start to thicken. 

Step Three: Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. 

Step Four: Server the sweet soy and ginger sauce with the pork belly–either to the side or drizzled over the pork. 

Pork Belly With Mustard Sauce 

A traditional mustard sauce that is extremely creamy and has a bit of a smokey flavor thanks to the bacon. 

It also calls for garlic, giving it a nice flavor profile. 

Ingredients

• 100 g streaky bacon
• 2 onions 
• 4 cloves garlic 
• 50 ml red wine vinegar
• 100 ml white wine 
• 500 ml chicken stock
• 1 l cream
• 100 g Dijon mustard 

Method

Step One: Roughly chop the bacon. Chop the onions and mince or chop the garlic.  

Step Two: Pour a little bit of oil into a saucepan and heat. Add the bacon. 

Step Three: Cook the bacon until it starts to get crisp. 

Step Four: Add the garlic and onions and cook till they turn golden. 

Step Five: Deglaze the pan using the vinegar. 

Step Six: Add the wine and cook till it has almost completely evaporated. 

Step Seven: Add the chicken stock and cook till it has been reduced by half. 

Step Eight: Stir in the cream and cook until the sauce reaches the desired consistency. 

Step Nine: Remove from heat and season to taste. 

Step Ten: Strain the sauce. 

Step Eleven: Stir in the mustard and serve. 

Pork Belly With Pepper Sauce

Another classic sauce is pepper sauce. Great when serving sliced pork belly with potatoes. 

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 Tbsp brandy (optional)
• 1 cup cream
• ¼ Cup beef stock
• 2 Tbsp green peppercorns in brine, drained
• ½ Tsp mixed peppercorns, ground

Method

Step One: Heat the butter and the garlic in a pan–the garlic should become fragrant (it takes about one minute once it reaches a higher temperature). 

Step Two: Add the brandy and cook for one minute, then flambée the brandy (set it on fire using a long match or long lighter, tilting the pan away from you so that the flames don’t lick you–let it burn out on its own). 

Step Three: Add the rest of the ingredients and let simmer for five minutes. 

Step Four: Plate the pork belly and vegetables and drizzle the sauce on top, or serve on the side. 

Pork Belly With Whisky-Soy Sauce

East meets West in this sauce. While the main bulk of ingredients belongs to a traditional Asian sauce, the addition of whisky gives it a distinct Scottish vibe or perhaps makes it something that would be served in a saloon in the American West! 

It’s certainly an interesting–and exciting–combination of ingredients. 

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoon orange juice
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon whisky
• 1 tablespoon honey

Method

Step One: Put together all the ingredients in a pot and heat. Let simmer for about ten minutes–it should thicken and start to reduce. 

Step Two: Plate the pork belly and drizzle the sauce on top, or serve on the side. 

Pork Belly With Parsley Sauce

This is a very mild sauce and pairs well with a traditional pan-roasted pork belly recipe. Add some veggies on the side for a more flavorful meal. 

Ingredients

• 60 g parsley
• 40 g unsalted butter 
• 40 g flour 
• 500 ml whole milk 
• 100 ml heavy cream 
• salt 
• pepper

Method

Step One: Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat.

Step Two: Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour. It should create a smooth paste–a roux. 

Step Three: Whisk in the milk little by little. 

Step Four: Whisk in the cream and let the sauce thicken. 

Step Five: Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the parsley and stir. 

Step Six: Plate the pork belly and serve with the sauce on the side or drizzled on top. 

The Side Salad

What side salad you choose depends entirely on what kind of pork belly recipe you’re serving up! 

If you’re going for something Asian, try an Asian salad that suits your palette or simply some grated carrots. 

A nice and simple salad is pineapple chunks combined with grated carrots and thinly sliced white cabbage. 

Of course, you’re one of those people who think that serving pineapple with savory foods is a crime. Then again, that particular crime usually refers to pizza…  

If you’re serving a traditional pan-roasted pork belly with a mustard or pepper sauce, go for a garden salad of some kind. 

The easiest is probably to combine some cucumber with tomato and your choice of leafy greens (lamb’s lettuce is nice and mild). 

When choosing a side salad, simply think about balancing the flavors–what flavors would add to the meal, and what flavors would distract from the meal?

It’s the same when choosing a sauce!

Finally

So, there you have it.

Six different options to try.

Now what you go for will obviously depend on your preferences and what ingredients you have available.

But do experiment here. Besides, they can really take your pork belly to the next level!

Check out my other pork-related sauce recommendations:

• Best Sauces For Pork Chops
• Best Sauces For Pulled Pork