How to Make Roast Porchetta Recipe with Crispy Skin (2024)

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You don't have to be Italian to love the taste of tender, juicy porchetta. It's um-um-good and a dish that seldom has leftovers very long, since it's just as good cold as it is freshly cooked.

How to Make Roast Porchetta Recipe with Crispy Skin (1)

You make porchetta from pork belly and if you've cooked it properly, it will have delectably crisp skin but be so tender it almost melts in your mouth.

How to Make Roast Porchetta Recipe with Crispy Skin (2)

I hadn't cooked or even tasted it before a friend emailed me a recipe. Not being much of a pork roast fan, I was reluctant to make it. Instead, I put it in my recipe file in my email and forgot it.

It wasn't until that same friend invited me to dinner and served porchetta, did I realize that the recipe was almost worth its weight in gold. OMG! It was so good, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

How to Make Roast Porchetta Recipe with Crispy Skin (3)

There's nothing difficult about making porchetta, but it is time-consuming, curing time, no preparation time. First, you must start with a whole pork belly that has the skin still on it, then rub salt into the meat and rub the skin with baking soda.

Put the meat in the fridge to allow the salt to work it's magic overnight. The rest of the process is relatively easy. You take the meat out, score it with a razor making lines that create small squares on the back, and expose the fat.

How to Make Roast Porchetta Recipe with Crispy Skin (4)

Lay the fat, scored side down, and add the layer of seasoning/stuffing on the top of the meat. The stuffing consists of garlic, fennel seed, rosemary, and lemon zest. You roll the meat as you might a bedroll and tie it neatly with string.

How to Make Roast Porchetta Recipe with Crispy Skin (5)

You may need to cut it to fit into the oven. Roast the roll or rolls at 400 degrees and you'll end up with the perfect porchetta that really only took fifteen minutes of preparation and a little forethought.

It's not really quick, but it doesn't take much effort and that's a huge selling factor for me. Once you taste it, you probably would make it even if it took all day. I know I would. Yummers, it's so good!

How to Make Roast Porchetta Recipe with Crispy Skin (6)
How to Make Roast Porchetta Recipe with Crispy Skin (7)
How to Make Roast Porchetta Recipe with Crispy Skin (8)

Get these ingredients

  • 5 to 6 lbs pork belly with the skin on or you can order half a belly

Rub:

  • 4 cloves of garlic sliced thinly
  • 3 tablespoon rosemary chopped
  • 2 tablespoon coarsely ground fennel seeds
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 or 2 tablespoon salt

Step by step instructions

  • First, you must start with a whole pork belly that has the skin still on it, then season the meat side liberally with salt.
  • Flip it over and rub some baking soda evenly into the skin.
    Put the meat in the fridge with the skin side facing up, uncovered to allow the salt to work it’s magic overnight.
  • Heat the oven to 400°F. Take the pork belly out from the fridge and lightly pat the skin with a paper towel to dry it.
  • Make sure to totally wipe off the remaining baking soda residue from the pork's skin.
  • Using a razor blade, carefully score the skin to expose the fat, without piercing it. Score in diagonal lines 2 inches apart. Then score in the opposite direction, also 2 inches apart, to create an even diamond pattern in the skin.
  • Flip the belly over so the skin side is down. Evenly scatter the garlic slices over the meat.
  • Follow with the chopped rosemary, coarsely ground fennel seed, and lemon zest.
  • Roll up the belly and tie it together at 3-inch intervals using butcher's twine, making sure the twine is snug but not too tight.
  • If your pork belly doesn't fit in a standard oven, you can cut it in half to make 2 roasts.
  • Place the pork belly on a pair of wire racks and roast for about 40 minutes.
  • After that, reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and roast undisturbed for 3 hours.
  • Check it's tenderness by using a long thin knife or long wooden skewer to probe the meat — it should be very pliant but not falling apart.
  • Raise the oven temperature to 500°F and roast until the skin is evenly blistered and crispy, about 5-7 minutes (make sure to keep an eye all the time as the skin easily gets burned while blasting)
  • Remove the porchettas and let them cool for 30 minutes. Slice as thick as you like.
  • If you’re making sandwiches, 1 ½ inches is about right and serve.

Full Recipe

Roast Porchetta Recipe with Crispy Skin

3.46 from 57 votes

Pin Recipe

Porchetta Recipe - An Italian roast pork that is meltingly tender, with an almost startlingly crispy skin.

Servings: 8

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 4 hours hours

Ingredients:

Main Ingredient:

  • 5 to 6 lbs pork belly (or with skin on )

Rub:

  • 4 cloves garlic (sliced thinly)
  • 3 tablespoon rosemary chopped
  • 2 tablespoon ground fennel seeds
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 or 2 tablespoon salt

Instructions:

  • First, you must start with a whole pork belly that has the skin still on it, then season the meat side liberally with salt.

  • Flip it over and rub some baking soda evenly into the skin.

  • Put the meat in the fridge with the skin side facing up, uncovered to allow the salt to work it’s magic overnight.

  • Heat the oven to 400°F.

  • Take the pork belly out from the fridge and lightly pat the skin with a paper towel to dry it.

  • Make sure to totally wipe off the remaining baking soda residue from the pork's skin.

  • Using a razor blade, carefully score the skin to expose the fat, without piercing it. Score in diagonal lines 2 inches apart. Then score in the opposite direction, also 2 inches apart, to create an even diamond pattern in the skin.

  • Flip the belly over so the skin side is down. Evenly scatter the garlic slices over the meat.

  • Follow with the chopped rosemary, coarsely ground fennel seed, and lemon zest.

  • Roll up the belly and tie it together at 3-inch intervals using butcher's twine, making sure the twine is snug but not too tight.

  • If your pork belly doesn't fit in a standard oven, you can cut it in half to make 2 roasts.

  • Place the pork belly on a pair of wire racks and roast for about 40 minutes.

  • After that, reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and roast undisturbed for 3 hours.

  • Check it's tenderness by using a long thin knife or long wooden skewer to probe the meat — it should be very pliant but not falling apart.

  • Raise the oven temperature to 500°F and roast until the skin is evenly blistered and crispy, about 5-7 minutes (make sure to keep an eye all the time as the skin easily gets burned while blasting)

  • Remove the porchettas and let them cool for 30 minutes. Slice as thick as you like

  • If you’re making sandwiches, 1 ½ inches is about right and serve.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 1475kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 150g | Saturated Fat: 55g | Cholesterol: 204mg | Sodium: 92mg | Potassium: 542mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 67IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg

Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.

Did you make this?I would love seeing what you've made! Tag me on Instagram @theforkbitedotcom or leave me a comment or rating below.

Course: dinner

Cuisine: Asian, Italian

Keywords: porchetta, roasted pork porchetta

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kmac153 says

    What would you suggest serving with this

  2. Tamara from Arizona says

    I was courageous enough to re-create this Porchetta the first time for my friends' gathering and it was a huge hit!! Simply delicious, I have made this recipe several times since.

  3. Allison Trey says

    I followed the recipe to a T and didn't need any tweaking at all..and it was a huge hit! My husband who is a chef said it was amazing... and I agree with him. Highly recommended. Thank you for sharing.

  4. Connie Rolland says

    I haven't done a roast before that's why I was nervous to recreate this dish, but it held its integrity and sliced beautifully. I so love this recipe and thank you for posting 🙂 Pinned!!

  5. Bernice Ayers says

    The flavors of this dish is amazing!! I'm actually a noob cook but I followed your recipe to a T and it turned out super delicious, I can't wait to make this recipe again, I believe this is the best dishes I've made so far 🙂

  6. Jacquelyne Wyne says

    you have a fantastic blog right here! would you prefer to make some invite posts on my blog?

  7. London Mumma says

    In all honesty, I am not a pork fan, but this does look delicious. A perfect Sunday dinner dish.

  8. Margarette Puno says

    Oh this looks so delicious! It's a perfect family dinner. I will try this recipe soon.

  9. Aditi says

    This looks like a great recipe for meat lovers since I'm a vegetarian since birth I'm sad I won't be trying it anytime in my kitchen. I'll share it with my friends who love to eat and cook meat.

  10. Sondra Barker says

    I've never heard of prochetta before this post, but I was practically drooling over my computer while scrolling through your pictures. Pork is perfect when it has nice, crispy skin, but so hard to not dry out!

  11. sabrina barbante says

    I know the preparation is not easy at all but you are a great help for those who want to try!

  12. Ana De- Jesus says

    Haha I was about to be stupid and ask what porchetta was but it makes sense it is from the pig belly. My friend would love eating this!

  13. Familyearthtrek says

    Wow this is something to make when I want to impress my friends and family! And I would never thought of making a hamburger out of it! Look so good...now my mouth is watering to! I will pin it!

  14. StressedMum says

    This sounds amazing, we love pork and it is only in the last year or so I have discovered the easiest way to get a perfect roast pork and crackling. I am going to have to try this next time x

How to Make Roast Porchetta Recipe with Crispy Skin (2024)

FAQs

How to make roast pig skin crispy? ›

KEY STEPS: Use pork shoulder, dry skin, no need to score (but if it's already scored, that's ok), salt the skin evenly, slow roast low uncovered, keep the skin surface level using foil balls, and blast it for crispy skin!

What temperature do you cook porchetta in the oven? ›

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Place fat-side up on a wire rack in a roasting pan. Roast for one hour, until the fat is crisp. Reduce heat down to 325º F (160°C) and cook until the internal temperature reaches 168° F (75°C), about 60 to 80 minutes longer; test in several spots to be sure of your measurement.

Do you cook porchetta on high heat first or last? ›

Traditionally roasted over wood for 8 hours, this joint can either be started at a high heat or finished on a high heat. The time for a smaller Swaledale Porchetta, from native breed pigs, will require 2-3 hours of cooking time, and we recommend starting low and finishing high.

Why is my porchetta not crispy? ›

Insufficient heat will make it hard for the skin to get really crisp. Make sure to take the pork out of the fridge 30 minutes before you cook it so that the meat reaches room temperature.

How do I keep pork crackling crisp? ›

After degreasing your crackling using a paper towel, place the cracklings in an airtight container. You can also settle for a food-storage bag that can be sealed and not permeable to air. It's best to avoid paper bags as they'd soil up in the fridge or freezer and ruin your pork crackling.

What makes pig skin crispy? ›

High heat. The skin will become crispy and puffy not when the pork is roasting, but when exposed to a sudden burst of high heat. In Thailand, this is done by deep frying, but we can also achieve the same result by broiling, or even roasting at very high heat.

Does pouring boiling water on pork make better crackling? ›

Pour a cup or more of boiling water over the skin. This will shrink the rind, allowing the incisions to open and enabling the heat, salt, and oil to penetrate deeper. Try to only pour the boiling water over the rind and not over any exposed meat on the roast, as this will dry the pork out.

Why is my pork skin hard when roasting? ›

If the heat is too high, the skin will get rock hard, along with the meat. That's why we use medium heat when we fry. And don't forget to dry the pork as much as possible first. The drier it is, the crispier the skin.

What is the difference between porchetta and Porketta? ›

In the Upper Midwest porchetta, more often spelled "porketta", was also introduced by Italian immigrants to the iron ranges of Minnesota and Michigan. Porketta remains a popular local dish in towns such as Hibbing, Minnesota, with distributors such as Fraboni Sausage.

What temperature is Porketta done? ›

Bake in the preheated oven until pork is slightly pink in the center, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).

What cut of meat is porchetta? ›

Cuts for Traditional Porchetta: Belly and Loin

By then carefully rolling the two together, you end up with a single perfectly cylindrical roast with the fatty belly surrounding the lean loin, all covered in a layer of skin.

What sides do you serve with porchetta? ›

The best side dishes to serve with porchetta are roasted potatoes, grilled vegetables, polenta, mashed sweet potatoes, crispy green beans, stuffed shells, Caprese salad, blistered tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, risotto, glazed carrots, garlic bread and caramelized onions.

How many pounds of porchetta per person? ›

How much porchetta to serve per person? Most of the time you'll want to buy ½ pound of uncooked meat per person. But once you start eating pork belly it's incredibly hard to stop, which is why we plan on 1 pound per person. Also, leftovers are excellent in sandwiches so it's wise to plan on making extra!

Should porchetta have crackling? ›

The term “porchetta” traditionally refers to a whole boned and roasted young pig (not to be confused with a whole roasted suckling pig, or maialino) – specifically one which has been flavoured with herbs, garlic and seasoning and cooked until the skin turns to golden crackling.

How to get good pork crackle in oven? ›

Preheat oven to 220C or 200C fan-forced. Place crackling rind-side up onto a rack over a shallow baking dish. Roast for 40 to 50 minutes, or until small bubbles form on surface and rind is golden and crisp. Cool for 5 minutes, then slice & enjoy!

What do you rub on pork crackling? ›

Use a salt rub to season your pork skin. If you omit salt here, the pork will not crackle the same way. The salt reacts with the fat. Crunchy Pork Crackling Rub has the right balance of salt flakes and umami as well as citrus-rich spices and herbs for good crackling and great taste.

What is porchetta crackling? ›

Porchetta is rolled, spiced pork with crackling that, put simply, just makes you happy, says Maria Pasquale, author of the I Heart Rome blog and book. It takes four hours of cooking to achieve this tender, rich meat and it's worth every minute.

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