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Braised Pork Belly in Soy Sauce (Tau Yew Bak) is such a comforting, flavorful dish. The tender pork belly simmers in a rich, savory soy sauce broth, giving it that deep, complex taste that makes it so addictive. This braised pork belly recipe is perfect for anyone craving a delicious, home-cooked meal packed with authentic flavors!
Tau Yew Bak (Braised Pork)
Tau Yew Bak, or “soy sauce pork” in the Hokkien dialect, is a cherished recipe in my family, passed down from my late mother. This slow-cooked braised pork belly is simmered in a rich soy sauce broth, and it’s often served with extras like firm tofu (tau kua), hard-boiled eggs, and sometimes potatoes or mushrooms.
For me, it’s more than just a dish—it’s full of memories. It takes me back to shared family meals and the warm moments with my parents and siblings. Just the thought of tau yew bak makes my mouth water. The tender pork belly, soaked in that savory soy sauce gravy, is incredibly satisfying. Pair it with steamed rice and a side of Sambal Belacan, and you’ve got an experience that’s absolutely lip-smacking.
Don’t forget to check out my video guide and tips below to make sure you get the perfect braised pork belly in soy sauce every time!
The Best Braised Pork Belly Recipe
I added some cracked whole white peppercorns, the secret ingredient that really amps up the flavor of this dish.
This is seriously one of the best pork belly recipes I’ve ever tasted. If you love pork, you should also check out these other belly of pork recipes: crispy Chinese Roast Pork, Air Fryer Pork Belly (Siu Yuk), Chinese BBQ Pork, and Braised Pork Belly (Dongpo Rou).
I really hope you get to experience the wonderful tastes from my childhood, where pork was always the star of the table.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pork belly – Look for pork belly with a good amount of fat evenly distributed throughout the meat. This helps ensure tenderness and adds a ton of flavor while it cooks.
- Fried tofu – This is firm tofu, cut and deep-fried. You can make your own fried tofu pieces or buy them pre-deep-fried and packaged.
- Soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and sweet soy sauce – These three are the key ingredients that make up the rich soy sauce mixture that braises the pork.
- White peppercorn – This is the secret ingredient that adds a peppery kick and a bit of heat to the dish. It also helps to cut through any “porky” smell, giving the final dish a much more pleasant aroma and flavor.
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full details on each ingredient.
How To Make Braised Pork Belly In Soy Sauce
Grab a pot (or even better, a big clay pot if you have one) and add in about 4 cups of water. Get it boiling, then toss in the garlic, pork belly, and cracked peppercorns.
Once the pork belly’s boiling, go ahead and add in the hard-boiled eggs, fried tofu, and all those soy sauces—soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, and dark soy sauce. Let everything simmer together and soak up those flavors!
Now, turn the heat down to medium and let the pork braise for about 30 minutes, or until it’s nice and tender. Taste and add a bit of salt if needed. Then, keep it simmering on the lowest heat for another 15-20 minutes to let all those flavors really come together. Once it’s done, dish it out and serve it hot with some steamed white rice. Enjoy!
Secrets To Perfect Braised Pork Belly
- I always make sure to pick pork belly with a good mix of fat and meat, aiming for about a 50/50 ratio. The fat should be evenly spread, so as it melts down while cooking, it gives the pork that tender, juicy texture we all crave.
- Don’t use pre-ground pepper for this dish—crack the white peppercorns yourself! This releases all those fragrant oils and gives the dish that lovely peppery kick. Plus, it helps cut down on any strong porky odors, which is a bonus!
- If you’ve got a clay pot, definitely use it! It helps distribute heat evenly, so the pork cooks up nice and tender. But if you don’t have one, don’t worry—a heavy-bottomed pot works just as well.
- Don’t skip the sweet soy sauce. It adds a rich depth of flavor and balances out the saltiness from the dark soy sauce. This is what gives the dish its signature richness!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, braised pork belly can be made ahead of time and reheated before serving. In fact, the flavors usually improve and become better after sitting overnight in the refrigerator. Simply reheat the braised pork belly on the stovetop before serving
You can make this dish into a meat-free recipe by skipping the pork belly and adding more fried firm tofu, or firm tofu (without frying), as well as soy-based foods such as fu chuk (soybean sticks and sheets). You can also add potatoes (cut into pieces), dried mushrooms, and hard-boiled eggs. Enjoy!
Yes! Bring everything to a boil on the stovetop, then transfer to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6–8 hours or high for 3–4 hours until the pork belly is tender. Add the eggs and tofu in the last 1–2 hours so they don’t get too soft. If cooking on low heat on the stovetop, let it simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours, then keep it on the lowest heat for another 15–20 minutes. Use less water since slow cookers trap more moisture.
For this dish, use the high-pressure setting and cook for about 30 minutes until the pork is tender. Let the pressure release naturally for the best results.
Yes! Chicken drumettes cook much faster. Simmer for about 25–30 minutes on the stovetop or 2–3 hours on low in a slow cooker until they’re tender. Just adjust the cooking time as needed.
Yes, pork shoulder takes longer to cook than pork belly. In a slow cooker, cook on low for 8–10 hours or high for 4–5 hours until tender. On the stovetop, simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours, then cook on the lowest heat for another 15–20 minutes.
When braising pork in dishes like Tau Yu Bak, you may notice foam or scum rising to the surface of the cooking liquid. This is caused by proteins and impurities being released from the meat as it cooks. To remove the scums, use a spoon or a fine mesh skimmer to skim off the foam and scum that rises to the top, This helps to remove impurities from the cooking liquid and results in a clearer and cleaner broth.
It adds a mild peppery heat, but if you’re sensitive to spice, you can use less or skip it altogether. The dish will still be flavorful!
I wouldn’t add ginger to this dish—it’s not meant to have that flavor. If you don’t want peppercorns, you can simply skip them.
Yes! Let it cool, then store in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of water if needed. The eggs and tofu may change in texture, so it’s best to add them fresh when reheating.
The leftover sauce is full of flavor! You can use it to top noodles, drizzle over rice, or toss with vegetables.
This recipe is 611 calories per serving.
What To Serve With This Recipe
Braised pork belly is often served with steamed rice to soak up the flavorful soy sauce braising liquid. It can also be served with stir-fried vegetables for a balanced meal. Additionally, Taiwanese people love to serve braised pork belly in guabao, or Taiwanese pork belly bun. You may also serve it with steamed buns mantou.
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Braised Pork Belly in Soy Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 1 head garlic, lightly pounded with the back of a cleaver
- 1 lb (500g) pork belly, cut into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon white peppercorn, smashed and cracked
- 5 hard-boiled eggs
- 8 oz (230g) fried firm tofu , bean curd
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons sweet soy sauce , kecap manis
- 1-2 tablespoons dark soy sauce , add more for your desired color
- Salt , to taste
Instructions
- Heat up a pot, preferably a big clay pot, with 4 cups of water. Bring it to a boil, then add in the garlic, pork belly, and cracked peppercorns.
- Bring the pork belly to boil before adding the hard-boiled eggs, fried tofu, soy sauce, sweet soy sauce and dark soy sauce.
- Lower the heat to medium and braise the pork for 30 minutes or so until the pork belly is is cooked through and become tender. Add salt to taste. Continue to simmer on the lowest heat for another 15-20 minutes. Dish out and serve hot with steamed white rice.
Video
Notes
- I always make sure to pick pork belly with a good mix of fat and meat, aiming for about a 50/50 ratio. The fat should be evenly spread, so as it melts down while cooking, it gives the pork that tender, juicy texture we all crave.
- Don’t use pre-ground pepper for this dish—crack the white peppercorns yourself! This releases all those fragrant oils and gives the dish that lovely peppery kick. Plus, it helps cut down on any strong porky odors, which is a bonus!
- If you’ve got a clay pot, definitely use it! It helps distribute heat evenly, so the pork cooks up nice and tender. But if you don’t have one, don’t worry—a heavy-bottomed pot works just as well.
- Don’t skip the sweet soy sauce. It adds a rich depth of flavor and balances out the saltiness from the dark soy sauce. This is what gives the dish its signature richness!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hello, wondering if I could use a slow cooker/cook on low for this dish?
Hi Michelle. Yes, you can use the slow cooker for this recipe.
So yum!
Thanks for sharing your mom’s recipe, Bee. Have been craving flavorful tau-yew-bak for a long time & this is just awesome :)
:)
Hi again!
Came back to check on this recipe again & noticed ‘??’ on your Reply to my earlier comment. Any chance you could clarify reason for ‘??’?
Hi Lyann, there is a bug on my site after the design change. When we used a smiley emoji, it shows up as ?? now, instead of the emoji. Sorry for the confusion. I have updated the ?? to :) now.
Hi is this dish suitable for freezing?
You can freeze but you can just keep in the fridge.
Some stuff I think is worth trying to see if you can improve the taste:
-Add a cup of water once the liquid is first reduced from the simmering, and then once the liquid reduces a second time, then see if you like it better
-In the beginning of cooking, boil the pork in water until the pork scum are boiled out of the meat. Then dump the entire water and add new water and start the cooking process from there. This changes the flavor a bit, so it depends on your preference
I have followed your recipe exactly word for word.. and I love it! it’s delicious! and I love the simplicity of this recipe without having to put the Chinese 5 spice (am not so crazy about the taste).
My late grandma always make this dish and she use only pork belly and egg. We always have it with sambal belacan and rice. Unfortunately, I did not get to learn the recipe as I was so young that time but thank you for this recipe! Will try it soon. :)
hi,
1 pulp garlic means the whole garlic or just 1 clove? :)
1 head.
okay thanks. I suppose that’s make up of like 10 cloves or so. As i usually make with about 10 cloves of garlic :)
Yeah, that’s fine. I like a lot of garlic.
Thank you so much! :)
My grandma put star anise in the pot also! So delicious. One of my fav meals of my childhood.
Yes, you can put star anise but my family’s recipe doesn’t have star anise.
Hi Bee,
Tks for sharing this recipe! Can I replace the peppercorns with ginger instead? If so, how much ginger should there be? Also, I intend to replace the pork belly with chicken drummettes instead so I guess total cooking time will be much shorter am I right?
I won’t add ginger to this dish. Ginger is not supposed to be in this dish. You can skip peppercorns.
Hi Bee,
I’ve just tried out one version with peppercorns & the other with ginger & surprisingly, ginger actually tasted much better than peppercorns as it gives heat to the dish & enhances the flavour of the pork belly & sauce. In fact, my family actually prefers the ginger version than the peppercorn one so just thought of sharing with you on this :)
Hi Cheralyn, great that you like ginger, but I won’t add ginger personally. To me, ginger doesn’t belong in this dish.
Hi Bee, it’s really more of a personal taste then coz some people do not like ginger so perfectly fine to go with peppercorns. In any case, tks again for sharing! :)
Sure, this recipe is my late mother’s recipe so I wouldn’t change anything for myself. :)
As you say, taste preferences are personal. However to add more cultural context, I believe the Tau Yew Bak version with dark soya sauce, garlic and white pepper is more of a Hokkien/fujian provincial style tho maybe more popular in Malaysia and Singapore. The dishes with ginger And light soya sauce are usually more in the Cantonese Style and often called Red braised pork. Strictly speaking those are 2 different dishes much like western chili or bbq has regional variants.
Is extra firm tofu used in this dish?
Firm will be fine.
1 tablespoon of peppercorn is it spicy? Thanks.
You can cut it down if you like.
do we need to put the pot on when braising ?