Slow Cooker Lechon made easy in the crockpot! Moist and juicy on the inside and golden and crunchy on the outside, it’s easy and convenient weeknight dinner or party dish everyone will love!
Lechon kawali is my favorite comfort food ever, just the sight of these crunchy morsels is enough to make my Filipina heart go pitter patter!
But as much as I love this Pinoy delicacy with all my foodie heart, I don’t make it at home as often as I’d like. The simmering, the cooling, the deep-frying, who has time for that? And don’t get me started about all that hot oil splattering all over the kitchen!
Now, I have found lechon sa hurno as a better alternative but even that comes with an inconvenience. Who wants to tie up the oven for five long hours? The last thing I want especially in the horrendous heat of hot summer months is to have my oven humming all day long to roast one lonely slab of meat.
So how to satisfy cravings for crispy pork without a whole lot of work? Slow cooker lechon is your newfound answer!
What inspired this recipe technique? One of G’s favorite foods is Mexican carnitas, a deep-fried slab of pork butt much like our lechon kawali. Instead of deep-frying the meat in a vat of sizzling lard, I like to cook it in the crockpot until tender and then finish it off in the oven on high heat until beautifully golden and crisp.
I was prepping one the other day when it got me thinking this might work on lechon as well and work it did! Just look at that gorgeous crackled skin below!
Trust me, my peeps, it can’t get easier than making lechon kawali in the slow cooker. All you do is generously season the meat, place it in the crockpot with NO liquids added, and allow it to cook while you go about your daily chores. When tender, arrange the pork on a roasting pan (in my case, a cookie rack set over a foil-lined pan) to finish off on high heat in the oven until golden and crunchy.
Tips on How to Make Slow Cooker Lechon:
- You can use boneless belly or with ribs. Just have the butcher cut through the bones of the belly to make it easier to chop to serving pieces.
- DO NOT add liquids! Don’t panic, have faith. The pork is not going to burn or dry out, it will release its own juices as it slow cooks in the crockpot.
- A major battle in lechon making is keeping the meat tender and succulent. Make sure to cook in the slow cooker until tender but not falling apart.
- Roast the tender pork on a wire rack so it’s elevated by a few inches to allow the heat to circulate around the pork and crisp it all over.
- Let the roast pork stand for about 10 minutes before cutting to pieces so the juices will redistribute and keep the meat moist and flavorful.
Enjoy crispy lechon this Christmas season! Golden and crunchy on the outside yet moist and juicy on the inside, it’s the perfect weeknight dinner or holiday dish family and guests are sure to love. For a recipe this super easy, albeit taking a few hours, you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
Slow Cooker Lechon
Ingredients
- 3 pounds pork belly with ribs
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Season pork with salt, pepper and garlic powder, massaging all over the meat.
- Place meat in the slow cooker (NO LIQUIDS) and cook on low for about 7 to 8 hours or until tender but not falling apart.
- Remove pork from the slow cooker and arrange on a roasting pan or rack. Bake in a 430 F oven for about 30 to 40 minutes or until skin is golden and blistered.
- Remove from heat. Skin will crisp as it cools. Let stand for about 5 to 10 minutes before cutting.
Nutrition
Matt says
December 18, 2018 at 6:53 pmHave you tried this method using a pork tenderloin or any other pork cuts?
Lalaine says
December 18, 2018 at 9:05 pmHello Matt,
Unfortunately, pork tenderloin won’t work very well in this recipe as it doesn’t have enough fat to be moist and juicy and I don’t think that cut is sold with a thick cap of skin like a pork belly. The skin is what makes a very “lechon”.
Eigh20 says
August 20, 2018 at 12:20 pmHi, I normally don’t write reviews but I just want to say that this is the best home made pork belly recipe I’ve used by far. To the person who wrote the review about the lacking ingredients, you know you can always tweak to your own preferences right?, anyway, thank you so much for sharing this method. It turned out to be the best one I’ve made.
Lalaine says
August 20, 2018 at 10:48 pmThank you for your feedback! I am glad you enjoyed this recipe, it’s really tasty and easier to make than traditional lechon kawali 🙂
You wont post this says
June 30, 2018 at 7:52 pmlacks lemongrass, not really lechon
Derrick says
August 9, 2018 at 6:05 pmLechon from Cebu uses lemongrass. When you go north, they usually don’t use any seasoning except salt or maybe even gralic
M. M. Sands says
April 23, 2019 at 12:53 amEveryone’s own grandmother always makes the only “real” and “the very best” version of every recipe on the planet. Traditions and recipes vary from family to family, from region to region, and from century to century. Personal taste, the availability of any given ingredients, family traditions, and talent for cooking, are what tend to dictate these variations. Cuban or Puerto Rican Lechon is also “real” Lechon. That’s why one adds the name of the region, country, restaurant, or cook of origin, to indicate the use of specific ingredients, cooking methods, or other variations.
Minda says
December 26, 2017 at 7:24 pmTried this recipe with 2 slabs of fresh pork belly on top of each other, following the recipe to the letter with one slab (finishing to crisp in the oven while still hot), and it turned out perfect. I saved the 2nd slab to cool in the fridge and crisp in the hot oven tomorrow and see if there’s a difference.
Thanks so much, Lalaine for making out lives easier. 🙂 I’ve been making your Lechon sa Hurno with great success, but I think this is my new favorite method. Frees up the oven too for baking deserts and sides. Thanks so much again!
Lalaine says
December 26, 2017 at 8:05 pmThank you so much, Minda, for the feedback. I’ve never tried doing more than one slab at a time and good to know they’ll cook ok. Please let me know how the cooled one turns out! Happy holidays 🙂
Gloria says
December 19, 2017 at 8:02 amHi Lalaine. I was wondering if you tried the new air fryer for the lechon. It does well with frozen eggrolls.
Lalaine says
December 19, 2017 at 1:33 pmMy daughter just got me an air fryer for Christmas, I haven’t opened the box yet but I am excited to try it with lechon definitely the first on the list 🙂
CELIA says
October 25, 2017 at 6:20 pmHI Lalaine, was wondering if this would work as well if I use whole chicken instead for pork
Celia says
October 25, 2017 at 6:09 pmHi Lalaine, you think this will work as well if I use chicken instead of pork?
Lalaine says
November 1, 2017 at 5:45 pmI’ve never tried making a “lechon-style” chicken but I often cook a whole chicken in the slow cooker. It comes super tender but the skin is not crisp. Maybe broiling the chicken after slow cooking might help to brown and crisp the skin.
Kae says
April 16, 2017 at 2:23 pmWill it be OK to layer two pork belly on top of each other while cooking it in the crockpot? Thanks much!
Lalaine says
April 16, 2017 at 11:02 pmHello Kae,
I usually just cook one large enough to fit in the slow cooker but two at the same time might work.
MAAN says
March 26, 2017 at 12:19 amWe made it and it’s good. Thanks for posting the recipe.
Lalaine says
March 27, 2017 at 1:17 amThanks for the feedback, Maan. Glad you enjoyed the lechon.
Norati says
February 14, 2017 at 11:45 amIs it ok to use frozen meat in the slow cooker?
Lalaine says
March 11, 2017 at 3:16 amI’ve never really tried using frozen meat for this lechon and I wouldn’t recommend it. For one thing, it will take forever to cook especially in a slow cooker.
Jay says
February 7, 2017 at 5:13 pmHi Lalaine,
Do you place the meat in the slow cooker fat side up or fat side down?
Lalaine says
February 8, 2017 at 5:08 pmHello Jay,
I put it the skin side up. The fat cap helps keep the meat moist as it “melt” in the slow cooker.
Pat Lee says
February 4, 2017 at 2:14 pmHi Lalaine, just wanted to let you know I tried your recipe and it came out delicious!
I put the pork belly in the slow cooker before I left for work set it for 7 hrs. Come back from work 10 hrs later with lots of pork juices.
Baked it in the oven while I get the veggies ready … Viola … Dinner is ready within 10 minutes!
Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Lalaine says
March 11, 2017 at 3:17 amYay for easy weeknight dinners 🙂
Candice says
January 21, 2017 at 8:02 pmHi, Lalaine! Instead of oven, may I use an air fryer instead?
Lalaine says
March 19, 2017 at 12:06 amI’ve never tried it in an air fryer but I’m pretty sure it would work. I’ve done this in a turbo before and had great results.
Cal says
January 17, 2017 at 7:44 amDo you think that I can do this recipe in a pressure cooker? I’m going to try.
Lalaine says
January 17, 2017 at 9:15 amHello Cal,
Yes, it would work. 🙂
Erin says
January 17, 2017 at 10:42 amAny idea how long it will take to cook in the pressure cooker? Just got an instant pot, and would love to try it!
Lalaine says
January 18, 2017 at 12:12 pmI haven’t really tried cooking this in a pressure cooker but I think 20 to 30 minutes would be a good bet as you want the meat tender but not falling apart. Here is an instant pot time chart you might find helpful http://instantpot.com/cooking-time/meat-poultry-beef-pork-and-lamb/
Ken Schnarrenberger says
December 29, 2016 at 10:55 amcan you use the pork belly without the ribs as I have never seen pork belly with ribs in our area.
Lalaine says
December 30, 2016 at 1:49 amHello Ken,
Yes, without ribs will be fine. 🙂
Bobby says
November 13, 2016 at 1:20 pmFollowed this recipe to impress my Filipina wife. Worked like a charm-she said it was the best she’d ever had!
Thanks for posting.
Lalaine says
November 16, 2016 at 9:07 pmI am glad she like it. Cooking lechon in the slow cooker is a lot easier and more convenient than the traditional boiling and frying 🙂
Lowwen says
August 24, 2016 at 2:28 pmThank you for this recipe Ms Lalaine! Can i put it at low then high if i want to cut time with th slow cooker? Thank You Lowwen
Lalaine says
August 24, 2016 at 11:42 pmhello Lowwen
You can set the slow cooker on high or low depending on how much time you have. I usually do mine on low because I have on overnight or when I am at out the whole day. If you want to cut on time, set it on high for about 4 to 5 hours. 🙂
Chat Madeira says
July 26, 2016 at 3:29 amI just cooked this tonight, oh boy, it was so yummy, earned some brownie points from my two boys (one f them is hubby).
Lalaine says
August 2, 2016 at 9:53 pmHello Chat
I am glad the hubby and kids enjoyed it. Super yummy talaga ang crispy skin!
Bernadette Balino says
July 25, 2016 at 6:55 pmWow I’m drooling right now, I wanted to dry this so I could incorporate flavors that exactly right on my taste, I love the taste of garlic so I’m gonna pouring a lot of it. Thanks Ms. Lalaine, your pix looks so delicious, so crunchy balat hehehe
Lalaine says
July 26, 2016 at 2:16 amYou’re welcome, Bernadette. I hope you enjoy it, very addicting talaga yung balat 🙂
Andrea says
June 28, 2016 at 2:48 amI don’t have an oven but can I use turbo broiler to crisp up the skin instead? thanks! 🙂
Lalaine says
June 28, 2016 at 2:55 amYes, I think the turbo will be fine. Just adjust the cook time as it’s more powerful than a conventional oven. 🙂
Ela says
May 29, 2016 at 12:38 pmSomehow, I’m afraid to leave the pork in the slow cooker w/o liquid while I go to bed overnight. At the back of my mind, it might burn or I might burn the house, hehe…
Lalaine says
May 29, 2016 at 1:35 pmHello Ela
Trust me, this would work, just set it on low. 🙂 I placed mine at midnight and went to bed. It was ready by the time I got up. You’ll actually end up with a pool of liquid once the pork is done, a lot of fat extracted from the pork belly.