If you saw my first claypot rice recipe where I shared a detailed guide on how to make the best claypot rice at home, then this claypot rice with black bean pork should be easy to you!

My favourite thing about claypot rice is how customisable it is! Once you nail the basics, which is achieving the signature crispy rice bottom, you can top it with almost anything. From classic choices like Chinese sausage, salted fish, minced beef, or chicken, the possibilities are endless.

Black bean pork ribs (or pork belly) is one of my favourite claypot rice toppings. Restaurants usually use pork ribs, but I decided to use pork belly because it’s easier to handle without the bone attached to the meat.

Also, for the pork topping, I used the exact same marinade recipe as my Steamed Pork Belly in Black Bean Sauce that I made ages ago!

ingredients for making claypot rice with black bean pork:

3/4 cup jasmine rice
3/4 cup hot water (1:1 ratio with rice)

Pork belly marinade:

100g pork belly, sliced into 1/2 inch chunks
3-4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 bird’s eye chilli, chopped (optional)
2 tbsp salted fermented black beans
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch

Claypot rice sweet soy sauce:

1/2 tbsp neutral oil
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
20g rock sugar (or 1 tbsp sugar)
1 green onion
1 shallot
1/2 cup fresh coriander
1 star anise
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick

step-by-step guide to making claypot rice with black bean pork:

Rinse the rice three times to remove excess starch, then soak for 1 hour to soften. Drain well and set aside.
Rinse and drain fermented black beans. Add to the pork belly marinade and let sit for at least 20 minutes.
Grease a claypot with cooking oil to prevent rice from sticking. Add soaked rice and equal parts water (1:1 ratio). Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Once most of the water is absorbed, evenly layer the marinated pork over the rice. Top with chopped bird’s eye chillies.
Cover the pot with a lid, drizzle oil around the pot’s edge, and cook on low heat for 12–15 minutes. Around the 10-minute mark, you should hear sizzling—that’s the pork juices and fats creating the crispy rice base. While waiting for the rice to cook, make the homemade sweet soy sauce by sautéing green onion, shallot, and coriander until golden. Add water, light and dark soy sauce, sugar, and spices. Simmer for 5–10 minutes until thickened. Set aside.
After 12-15 mins, check if the pork is cooked. If so, cover again, drizzle a little oil, and turn heat to medium. Rotate the pot to sear the bottom and sides for 1–2 minutes.
Turn off the heat. Sprinkle green onions, cover again, and let it rest for 2 minutes to allow the residual heat to meld all the flavours together.. Drizzle with the sweet soy sauce and enjoy!

make sure to check out my Cantonese claypot rice blog post for my top tips for making the best claypot rice at home!