This juicy pork roast with crispy crackling gives you everything I want from a proper Sunday roast: tender, juicy pork, golden bubbly crackling, and a rich homemade gravy made from those glorious pan juices. And honestly, once you know the little tricks, making restaurant-worthy roast pork at home is much easier than you might think.
There is something wonderfully comforting about a traditional roast pork dinner. It is the kind of meal that fills the kitchen with an irresistible aroma, brings everyone to the table, and makes an ordinary weekend feel a little more special. Pork roast is especially loved for its contrast between succulent meat and that salty, crunchy crackling everyone fights over.
The clever part of this recipe is that you don’t need to score the skin, boil it, blast it with a hairdryer, or leave the pork uncovered in your refrigerator for days. Instead, the pork shoulder is cooked slowly to make the meat beautifully tender before the oven temperature is cranked right up to create ultra-crispy pork crackling.
The secret? Dry skin, plenty of salt, low-and-slow roasting, and a surprisingly clever trick with balls of foil.
If you’ve ever made roast pork only to end up with rubbery skin on one side and burnt crackling on the other, this method is about to become your new favorite Sunday roast recipe.
Why This Pork Shoulder Roast Works So Well
The cut of pork makes a huge difference here. For the juiciest roast pork and the best crackling, I recommend a boneless, skin-on pork shoulder.
Pork shoulder has enough marbling and connective tissue to handle a long cooking time without becoming dry. As it slowly roasts, the fat melts and the connective tissue breaks down, giving you tender pork that is juicy enough to slice while still having that almost fall-apart texture.
The skin is equally important. A relatively flat piece of pork shoulder gives the heat a much better chance of reaching the entire surface evenly.
And that’s where the foil trick comes in.
As pork shoulder cooks, it naturally buckles and changes shape. If one section of the skin sits lower than another, the higher areas receive more intense heat and crisp first. By carefully propping up the pork with scrunched-up balls of foil, you can level the skin and encourage that gorgeous bubbly crackling across the whole surface.
It’s such a simple trick, but it makes a surprisingly big difference.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For a generous roast serving around 10–12 people, you’ll need:
- 3 kg / 6 lb boneless, skin-on pork shoulder, preferably unrolled and unscored
- 3 teaspoons cooking or kosher salt
- 1¼ teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 garlic bulb, halved horizontally
- 2 onions, halved
- 2 cups dry white wine, dry cider, or a suitable non-alcoholic alternative
For the homemade pork gravy:
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Fennel is one of my favorite seasonings for roast pork because its slightly sweet, aromatic flavor works beautifully with the richness of the meat. Garlic and onion add another layer of savory flavor while creating a delicious base for the pan drippings.
For the cooking liquid, dry white wine is my first choice, but dry apple cider, non-alcoholic cider, apple juice, or broth can work too.
How to Make Roast Pork With Crispy Crackling
Start by getting the skin as dry as possible. Pat the pork thoroughly with paper towels, paying particular attention to the skin.
If you’ve got some advance notice, leaving the pork uncovered in the refrigerator for several hours—or overnight—is even better. The drier the skin, the better your chances of achieving spectacular crackling.
Preheat your oven to 220°C / 430°F, or 200°C fan.
Turn the pork flesh-side up and rub it with 1½ teaspoons of salt, the black pepper, fennel seeds, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Work the seasoning into all those little crevices.
Turn the pork over so the skin is facing upward. Rub the remaining teaspoon of oil over the skin, then sprinkle it evenly with the remaining 1½ teaspoons of salt.
Don’t leave bare patches.
That salt is important because it helps the skin develop those beautiful bubbles rather than turning into a hard, flat sheet.
Place the halved onions and garlic into a roasting pan with the cut sides facing upward. Sit the pork shoulder on top, skin-side up.
Carefully pour the wine into the bottom of the pan, making sure none splashes onto the skin.
Immediately reduce the oven to 160°C / 320°F, or 140°C fan, and roast uncovered for 2½ hours.
At this stage, don’t panic if the pork crackling isn’t crispy. The skin will still be soft and rubbery. That’s exactly what we want.
The Secret to Crispy Crackling From Edge to Edge
After about 1½ hours, take a look at the pork.
Because pork shoulder is a naturally irregular cut, the skin may have warped during cooking. This is the moment to fix it.
Use carefully scrunched-up balls of foil underneath the pork to raise lower areas and make the skin as level as possible.
Think of it as creating a little platform for the crackling.
A flatter surface means more even exposure to the intense heat during the final stage of cooking. This is one of the biggest differences between ordinary roast pork and truly impressive crispy crackling.
Return the pork to the oven and continue roasting for another hour.
Keep an eye on the roasting pan during this stage. If the liquid has evaporated too much, add a little water so the pan juices don’t burn. Burnt drippings can make your gravy bitter, and we definitely don’t want to waste all that flavor.
The High-Heat Blast That Makes the Crackling Bubble
Once the pork has completed its slow roast, it’s time for the fun part.
Turn the oven up to 250°C / 485°F, or as high as your oven will safely go.
Return the pork to the oven and roast for approximately 30 minutes, rotating the pan if necessary.
Watch the crackling closely. Some raised areas may become golden and crispy before the lower sections.
If that happens, cover the already-crispy areas with small patches of foil and continue cooking until the remaining skin catches up.
When the pork is covered in golden, bubbly, crunchy crackling, take it out of the oven.
And resist the temptation to carve immediately!
Why Resting Your Pork Roast Matters
Transfer the roast to a serving platter and loosely tent it with foil.
Let it rest for 15–20 minutes.
Resting gives the juices inside the pork time to redistribute, helping the meat stay moist and succulent when you slice it. The crackling will remain beautifully crisp, so there’s no need to sacrifice warmth for crunch.
When you’re ready to carve, a serrated knife works particularly well for cutting through the crispy skin without crushing it.
Don’t Skip the Homemade Pork Gravy
Now let’s talk about the gravy, because those pan drippings are liquid gold.
First, skim around 3 tablespoons of fat from the roasting pan and transfer it to a saucepan.
Strain the remaining pan juices into a bowl, pressing down on the garlic and onions to extract as much flavor as possible. Discard the solids and skim off any excess fat.
Heat the reserved pork fat over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for about a minute.
Gradually whisk in the chicken stock, followed by the strained pan juices. Keep whisking until smooth.
Allow the gravy to simmer for roughly 3 minutes, or until it reaches a rich, syrupy consistency. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper.
The result is a deeply savory homemade gravy packed with roasted pork, garlic, onion, and wine flavor.
Just remember one very important rule: never pour gravy directly over your crispy crackling.
Pour it beside the pork instead. We worked too hard for that crunch!
My Best Tips for Perfect Pork Crackling
1. Choose pork shoulder, not pork loin.
Pork shoulder has the fat and connective tissue needed for long, slow roasting. Lean pork loin can dry out before the crackling reaches its best texture.
2. Dry the skin really well.
Moisture is the enemy of crispy pork crackling. Pat the skin thoroughly with paper towels, and refrigerate the pork uncovered if you have time.
3. Salt the entire skin.
Don’t be shy with the salt, and don’t leave unsalted patches. Even coverage helps create that characteristic bubbly crackling.
4. Keep the roast uncovered.
Covering the pork traps steam around the skin, which works against the crisping process.
5. Level the pork before the final blast.
Those humble foil balls are the secret weapon. Leveling the skin helps the high heat reach more of the surface evenly.
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Roast Pork
Lucky enough to have leftovers? Keep the pork meat and crackling separate.
Store the crackling separately so moisture from the meat doesn’t soften it. The meat can be reheated gently in the microwave with a little moisture, while the crackling is best reheated on a tray in a 160°C / 320°F oven for about 5–8 minutes.
You can also turn leftover pork into fantastic sandwiches, bread bowl sandwiches, or Cuban-style pork sandwiches.
And yes, cold crackling straight from the refrigerator can still be wonderfully crunchy!
Your New Favorite Sunday Roast
This crispy pork roast is one of those recipes that looks impressive on the dinner table but relies on surprisingly straightforward techniques.
The combination of slow-roasted pork shoulder, dry salted skin, a level cooking surface, and a final blast of high heat gives you tender meat underneath a layer of spectacular bubbly crackling.
Add that rich homemade gravy made from the roasting juices, and you’ve got everything you need for a seriously memorable Sunday dinner.
Serve it with crispy roast potatoes, roasted vegetables, Yorkshire puddings, apple sauce, or your favorite traditional roast dinner sides.
So, if you’re planning a family gathering, Sunday lunch, Christmas-style feast, or simply craving a proper comforting roast dinner, put this one on the menu.
Give this pork roast with crispy crackling a try, and let me know how your crackling turned out! If you love easy, impressive recipes like this, be sure to subscribe to the newsletter for more delicious ideas delivered straight to your inbox.