Porchetta Recipe (Authentic Italian Pork Roast)
Dec 09, 2024, Updated Jan 12, 2025
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This authentic Italian Porchetta recipe features a perfectly seasoned pork roast with crispy skin and tender, juicy meat infused with fennel, rosemary, and garlic for an unforgettable flavor. This is Italy’s most famous pork roast dish!
Serve with Crusty Bread. You’ll love more of our Italian Christmas recipe ideas.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe…
Every time I visit Rome, this is my favorite panino (porchetta sandwich) to order. This recipe takes the traditional porchetta roast and makes it achievable at home! Here’s why you’ll love this recipe:
- Crispy skin perfection: Slow roasting ensures skin turns irresistibly crispy while the meat stays juicy and tender.
- Show-stopping presentation: The rolled roast, with its golden, crackling exterior, makes an impressive centerpiece for any meal or gathering.
- Versatile: Enjoy it as the main dish for a festive occasion, or slice it up for delicious Italian-style sandwiches on crusty bread.
- Easy to prepare: While it looks fancy, this simple recipe has just a few quality ingredients.
You’ll also love our roasted pork tenderloin with fennel. Try serving this with our salsa verde!
Table of Contents
Recipe Ingredients
These ingredients combine to create a flavorful, fragrant Italian pork roast with crispy skin and juicy, tender meat infused with earthy and herbaceous notes of fennel, rosemary, and garlic.
- Pork Shoulder Roast (skin on): The star of the dish, this cut is perfect for slow roasting, resulting in tender, juicy meat with rich flavor. The skin crisps up beautifully, creating a crunchy contrast to the soft meat. Boneless pork roast and bone-in work great. Ask your butcher if you can’t find this cut of meat.
- Fennel Fronds: These are the feathery green tops of the fennel bulb, and they add a fresh, slightly sweet, and anise-like flavor that perfectly complements the pork.
- Fresh Rosemary: Aromatic and woodsy, rosemary adds depth and brightness to the roast, enhancing the pork’s natural richness. You can vary and add your favorite herbs and spices.
- Garlic: The grated or mashed garlic infuses the meat with an intense, savory aroma and flavor essential in Italian cooking.
- Kosher Salt or Maldon’s Flake Salt: These salts help bring out the flavors of the other ingredients while seasoning the meat evenly. They also contribute to the crispiness of the skin.
- Fennel Seeds: These tiny, aromatic seeds enhance the anise flavor from the fennel fronds, creating a subtle, sweet licorice-like taste that pairs well with pork.
- Black Pepper: Adds just the right amount of heat and balances the sweetness of the fennel and garlic.
- Extra-virgin olive Oil: Used to coat the pork, it helps crisp the skin and locks in the meat’s moisture while imparting a mild, fruity richness.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Porchetta
This porchetta recipe is easier to make than you think. Let me walk you through it step-by-step with photos. For more, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Lay the pork belly flat and pat it with paper towels.
In a small bowl, make the herb filling for the pork belly.
Prepared meat filling mixed and ready to use.
Spread the herb filling evenly on the meat side of the porchetta roast.
Make sure every part is covered with the herb filling.
Roll up the meat and tie it every inch or so with butcher’s twine. You can rest the meat overnight in the fridge for extra crackly skin.
Place meat on the roasting rack and rub with oil and flake salt.
Cook until the internal temperature is about 165-170. Enjoy! It’s truly the best pork roast.
FAQs
Porchetta is a traditional Italian pork roast, typically made from a whole pork shoulder or belly, seasoned with rosemary, garlic, and fennel. It’s slow-cooked to achieve juicy, tender meat with a crispy, crackling skin. Known for its bold flavors, porchetta is often the centerpiece of Italian feasts and celebrations.
Porchetta is a cut of pork made from pork shoulder or belly. Sometimes, a combination of the two perfectly balances meat and fat. The skin is left on to create the signature crispy, crackling exterior.
Porchetta is a seasoned and slow-roasted pork roast, while pancetta is a type of cured pork belly, similar to bacon but not smoked. Pancetta is typically thinly sliced and used to flavor dishes, while porchetta is a whole roast meant to be served as a main course.
In Italy, porchetta is often enjoyed with simple sides like roasted potatoes, sautéed greens (such as spinach or rapini), or crusty bread. It’s also popular in sandwiches, served on rustic rolls with a drizzle of olive oil or accompanied by fresh salads for a lighter contrast to the rich meat and commonly paired with white wine.
Fennel pollen is a spice made from the flowers of the fennel plant and adds an intense, slightly sweet fennel flavor. It’s often used in traditional porchetta recipes, but fennel seeds are a great substitute if you can’t find it.
My Pro Tip
Expert Tips
- Dry the skin: To dry the skin, leave the seasoned porchetta uncovered in the fridge overnight. This results in a perfectly crispy, crackling exterior.
- Generous seasoning: Don’t skimp on the garlic, rosemary, and fennel. The more you rub into the meat, the more flavorful your porchetta will be.
- Tight roll: Roll the pork as tightly as possible and tie it securely with twine to ensure even cooking and a uniform shape.
- Rest before slicing: Let the porchetta rest for at least 10-15 minutes after roasting. This helps the juices redistribute, keeping the meat juicy.
- Crisp the skin: If the skin isn’t crispy enough after roasting, broil for a few minutes at the end. Watch closely to avoid burning.
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
Make-Ahead:
- Season and roll the porchetta up to 24 hours in advance. Store in the fridge, uncovered, to let flavors develop and the skin dry.
- Bring to room temperature for 30-60 minutes before roasting.
Storage:
- Leftovers: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Reheating:
- Oven: Reheat at 350°F (170°C) for 15-20 minutes. Uncover for the last 5 minutes to crisp the skin.
- Stovetop: Sear slices in a skillet over medium heat for a crispy finish.
What to Serve With This Recipe
Serve Italian porchetta alongside roasted vegetables, crusty bread, or a fresh salad for a traditional Italian feast!
How to Use Leftover Porchetta
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Print
Porchetta Recipe
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 15 servings 1x
Description
This authentic porchetta recipe perfectly balances crispy skin, tender meat, and aromatic herbs. Buon appetito!
Ingredients
- 1 (7-8 pound) bone-in, skin-on pork shoulder roast (or a 6–7 pound boneless roast), fat trimmed to 1/2-inch thickness
- 1/4 cup chopped fennel fronds (the green leaves that grow from the fennel bulb. Alternatively, you can use parsley)
- 4 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, grated or mashed to a paste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt or Maldon’s Flake Salt
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Bottom of the pan:
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup white wine (optional for flavor if making a gravy)
Instructions
- Prepare the pork: If using a bone-in roast, butterfly the pork shoulder by slicing it open and flattening it so you can roll it up later (or ask your butcher to do this). If using a boneless roast, it is already ready for rolling.
- Prepare the seasoning paste: In a small bowl, combine the chopped fennel fronds, rosemary, garlic paste, kosher salt, fennel seeds, and black pepper. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and stir to form a thick paste.
- Season and Tie the pork: Rub the seasoning paste generously on the inside of the pork shoulder (save a little bit for rubbing on the ends after it is tied). Massage the herbs and garlic into the meat to ensure full flavor. Roll the pork roast tightly, with the skin side on the outside. Use kitchen twine to tie the roast at regular intervals (once every few inches) to keep it securely rolled. Having an extra set of hands here is helpful!
- (Optional) Refrigerate the pork: Let the tied roast rest in the uncovered refrigerator overnight. This will help dry out the skin for better crackling during roasting. It will still be good if you don’t have time for this step.
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 450˚F. If you refrigerated the meat- remove the porchetta from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for about 1-2 hours.
- Add more seasoning. Turn the roast seam side up and rub additional olive and salt all over the outside of the meat, even onto the exposed ends of the pork roast. Place the roast seam side down on a rack set over a roasting pan or baking tray. Pour 1 cup of water and optional white wine if using, inside the roasting pan, ensuring the liquid does not touch the roast.
- Roast the pork: Once the oven is hot, place the porchetta in and roast for 1 hour. After the first hour, lower the temperature to 300°F and continue roasting for about 2 more hours. Check the internal temperature in the center of the roast; when it reaches 165°F, remove the porchetta from the oven. It will keep cooking to 170°F after it rests. If desired, make a pan gravy with the drippings (not traditional, but delcious).
- Finish and rest: Losley cover the porchetta with aluminum foil to keep it warm while it rests. Allow the roast to rest for about 20-30 minutes to let the juices redistribute for carry-over cooking.
- Slice and serve: Using a sharp knife, remove one or two pieces of the twine and slice the porchetta into thick rounds. Serve porchetta alongside roasted vegetables, crusty bread, or a fresh salad for a traditional Italian feast!
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: about 3 hours
- Category: Savory
- Method: Italian
- Cuisine: Italian
hello Elena. I have a half of a pork loin. with the timing still be the same? I think mine is like 4 lb or so. thank you for your recipes
You will have to adjust the time. I go by the internal temperature, so look at the meat thermometer, you are welcome. I am happy you enjoy them!
Hi, where in Utah do you buy your meat?
Hi! I love Harmon’s and Whole Foods! The butcher at Harmon’s is super nice and always willing to make special adjustments. Enjoy!
Elena can you clarify the recipe ingredients state a pork shoulder, but the pictures state a pork belly and it indeed appears to be a belly. Which is most appropriate? Love your recipes
Pork belly! Have the butcher cut it for you!
This is an incredible recipe that results in perfect porchetta every single time!