This Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Bowls recipe is absolutely amazing! It tastes delicious, is so easy to make, quick, and affordable! This stir-fried pork mince is the perfect dinner meal for any weeknight! You can serve this as a main dish or an appetizer.
Vietnamese Caramelized Pork is a great stir fry minced pork recipe that you should try.
It's so flavorful and can be done at your dinner table in less than 30 minutes. It's definitely tastier and faster than any Asian take-out.
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About This Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Bowls
The ground pork is stir-fried and cooked perfectly in a homemade Asian sauce.
The sauce has the perfect balance of sweetness, saltiness, and tanginess, and with the right amount of heat!
The caramelized sauce really makes the meat tender and flavorful. So yummy!
Easy Ground Pork Recipe
Minced pork is an affordable protein choice. It's tasty and versatile. It also takes a little time to cook.
This stir-fried minced pork has a very mild spicy level. Feel free to skip the red chili to make it becomes less spicy and more kid-friendly so that everyone leaving the dinner table is happy.
This was inspired by the popular minced pork noodles recipe, also this Thai larb chicken, and my favorite chef, Gordon Ramsay.
Now let's talk about the ingredients, preparation, and cooking process.
Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Bowls Ingredients:
Pork Mince
Pork mince is ground meat that is usually made from pork shoulder, aka pork butt or Boston butt.
Unlike ground beef, pork mince is usually sold pre-packaged or in bulk without the fat and will often show the lean fat percentage content amount.
This recipe works well with pork mince or a combination of pork mince and ground beef.
And, if you are not a big fan of pork mince, feel free to use ground beef, chicken, or turkey as a replacement ingredient.
Vietnamese Stir Fry Sauce
To make the sauce, you need the following ingredients:
- fresh garlic
- ginger
- shallots
- Vietnamese fish sauce
- brown sugar
- salt and pepper
- red Jalapeno or Serrano or any red chilies
- lime zest, and lime juice.
This recipe requires simple preparation. It involves chopping and zesting only! Basically, you need to mince the garlic and ginger, slice the shallots and the red chilies, then zest the lime.
Vietnamese Fish Sauce:
Fish sauce is a liquid condiment made from fish, such as anchovy extract that has been coated in salt and sugar, and naturally fermented for up to two years.
It is used as a staple seasoning in East and Southeast Asian cuisine.
Please note that not all fish sauce products/brands are created equal and they usually have different sodium levels (ex: Thai fish sauce has a lower sodium content than Vietnamese fish sauce).
To add saltiness to the dish, just add a small amount of salt. Do not go overboard with fish sauce or all you'll taste is fish sauce.
Cooking Vietnamese Caramelized Pork
And now for the cooking part!
This recipe requires two-step cooking but it can be done in one skillet and doesn't require any cooking skills.
The only important rule of this recipe is to cook the meat in the sauce on high heat. So be sure to prepare all of the ingredients and put them near you.
Here are some important cooking steps to follow to make this flavorful Asian meat dish:
Step 1. Brown the Meat
Brown the ground pork and remove the excess fat and liquid (if any) to make it more "lean", and less greasy, and keep the meat 🥩 staying crispy after cooking. Afterward, set it aside.
Please note that at this point, you only need to brown the pork, don't worry about getting the meat crisp because we are going to do that in the next step.
Step 2. Stir Fry and Caramelize the Ground Pork
Cook the aromatic vegetables until fragrant then put the browned pork back. Add the sauce and cook the pork until crispy and caramelized!
Lastly, about 30 seconds before the cooking process is finished, add the lime zest, scallion, and lime juice.
FAQ and Cooking Tips:
If you want to serve this as an appetizer, choose lettuce, cucumber, and some pickled vegetables. Or, serve it as a main dish with some brown or white rice, fried egg, and/or Korean spinach salad.
It's mild. If you are worried, use red bell pepper instead of red chili pepper or skip.
Put the leftover in an airtight container. Properly stored, it can last 3-4 days in the fridge or 2-3 months in the freezer.
Check Out More Tasty Asian Recipes:
- Vietnamese Pork Chops
- Easy Vietnamese Turmeric Fish with Dill (Cha Ca)
- Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Stir Fry
- Minced Pork Noodles with Hoisin Sauce
- Best Pork Tenderloin Stir Fry
I hope you'll enjoy this recipe and share it with friends! If you try it and don't mind, please leave me a comment and/or give this recipe a rating.
📖 Recipe
Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork mince, (ground pork)
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil , (divided) - such as canola, vegetable, or peanut oil.
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 large fresh red chili pepper, (such as Jalapeno or Serrano) seeded and diced
- ½ cup thinly sliced shallots, (lightly packed)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, (or add more for a sweeter taste and according to your liking)
- 2 tablespoons Vietnamese fish sauce
- zest from 1 lime
- ⅛ lime, (freshly squeezed) - use more according to your liking and more for serving
- 3 scallions, (white and green parts - thinly sliced)
Optional:
- salt and black pepper, (to taste)
Instructions
- Heat 1½ tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add pork and cook undisturbed for 1 minute. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper then cook for 4 minutes or until brown. Transfer the pork to a colander to remove the excess liquid and fat. Drain and set aside.
- Heat 1½ tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add shallots, cook for 1 minute, then add ginger and chili and cook for 1 minute. Add garlic and cook for about 15 seconds. Keep stirring.
- Add the browned pork back into the pot and stir. Add fish sauce and brown sugar. Stir then let it cook undisturbed to caramelize for about 1 minute. Stir again for a few seconds and let it cook undisturbed for another 1 minute. Gently scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan to prevent burning. Repeat this process if necessary or until you reach the desired consistency or crispiness. The pork meat should turn golden brown with caramelized flavors. Do not overcook to prevent burnt taste and dry meat. Add salt and pepper if necessary.
- Add chopped scallions, lime zest, and lime juice. Give it a quick stir for a few seconds, then turn off the heat. Serve with white rice or lettuce and more lime juice if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Step #1 is crucial, do not skip it.
- The Nutrition is for the caramelized minced pork only. It doesn't include white rice or lettuce.
- Other Meat Besides Pork: ground beef, turkey, or chicken.
- Lime. You can replace lime with lemon if that's the only thing you have available.
- Shallots. You can also use red onions but must cook them a bit longer until soft and translucent.
- Garlic and ginger. If you love garlic and ginger, feel free to double the amount.
- Vietnamese Fish Sauce: I used Viet Huong Fish Sauce (also known as Three Crabs Fish Sauce). You can find them at Target, Ralph's, or any Asian grocers for around $4-$6 per big bottle. Alternatively, you can use Thai fish sauce. Please note that not all fish sauce products/brands are created equal and they usually have different sodium levels (ex: Thai fish sauce has a lower sodium content than Vietnamese fish sauce). To add saltiness to the dish, just add a small amount of salt. Do not go overboard with fish sauce or all you'll taste is fish sauce.
- Fresh chili pepper. If you are worried about the spicy level, use red bell pepper instead of red chili pepper or skip it. If you can't find red jalapeno or red serrano pepper, you can use 1-2 small pieces of Thai chili peppers or more as a replacement ingredient.
- If you want to serve this as an appetizer, choose lettuce, cucumber, and some pickled vegetables. Or, serve it as a main dish with some brown or white rice, noodles, fried egg, and/or Korean spinach salad.
Amber Myers says
This looks scrumptious. I don't think I've ever made anything like this, so my family will be impressed!
Pam Wattenbarger says
Looks like a delicious and easy weeknight meal. We have leftover pork sometimes and this would be a great way to use it.
Heather says
These pork bowls are so good! Super flavorful and the family loved it!
Rika Livingston says
Thanks for sharing your feedback, Heather!
Adriana says
wow pork is my favorite protein as well as veitnamese food!
Tasheena says
I love the combination of flavors with this recipe.
Rika Livingston says
Thanks, Tasheena!
Jennifer Van Haitsma says
I've never had Vietnamese food but this looks delicious. I would definitely try it. Thanks for the idea!
Rika Livingston says
You're welcome!
Nancy L says
Wow! This dish looks AMAZING! I don't eat pork but I am sure I can substitute chicken and have it taste yummy. I have all the ingredients and can make this tonight!
Chef Dennis says
Hmmm yum! This Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Bowls recipe looks really scrumptious and I can't wait to make this for my wife.
Lynndee says
The only Vietnamese food I've tried was Pho. I'd like to try this one. Looks good!
Ice Cream n Sticky Fingers says
This dish looks so good. I haven’t had Vietnamese food unless you count Pho. We have been trying to reduce eating red meat and I have been buying more pork and chicken. I’ll have to find the pork mince.
Rika Livingston says
Let me know how it goes with the recipe!