This Vietnamese Pork recipe is an epic Vietnamese food speciality that’s easy to recreate in your own home. Slow cooked tender pork pieces in a sticky savoury-sweet glaze, Vietnamese Caramel Pork is a magical way to transform pork shoulder into something exotic and spectacular. And it’s SO easy!
Complete your Vietnamese banquet with fresh Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls to start and a side of fluffy coconut rice. And don’t miss the chicken version – Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken!
Vietnamese Caramel Pork recipe
Vietnamese Caramel Pork is one of those gems that seem exotic, yet is unbelievably simple AND you can get everything you need at your local supermarket. The pork is braised until tender, and looks completely unimpressive until the last 5 minutes when it magically caramelises and turns into something that you’d pay serious $ for at a posh Asian restaurant.
It’s sweet yet savoury, and the pork is fork tender. It’s called Thit Kho To in Vietnamese, and it’s traditionally made with pork belly. Personally, I prefer making it with pork shoulder (butt) because I find pork belly too fatty.
I just realised – I call this “fork tender”, but I guess it’s more appropriate to say “chopstick tender”… 😂
The secret ingredient – coconut WATER
There is one ingredient in Vietnamese Caramel Pork that you may not have in your pantry but is sold in all major supermarkets nowadays – coconut water. If you’re into healthy smoothies, you may well have some stashed away!!!
It’s not expensive, $2 – $3 depending on where you get it (Asian grocer stores are cheaper), and it’s essentially the “secret ingredient” for this recipe.
It doesn’t really taste like coconut, it’s sort of salty and sweet. Which makes it ideal to use as the broth for this recipe.
Substitute for coconut water?
Make it with coconut milk! I’ve tried it, and it’s great. A little saucier, a little sweeter, with a slight coconut flavour and smell that you don’t get in the traditional recipe. See the Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken recipe which is made with coconut milk.
How to make this Vietnamese Pork
I promised you this is simple – and it really is, which you’ll see in the video. It goes down like this:
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Put brown sugar and water in a pot, bring to simmer to make a caramel;
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Add pork, fish sauce*, garlic and eschallots**
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Simmer for 1.5 hours until the pork is tender. Then magically, the pot of pale brown meat pieces in a murky liquid suddenly transforms into bronzed pieces of delectable, ultra tender pork that just melts in your mouth.
* NO it will not taste fishy! It’s the Vietnamese version of soy sauce!
** French shallots, shallots, depending on where you live. The baby onions. 🙂
How to serve Vietnamese Caramel Pork
Because the glaze has quite a strong flavour, I like to serve this with plain white rice. Steamed jasmine rice would be on point.
And for a fresh side, a crunchy Asian Slaw would be very fitting – and the fresh flavour will be great to balance the richness of the pork. Or toss steamed vegetables or a garden salad with this Asian Sesame Dressing or the Nuoc Cham in this Lemongrass chicken recipe.
“This Vietnamese pork recipe is a Vietnamese food speciality. One bite, and you’ll understand why!”
I love recipes like this. Forgiving, tastes exotic, kapow! flavours. It sounds and looks exotic, but the flavours are universally appealing.
Asian Food Lovers – this is for YOU! It’s an absolute ripper that I think you’ll love! – Nagi x
Get your Vietnamese fix!
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Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken – the chicken version of this recipe
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Lemongrass Chicken – one of my favourite things to grill!
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Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls – the super quick version of the above
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Browse all Vietnamese recipes
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Vietnamese Caramel Pork recipe video!
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Vietnamese Caramel Pork
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup / 100g brown sugar, tightly packed
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 kg / 2 lb pork shoulder (butt) or boneless skinless pork belly, cut into 3 cm / 1.2" pieces (Note 1a)
- 1 1/4 cups / 375 ml coconut water (Note 1b)
- 1 eschallot / shallot , very finely sliced (Note 2)
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
Garnishes:
- Red chilli and finely sliced shallots/green onions
Instructions
- Place sugar and water in a large pot over medium heat. Stir, then when it bubbles and the sugar is melted (it looks like caramel), add the rest of the ingredients.
- Stir, then adjust the heat so it is simmering fairly energetically. Not rapidly, not a slow simmer (I use medium heat on a weak stove, between medium and low on a strong stove).
- Simmer for 1.5 hours, uncovered. Stir once or twice while cooking.
- At around 1.5 hours, when the liquid has reduced down and the pork is tender, (see Note 3 if pork is not yet tender), the fat will separate (see video).
- Stir and the pork will brown and caramelise in the fat.
- Once the liquid is all gone and it's now stuck on the pork pieces, it's ready.
- Serve over rice, garnished with fresh chilli and shallots. Simple pickled vegetables are ideal for a side because the fresh acidity pairs well with the rich pork.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
DON’T MISS…..
The chicken version made with coconut milk – Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken!
LIFE OF DOZER
Still his favourite toy. I swear, I can feel the attitude reverberating off him every time I see him bounding around in the backyard with this toy.
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I made this on a whim because my family wanted something I’d never made before. Next time I’ll have to double the recipe!
This recipe looked to be right up my alley, my only fear was my hubby doesn’t usually care for meat recipes with a sweet sauce. One bite and he loved it too and happily ate the leftovers the next day for lunch. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve served dinner with the comment “This is from the Japanese woman in Australia”. You are my go to and I have tried dozens of your recipes. Another winner Nagi, thank you again and greetings to Dozer. x
I love hearing this Debbie – thanks so much for the great feedback! N x
This – wow- I can’t believe I cooked something so delicious in my own kitchen! This is a flavour sensation and if I had to eat one meal for the rest of my life, this would be that meal, hands down.
Hi Nagi,
How would you adapt this for a slow cooker?
Thanks!
Marie
Unfortunately you can’t for this recipe – you need it simmering to reduce the sauce to get that sticky glaze Marie 🙂 N x
omg, made it last night and it was so friggin good, we just loooved it!
looking forward to trying some of your other recipes. thank you, nagi! 😀
Hi Nagi, I simply love this recipe and make it at least once a month. Serve it with ur gailan recipe and jasmine rice.
The only problem I have is the pork here sometime takes veryyyyy long to tenderise and some times goes upto 2 hrs. Is there a version for instapot so that I can start giving this on weekdays as well? I accidentally posted this same comment on ur gailan page. Pls do ignore as made a mistake. Just got so tired seeing the posts still hard after 1.5 hrs 🙁
Deffenetly a must try this recipe. Looks hummy in the pics.
Made this per recipe, came out perfect! Will definitely make again.
Hi Nagi, I tried to cook this recipe last night… I followed it down to a T! However at around the 35-40 min mark my pork was BLACK! The end result was thick like tar sauce and the pork was dry, hard and inedible. I am devastated and would really like to know what went wrong. I have pictures! Please could you help me? I love your blog and your recipes are my go-to usually!
Hi Alison, sorry you had issues with this one – sounds like you had the heat up far too high, you need a gentle simmer to cook the pork here! N x
So, I cooked this Vietnamese pork last night and I found this to be way too sweet. I’ve tried your recipes before and you have been always spot on. So when I read your recipe again I discovered that I put a cup of sugar instead 1/2 a cup. I still saved it adding a lime juice, a lot of lime juice.
Hi can you please suggest a substitute for fish sauce?Thank
You
Hi Manoja, soy sauce is the closest sub here – N x
Do you need to parboil the pork butt before putting it in the pot to simmer?
Tasty, tasty meal. Will definitely add this to our favourites!
I got some diced pork shoulder from the supermarket and was wondering what to do with it. You always have such great recipes so I searched your pork recipes and found this. Was so delicious! I had to stop myself from eating it from the pot while waiting for my rice to cook!
I have made this a few times now and it’s an excellent recipe.
I like to double the amount of garlic and shallot and also add some crushed and finely sliced lemongrass.
I also prefer it made with pork shoulder as opposed to pork belly – but that’s just a personal taste thing.
And pickled chillis and shallots on the side rather than carrot and cucumber….but that’s also down to my taste!
Verdict from tonight’s dinner:
Miss 6: 10 million thumbs up. NO! INFINITY THUMBS UP!
Mr 4: I want to eat this pork for dinner every day forever and ever.
I love this but want to make another double batch – Is this freezer friendly?
Yes 100% Mama – perfect meal prep food! N x