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Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls

By:Nagi
670 Comments
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Meet your new favourite pork mince recipe – Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls! A super fast pork stir fry made with ground pork infused with flavours from the streets of Vietnam.

With just a handful of ingredients you probably already have, it’s sweet, salty, beautifully caramelised and absolutely irresistible. It’s the quick and easy version of Vietnamese Caramel Pork, a famous Vietnamese food speciality!

Close up of pork mince stir fry - Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls

Vietnamese stir fry – Pork Mince recipe

Ground pork – which we call “mince” here in Australia – is extremely good value.

It’s also just about the least sexy protein I know. Don’t you think? A dry aged piece of New York strip is sexy. Quail is gourmet. Oysters are….well, we’ve all heard that oysters are an aphrodisiac, right? 😉

Mince is…well, it just isn’t fancy. And yet, it makes it into my shopping trolley every single week because it’s such good value and so versatile. Sure, there are the usual suspects you can make with mince. Bolognese, meatballs, burgers, Meatloaf, Shepherds Pie – to name a few of the more common ones.

But sometimes, it’s nice to do something a little different. Like this Vietnamese pork stir fry.

The crazy thing about this pork mince recipe is that the ingredients list is so short. Chili, garlic, ginger, sugar and fish sauce. That’s it. Seriously!

Can I make this pork stir fry with chicken or beef mince?

Yes! This is fabulous made with chicken, beef and turkey!

Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls - garlic, ginger, chili, fish sauce and sugar is all you need to make these irresistible bowls packed with flavour!

Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls - close up of pork mince recipe, stir fry

“This is a terrific ground pork recipe that tastes and sounds so exotic…. yet it’s so easy!”

The secret to this ground pork  is the caramelisation. It is rare to see recipes made with ground meat that are cooked this way so the meat is caramelised.

But those golden brown bits you see – they are the crowning glory in this recipe that takes it from a rather unappetising pale brown-grey colour to a golden brown pile of deliciousness that you will want to eat with a spoon straight out of the skillet. (Go on – you deserve it – cook’s privileges!)

What you need

Short list – see? I didn’t exaggerate!!

Lemongrass is optional – it’s not a pantry staple and also it’s not an ingredient in traditional Vietnamese Caramel Pork. But lemongrass flavour is certainly at home in this dish!

Ingredients in Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls - pork mince recipe, stir fry

How to make this Vietnamese pork mince stir fry

This pork mince stir fry comes together as quickly as any stir fry. Once you start cooking, you’ll be done in 6 minutes flat.

How to make Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls (pork mince recipe)

Authentic Vietnamese roots

I am not 1000% sure that this is strictly authentic Vietnamese but the combination of ingredients I use most certainly are and it is my replica of dishes I have tried at Vietnamese restaurants here in Australia. It is an adaptation of the marinade I use in my Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Bowl and essentially the quick version of Vietnamese Caramel Pork, a famous Vietnamese food speciality.

Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls served over rice in a rustic bowl - ground pork recipe / pork mince recipe

How to serve it

Serve this pork stir fry over rice and eat it with a spoon! This pork mince recipe doesn’t have a sauce, but  you don’t need it because the flavour is intensified and the pork mince mixes all through the rice which flavour it.

To complete your meal, try these:

  • a fresh side salad like this Asian Slaw;
  • add a side of cucumber and tomato wedges, pictured (very classic South East Asian way to add vegetables to a meal); or
  • shredded lettuce, cucumber and carrots which makes it more like the classic Vietnamese Noodle Bowls.

Hope you enjoy! – Nagi x

PS For a healthy low carb option try Cauliflower Rice – 77% fewer calories and 87% less carbs than rice.

Watch how to make it

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Close up of pork mince stir fry - Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls

Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 20 mins
Stir Fry
Vietnamese
4.93 from 233 votes
Servings4
Tap or hover to scale
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Recipe video above. An exciting way to use ground meat (mince) to make a quick stir fry that taste unbelievable! This is great made with chicken, turkey or pork. It also works with beef though it is better made with "white meats". Serve it over rice or vermicelli noodles to make rice bowls with shredded lettuce, carrots and cucumbers on the side (very classic Vietnamese meal!).

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tbsp cooking oil (I use peanut oil)
  • 1/2 onion , finely diced (brown, white or yellow) (~1/2 cup)
  • 2 tsp ginger , grated or minced
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced (2 tsp paste)
  • 1 birds eye or Thai chili , deseeded and finely chopped (Note 1)
  • 1 lb / 500g ground pork (mince) (Note 2)
  • 5 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce

Serving:

  • 1 green onion stem , finely sliced
  • Rice
  • Sliced red chilli, tomato, cucumber (optional)

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat.
  • Add the onion, ginger, garlic and chili and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Add the pork mince and cook for 2 minutes or so until white all over, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon.
  • Add the sugar and fish sauce. Stir, then leave it to cook without touching until all the juices cook out and the pork starts caramelised - about 2 minutes. Then stir it and leave it again, without stirring, for around 30 seconds to get more caramelisation. Repeat twice more until caramelised to your taste.
  • Serve over rice or vermicelli noodles, garnished with sliced scallions/shallots. For a low carb, low cal option, try Cauliflower Rice! I like to have chunks of plain cucumber and carrots on the side which is a classic way of making Vietnamese bowls.

Recipe Notes:

1. Birds eye chilis are small red chilis that are usually around 3 to 4cm (1.5 - 2") long. They are very spicy! You can substitute with any chili you want, or even exclude it if you are making this for kids. Just adjust to your taste.
This dish is great to serve with sriracha on the side so people can add the amount of heat they want.
2. Other meat - recipe works great with chicken and turkey too. Beef will also work well.
3. Lemongrass is a lovely and very traditional Vietnamese herb used in dishes like this. 1 stalk, white part only, very VERY finely chopped. Add it into the skillet with the garlic. 
If you have lemongrass paste (see ingredient photo in post), add it with the brown sugar.
4. Nutrition is for the pork stir fry only, excludes the rice and assumes you use a lean pork (10% fat).

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 153gCalories: 341cal (17%)Carbohydrates: 17g (6%)Protein: 22g (44%)Fat: 13g (20%)Saturated Fat: 3g (19%)Cholesterol: 110mg (37%)Sodium: 782mg (34%)Potassium: 425mg (12%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 16g (18%)Vitamin A: 30IU (1%)Vitamin C: 3mg (4%)Calcium: 40mg (4%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
Keywords: Ground pork recipe, ground pork stir fry, Pork mince recipe, pork mince stir fry
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

Originally published November 2015. Updated September 2019 with new writing, some new photos, brand new video and most importantly, new Life of Dozer section added!

Life of Dozer

Dozer on the wrong side of the counter at the pet shop!!!

(PS yes you spy cat treats, buying a present for a friend!)

Dozer Pet O wrong side of counter buying present

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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670 Comments

  1. Kelli Hall says

    5 stars
    This is the second time I’ve made this and my husband and I polished off the entire batch!!
    Outstanding with coconut ginger rice .

    Reply

  2. Barb says

    OMG, this is mind blowing and gosh how easy to make. MOTH didn’t stop raving about it until the last bite. The flavors just explode and by adding the tomato & cucumber added such freshness.
    This is seriously the bees knees!

    Reply

  3. Buffy says

    5 stars
    I had a 10oz pack of ground pork sitting in my fridge and no idea what I wanted to make. I randomly found this recipe, and even though I didn’t have the chili peppers, it turned out amazing.
    I subbed gochugang for the chili peppers and used coconut sugar instead of brown sugar. I’m making this again next week with the actual peppers. I used the meat with lettuce wraps! So yum! Thank you!

    Reply

  4. Kat says

    5 stars
    This was my first time cooking with fish sauce and I have to say it smelled vile! However, pleased to report it tasted FAR better than it smelled! Quick and easy to make, I used chilli flakes instead of fresh chillis and served with rice, cucumber and tomatoes. Did find it a little dry and lacking in veggies so next time would use some lime juice, soy sauce (as suggested by other reviewers) and extra veg. Thanks for the recipe Nagi

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      Hi Kat, yes it is supposed to be a dry style stir fry. You could definitely add extra veg if you like, just increase the sauce portion. N x

      Reply

  6. Bev says

    Quick and tasty recipe. Next time I will cut the sugar a bit and add lime juice , I did add a bit of soy sauce and extra fish sauce. Added a red pepper and a small portion of jalapeño when cooking the onion. Just before serving I threw in fresh spinach just to add more veggies. Served it on noodles with cherry tomatoes and cilantro. Had a small bowl of jalapeño for hubby who like more spice than I do. Will definitely make this again.

    Reply

      • Bev Strachan says

        I would cut by one tablespoon and add a bit of lime juice. The extra veggies in this were a good way to sneak in a few extra vitamins! Hope you enjoy.

        Reply

  7. Larissa Dunlop says

    We all loved this 2 adults and 4 kids- it’s a miracle! I’d like to make it with less sugar – would it still work please?

    Reply

  8. bec says

    this is on permanent rotation in our household – it is SO GOOD!!! i put cucumber, carrot and red caspicum on the side. thankyou nagi!!! 🙂

    Reply

  10. Kim says

    Yum yum yum!!! This has been one of my favorite dishes I made so far!! Me and my boyfriend loved it. So easy to make as well!!

    Reply

  12. Claire Childs says

    Made this recipe. It was absolutely scrumptious. I used soy sauce instead of fish sauce. Added juice of half a lime and used chilli flakes as o had no fresh chilli. Thank you for such a fab recipe. Served it with rice , sliced yellow pepper, tomatoes , spring onion and grated carrot.

    Reply

  13. Ange says

    I made this today, but it didn’t caramelized until dark brown as your pictures showed. Am I doing something wrong? It still tasted great, but just wanted to check.

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      Hi Ange, sorry you had issues here, sounds like it just needed to cook a little longer until it gets to that golden sticky stage 🙂 N x

      Reply

    • Barb says

      5 stars
      Hi Ange – I made this last night and I definitely had to cook the mince much longer to get the required depth of color and caramelization. Not all stoves are the same; sometimes I wish I had a gas stove. It turned out amazingly.

      Reply
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