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!
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!
“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!
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.
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.
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
Get your Vietnamese fix!
- Bun Cha – Vietnamese Meatballs (Noodle Bowl)
- Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls
- Vietnamese Caramel Pork – and the Chicken version!
- Lemongrass Chicken – one of my favourite things to grill!
- Vietnamese Noodle Salad
- Browse all Vietnamese recipes
More quick pork mince recipes
- Pork Stir Fry with Green Beans
- Bun Cha – Vietnamese Meatballs (Noodle Bowl)
- San Choy Bow (Chinese Lettuce Cups)
- Chinese Pork Mince with Noodles
- Egg Foo Young (Chinese Omelette with Pork)
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Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls
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:
Nutrition Information:
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!)
Excellent recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Omg! Loved this. Feeding a family is expensive, and ground pork is always a cheaper meat, but I had limited uses in my arsenal for it. Until NOW! So so so good! Going to be a regular for sure, kids loved it. Quick and easy. Thank you!
Hi Nagi! I love your recipes… I print off so many and I have a special ‘Nagi Knows Best’ folder full of our faves.
My question to you. We are sugar free and I find I substitute stevia where you call for brown sugar, but this has an impact on flavour. Would you recommend another sub for brown sugar? Perhaps Rice Bran Syrup? We particularly love your Vietnamese recipes, so want to get as close to them as possible in flavour and caramelisation!
Hi Cheryl, I really haven’t tried with any sugar subs so would love to know what you think if you do try them! N x
Forgot to rate!
Loved this meal! I served it with a lot of sautéed veggies & rice and oh man! Yum! Only gripe was I had to remove everything from pan, crank the heat and do in 2 batches to get that yummy golden color- otherwise I had too much in the pan to get hot enough to Carmelize- but yummmm !
This might sound strange but I made this and stuffed baked potatoes with it…it was so delicious! I used a Serrano pepper and it was so sweet and spicy. My boyfriend said I could make this any time…and I know the dish is good when he says that. Thank you!
I love this idea Adina, sounds fantastic!! N x
Awesome!! Family loved this dish…
I want to rate 7 stars!!! This recipe is super easy and delishhhhh.
Thanks so much Riskiana!! N x
Loved it. But mine didn’t get that deep golden brown color
Hi Aguirre, sounds like it just needed to be reduced over the heat a little longer to caramelise. N x
Very tasty. Very fussy husband enjoyed it.
This was our dinner last night and very tasty! No leftovers for us.
Lovely! I used some leftover pork belly instead of mince and added some Chinese 5 spice… Probably stops it from being Vietnamese but it was a flipping tasty way to use up pork!
Yum!!! That sounds great Shea! N x
I love this recipe and make it all the time! I’ve started doubling it because my husband and I fought over the leftovers, ha!
I’m so glad you love it Kendra! N x
Absolutely delicious! I cut the sugar by half and always make a double batch! Plus always add lemongrass and serve with fluffy coconut rice another recipe by tin eats!
I’m so glad you love it! N x
Can you tell me how much Lemongrass paste you put in?
Hi Chellie, 1 tablespoon of paste 🙂 N x
Great easy tasty meal that all of the family enjoyed. The first time we made it, we found it was very sweet so this time I reduced the brown sugar and it was a lot more enjoyable.