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!)
Great, and really easy! My 16 year old said It was his favorite thing I’ve ever made. I served it on rice noodles with some carrots on the side.
Easy and delicious. My kids who are very fussy had 2nd’s and asked if we could have it again another night. Love your recipes
This is amazing! Even my picky 4 year old loved it.
That’s great Carola!! N x
This is one of our absolutely favorite dishes! So tasty and so easy!
Wahoo, thanks so much Kathy! N x
Amazing!! So fast and so delicious! The whole family loved it, the only complaint was that I didn’t make enough for leftovers. I will definitely make this again.
Hi Nagi!
Looking forward to trying this! I was wondering if I could substitute chili at the start to maybe some Sriracha at the end? Left my chili out of the fridge and it looks a little sad/wrinkly.
Love all of your recipes by the way!
Cheers 🙂
Hi Charlotte, most definitely – just pimp your dish with any chilli sauce at the end instead 🙂 N x
Super easy to make and absolutely delicious! Will definitely be making this again.
I’m so glad you loved it Christina, that’s great to hear! N x
Absolutely brilliant recipe. It’s so quick and easy and my kids who are quite fussy absolutely loved it. Result!
I’m so glad it was a hit Fiona!! N x
Can you do this with same results without fish sauce? Could you substitute something else? Allergic to fish.
Hi Lydia, try subbing with soy sauce 🙂
Where is lemongrass in the recipe. Only saw it in the ‘notes’ after i got home from shop but not listed in ingredients. Hooefully still will taste ok without it.
Tonight was my first time making this. I doubled the recipe for my family of 5. Good thing I did because they went back for thirds and fourths. This was absolutely delish! It will definitely be added to my repertoire of go-to recipes. Thanks so much!
This dish was delicious and easy to make. Flavours were fantastic.
Delicious! Next time I will have to double the recipe! It was not enough for my family of 4…that’s how yummy it was
I LOVE hearing this Judy!! N x
Delicious as always…a fav here!
Wahoo, thanks Erika! N x
As usual …. yummy…my 13 year old daughter love love loves this!!!
That’s great to hear Erika!! N x
Made this tonight. Tasted great but couldn’t get it to caramelise. After now watching the video I would try again not using a non stick pan, in think that may do the trick. Added lemongrass, for me it’s a must and just wouldn’t taste the same without it.
Excellent! Made as directed, also julienned zucchini, peppers and carrots for the side, served over sticky brown rice with home made Nuoc Cham to serve over
Perfect Michelle!!
Excellent dish! I swapped one of the tbsps of sugar for black treacle (because I have loads to use up) and chucked a few unsalted peanuts in at the end. Wonderful depth of flavour – will make this regularly. Thanks!
Yum, that would have tasted great Katie! N x
This was so, so tasty! My kids gobbled it up – ZERO leftovers and I doubled the recipe for 4 people. I agree that just a little broth to help loosen it would be good (maybe my rice was just too sticky) and we liked a lot of limes as garnishes. Lemongrass was delicious. This is immediately going into the rotation here. Thank you!
That’s the best compliment Vanessa! N x