Here’s 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!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
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.
Make my Vietnamese Chicken Salad but without the chicken for a fresh, slaw-like salad side.
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
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
Get your Vietnamese fix!
Vietnamese Caramel Pork – and the Chicken version!
Lemongrass Chicken – one of my favourite things to grill!
Browse all Vietnamese recipes
More quick pork mince recipes
San Choy Bow (Chinese Lettuce Cups)
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!)
Pramod says
This is a winner recipe. I made this today and the whole family enjoyed. The colour was a little lighter than the picture to start but nothing a little plum and soy sauce couldn’t fix.
Kathy says
I plan to make this in the upcoming week or so. When I cook ground pork it gets greasy (can’t find a leaner ground pork) — can I drain before adding sauce ingredients?
Nagi says
Hi Kathy, if you find the mince too fatty, yes I would drain before adding the sauce in – it will just take away any excess grease. N x
Kathy says
I drained my minced pork, as per Nagi’s directions, and made the recipe otherwise as directed. Delicious! I served with basmati rice, but there’s not much sauce/juice so I didn’t really need it. Thank you Nagi!
koogs says
another great recipe! Thanks Nagi.. feel so sorry for you having to respond to people who fail to read the recipe properly or complain when they change the recipe!!! You must have the patience of a saint!!
f says
used beyond burger mince to make this and it tasted delicious! served with raw carrot, tomato, cucumber and a little chili oil.
Randi Maves says
Made this tonight and it was so easy and delicious!! Will definitely make it again.
Mimi says
So yummy! I used Coconut Sugar for caramelization!
Nagi says
Perfect Mimi! N x
Nick Walker says
I added a 3 x sliced button mushrooms and a cup of beansprouts 30 secs before end of cooking…… worked for me….
sharon root says
this looks good
Jen Atherton says
I absolutely love this and so does my family. We have it at least once a week. I like it with the tomato and cucumber for added crunch and squeeze lime over. Yum 😋
Amy says
This was excellent!
Ab says
Vietnamese caramelised MINCED pork! Shows lovely picture of ingredients, but no mention of how much of each ingredient is needed, or how many servings that would be for??
Bonnie Meinders says
It says servings 4
Fifi says
It says serves 4 and the measurements are all there. I’ve copied and pasted below:
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
Jules says
This recipe hits the spot! SO EASY and a total crowd pleaser. My family was floored that I could make this at home and now ask for it every week! I’ve tried several of your recipes and they’re all super flavorful. ROCK ON, NAGI!
bec says
this is now on regular rotation in our house, so easy, so light, so delicious!! thanks nagi!
Zoe says
I don’t have brown sugar! Would caster do the job?
Nagi says
Hi Zoe, try caster sugar with a teaspoon of molasses in its place 🙂 N x
Nicole Carroll says
Incredibly easy and tastes great! Satisfies the Vietnamese food craving for sure. Used 1/4 tsp of cayenne instead of thai chilis and it wasn’t too spicy for my partner who does not like spice. Definitely will add it to the meal rotation.
Kelli says
Amazing!!! Didn’t have fish sauce so subbed with equal parts tamari and rice vinegar. Worked great!! Served with rice and cucumbers tossed in rice vinegar, chili oil, and olive oil. Such a great meal!
Mary says
Making tonight…FYI lemongrass is missing from the ingredient list.
Nagi says
Hi Mary, it’s not missing, it’s just an optional extra as noted in the post 🙂 N x
Kelly says
Hi there – it doesn’t state how much lemongrass tho, unless I’m blind. Which I am, I wear glasses. I used paste and guessed!
Hannah G says
I was worried about 5 Tbls of sugar and did find it very, very sweet even after adding extra fish sauce. I will try again with half the sugar.
Tina says
I was too so I did equal parts fish sauce and sugar. Really delicious!
Nagi says
Hi Hannah, that’s because it is Vietnamese Caramelised pork – you can’t get the caramel without the sugar 🙂 N x
Helen says
Dear Nagi, my pork did not caramelise, although I fried it for a long time, I just ended up with very sweet pork. Where did I go wrong?
Kathleen says
We love this recipe!! What do you think of putting over ramen?
Nagi says
I think it would be amazing over ANYTHING! N x
Delia Vel says
Such flavor. The smell/aroma brought everyone into the kitchen to see what was for dinner. You seem to just have the right consistency of ingredients to fulfill the tastebuds. Thank you
Sharon Landis says
We made it the other night, was awesome!!!! We made a double batch which turned out great. However, wish it would have stated to drain grease from pork. It wasn’t a lot but with the fish sauce it was too much liquid. Once I draines it, went so much better! Will definitely make it again!!!!
Nagi says
That’s great to hear Delia, thanks so much!! N x