Here’s a super fast pork stir fry made with pork mince (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 (can omit, Note 1)
- 500g / 1 lb pork mince (ground pork) (Note 2)
- 5 tbsp (tightly packed brown sugar (don't skimp, else won't caramelise)
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
Serving:
- 1 green onion stem , finely sliced
- Jasmine rice or other rice for serving
- Sliced red chilli, tomato, cucumber (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat.
- Sauté – Add the onion, ginger, garlic and chili and cook for 2 minutes.
- Cook pork – Add the pork mince and cook for 2 minutes or so until white all over, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon.
- Add sauce & caramelise – 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 jasmine or other rice, or vermicelli noodles, garnished with sliced green onion. 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!)
I can’t get the caramelization because the onion releases too much water when I cook it… What should I do?
Hi Darren – just keep repeating it as per the recipe instructions until it is as caramelised as you like! N x
can’t wait to try this out. always looking for new ideas
This recipe was SOOOO yum!! My entire family loved it and it was one of the easiest thing I’ve ever made. Delicious and I will definitely be making this again. I didn’t use chilli because my family doesn’t like very spicy but I will make it for myself and try it with chilli next time!
Thank you!!
Hi Nagi, I have tried and love all your recipes, Love dozer,but I cooked the Pork bowls tonight, It was very dry, and I thought adding it to rice would be more so. Thankyou
Thanks for the recipe, it was easy and taste really good. Can go well with anything. I follow your suggestion adding the tomatoes and cucumber on the side plus sunny side up eggs! Yum!
My husband loves it and eats a lot, lol! My daughter will surely love it too, she’s still at school and will take it as her pack lunch next time!
Thanks for sharing and keep up the good work!
Regards,
Sheila
Hi, thanks for the recipe! I subbed ground beef for pork but didn’t get the caramelisation. 🙁 I may have poured the mixture of fish sauce and sugar too early. We’ll see how the taste turns out. Will serve on a bed of lettuce w/ rice and a side of veggies: bok choy and broccoli.
Wow! Great dinner! We had it in lettuce leaves like the san choy bow recipe w a little Viet salad dressing. Yumm loved by every one! Another smash hit from tinests!🏊♂️🤽♂️🤼♂️🏄♂️🏋️♀️
I’ve made this twice now & it has become a favorite! Super easy & crazy delish! Best with a stainless steel pan. Replaced the thai chili w sambal oelek since it is always in fridge. Coworker made it for her family & they flipped over it too!
This is delicious! I made it with Nando’s sauce because it has birds eye chilis in it. I also used 1/2 pork and beef.. My family and I love this dish – so tasty!
This is delicious and so simple. I only had ground beef and powdered ginger and it was still great. I can’t wait to try it with ground pork, fresh ginger and lemongrass.
WOW!! Finally tried this and we LOVED it. Simplicity at it’s best. Thank you so much for yet another fabulous recipe:)
Thanks! N x
This sounds absolutely delicious!! I think I might try this with vermicelli noodles, cucumber, carrot and a fried egg on top as sort of a mix between a Vietnamese noodle bowl and a bibimbap 😋😋
BEST dish ever. Easy, quick and soooooo delish!!
I love Vietnamese flavours too! N x
This is a delightful and easy dish and my 6yo loved it, she even had seconds (we all did). Served with sliced cucumber and tomato. Absolutely delicious.
Thanks! N x
My husband and I absolutely love this! Thank you for the wonderful recipe. We will definitely make it again!
Any advice on doubling the recipe?
Hi, Mike.
I double this recipe all the time (planning on it tonight!) and it is fairly straight forward, but the one thing I’ve learned is that you definitely need to let the pork cook a longer time than you would think to really get that caramelized flavor. If not, it will be a bit more saucy than you might want (still delicious, though!). Hope that helps 🙂
Thanks. I definitely had to let it sit on high heat for much longer, but I did get the pork to carmelize.
This recipe here is a 10 Stars ! My family loves it we make it at least once a month with all being excited for dinner . I’ve made as is bc Theis recipe needs nothing added …but sometimes I add about 1 Tablespoon minced lemongrass . . We have had over vermicelli noodles and rice many of times ! We love it w pickled daikon and carrots or fresh sliced carrots & cucumbers as suggested ! My daughter requests as her dinner for her birthday that’s how much it’s a fave in my house . All I’ve cooked it for fall in love ! It’s so easy and super delicious! Ty for sharing your recipe Nagi ! WE CANNOT GET ENOUGH !!
I cooked this last night. Reduced sugar to two spoons (after reading one of the comments).
Found the fish sauce smell overpowering and could not enjoy the taste of the food.
Made the Caramelized Pork Bowls the flavor was delicious but my family found the dish dry. What suggestions would you have to make it more saucy but not change the flavor. I tried a few things but they great caramelized flavor changed.
Made the Caramelized Pork Bowels. the flavor was delicious but my family found the dish dry. What suggestions would you have to make it more saucy but not change the flavor. I tried a few things but they great caramelized flavor changed.