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 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.
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.
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
This was so so delicious! I added a ton of lime juice, extra chilis and a fried egg on top. HEAVEN! Thank you!!
We made it and left out the peppers for our 87 yr old mother but had sriracha sauce on the table. All liked it a lot. Thanks.
We’re trying this tonight. It looks like a good base that you could add thin sliced carrot matchsticks and maybe chopped broccoli.
Yes 100% B!! N x
I have nappa cabbage that I need to use up and a bell pepper. Can I add these? If so should I cook the pork first and set aside and cook my veggies, or can I add them with the mince ?
Hi Shelly, you can add these, I would throw them into the pan and cook for the last 5 minutes or so. N x
Delicious and easy. Used coconut sugar instead brown sugar.
That’s great May!! N x
I have cooked this so many times and we love it with rice noodles grated carrot, lettuce and cucumber wish In could add a picture!
Warning-this dish is crazy addictive!!! My coworker recommended this to me and I thought great something different to try. Well a year later and I make this all the time. Nagi you make it so simple to make delicious cuisine. Thank goodness my coworker recommended this because I now use Recipetineats for all of my recipes.
Thank you. This was a delicious recipe. So full of flavour. Would coconut rice hi well with this?
Yes 100% Simone!! N x
So easy and delicious!
Hi! Does the nutrition facts count the rice as well, or just the pork?
Hi Thuy, I mention this in note 4 just above the nutritional info. N x
Oh my goodness! I’m sorry I completely missed that. I made this recipe with ground turkey and cauliflower rice. Wow! It was so good!
Wow! Brimming with flavor and more. Good for a summer day— cooked it early and let it rest in the fridge then it was the delightful topping on room temp rice vermicelli with lots of fresh minced herbs, greens and light, sweet vinegary dressing. Thanks Nagi!
wonderful. I made the Asian Slaw the day before so had it ready. Used my local honey instead of brown sugar. Plating: Asian Slaw lightly dressed on Botton of plate…topped with jasmine rice then the pork stir fry. I just loved the combination. Add hot chili oil to taste. Sublime.
Thank you, Nagi, for another easy and very tasty recipe. Next time, with lemongrass. This time, no leftovers and the bowls are clean. Perfect.
Cooked this and my family Loved it! Everyone from fussy daughter to foodie husband. Simple, quality flavours. I also like all of the suggested servings. Now a regular in my cooking repertoire. Thanks. Rach
Very easy to make. Husband just loved this and went back for seconds. I would have liked a sauce to drizzle over it maybe? Very tasty but it’s all about the sauce for me (which could explain my waistline)! Thanks Nagi.
what can I sub fish sauce with, as I’m allergic to fish etc
Hi Carmen, sub soy sauce here. N x
Excellent, DELISH!
Hi Nagi, thank you so much it was delicious.
Hello,
I made this tonight? It tastes delicious and I just wanted to confirm if it is meant to be quiet a dry dish? If not what should I add to make it not so dry?
Hi D, yes it is supposed to be a dry pork mix – not saucy as you want to reduce the liquid to make it caramelise. 🙂 N x