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!)
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.
Delicious and super simple! I added sliced carrots in with the onion mixture at the beginning.
I love this. My first attempt and I know this is going to be a favourite go to fast dinner.
Made it exactly as written (maybe a bit longer to ensure good caramelization) and it was delicious! Had enough leftovers and spent that day looking forward to dinner. Definitley a keeper. Thanks
My partner is vietnamese. I made this just for an easy quick meal as I had some left over pork mince and we both loved it! Just added some corriander yummy ! Thank you !
I’ve just made this for my dinner and I didn’t think it was going to be palatable due to the smell of the fish sauce which I’m not over keen on, mine didn’t caramelise I think maybe the minced pork was low fat but the flavour was absolutely fantastic. I’ll definitely be cooking this again but will find a substitute for the fish sauce and won’t use low fat pork
Absolutely love your recipes. They are perfect. Great ideas!!
Hi to Dozer!
Thanks so much Iris! N x
I used to live and work in Vietnam earlier this decade. Just the smell alone while cooking this brought me back. The Heo (pork) is always very sweet, salty and spicy in Saigon.
Great recipe!
YummO! Very nice although I used cayenne chillies and carolina reaper flakes (a tad too much): hence it was spicy! Would definitely cook again with less chilli flakes. Thank you for sharing, a great dish!
Wow I just tried this tonight and it is amazing! I have never tried Vietnamese flavours before. Also, I didn’t have fish sauce so I substituted with 1 table spoon soy sauce and 1 table spoon rice vinegar. Still ended up fantastic! Thanks so much for this recipe!
Wow! This was stellar. Super fast and came out perfect. I think I may break up my pork a little bit less after taking a closer look. It’s definitely part of our rotation now. Thank you!
Thanks so much for this simple but amazing recipe! I didn’t have any chilis on hand so I used a small jalapeno instead. Served it over rice with tomatoes and cucumbers like you recommended and it made the perfect dinner.
Delicious recipe. I’ve made this twice so far. The first time came out perfect, the second, while flavorful, really did not caramelize. I suspect its because I drained the fat the second time but left it in the first.
There as a lot of liquid in my pan which was under med. high heat on a high btu burner. I probably should have just let it go.
Confirming, though, that draining the liquid is a no-no?
Hi Bo, I never drain mine – simply let the sauce simmer away until it caramelises 🙂 N x
Thanks!
Love the recipe, but the second time, when I tried to double it by doubling every ingredient, it didn’t work out as well. Any tips for doubling it?
Thanks.
Hi Laura, doubling it should be fine, you’ll just need to cook the sauce down longer for it to caramelise – N x
I have everything but the fresh Thai bird chili. I have dried Thai chili peppers. Will this work? Can’t wait to make this.
You could just add any chillier even some chilli sauce here 🙂 N x
This was deelish! I don’t really like pork, but this recipe made me change my mind. Thanx
I wanted to let you know that I adapted this to be a vegan recipe! I used Trader Joe’s Beef-less crumbles instead of pork, and for fish sauce I subbed half soy sauce and half lime juice. Otherwise followed recipe and directions as written. It’s a family favorite! Great recipe!
Sounds great Susan!! N x
Thank you for this amazing recipe