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!)
Fantastic dish with big flavor and the kids loved it. We made lettuce wraps instead of bowls. Thank you!
What a great idea Chris!
Such a good use of ground pork!
Glad you enjoyed it Nan! N x
Absolutely delish. Thanks Nagi. The caramelisation worked a treat. My son wants to try the same technique on belly pork. I served this over lime and coriander rice with sides of cucumber, carrot and whole lettuce leaves for parcels. I also made nuoc cham for extra heat on the side. Fabulous recipe. Thanks again.
I was just thinking the same thing Joe! I am in Vietnam at the moment at had a dish here that tasted similar but was made with pork belly slices. 🙂 I want to give that a go! N x
This would be really good with a fried egg. I can’t wait to try this recipe. Thanks!
Oooh YES!
Hello! I recently discovered your wonderful website while looking for something new to make with pork mince. This dish was so quick and easy to make, and the whole family loved it. I am looking forward to trying some of your other recipes. Thanks again! 😊
Glad to hear you enjoyed this Heather! Thanks for letting me know – N x
I loved this recipe, it is now one of my favorites, I
used 4 Thai peppers in it and found it perfect, next time i will have to try to remember the lemon grass.
That’s great to hear Aaron! Thanks so much for letting me know! N x
FANTASTIC!!! This dish is delicious and so easy to make. It’s definitely going to become a regular favourite in my cooking repertoire. I’m very keen to try lemon grass next time to see how it changes the flavour dish. Thank you for this wonderful recipe
I’m so glad! Thank you for letting me know Julien! N x
This is the most delicious flavour packed meal in one!!!! Thank you so much we thoroughly enjoyed this 😘
Thanks again Noni xxxx
Love that you enjoyed this Noni! Thanks for letting me know – N x
Wow! This dish is amazing! I have made it several times for my family and they love it. I recently made it for a work lunch too and it was a hit! You can literally have it on the table in 10mins (rice takes the longest!) and all of the ingredients are staple items that I always have. A new meal in the rotation!
Hello! Okay I feel a bit bad cos I’ve made a few recipes on your site and this is the first time I’m commenting. I just wanted to say that this was very easy, quick, and good, though I cut the sugar down massively (used 1 tsp for 250g pork – just myself, enough for lunch the next day). I think it would have been too sweet for me otherwise, but I don’t usually eat sweet stuff. Unfortunately could not get bird eye’s chilis, think the heat would have been great. Thanks for this – also made your Asian beef bowl for my work lunches.
Don’t feel bad!! I’m just happy to hear you’re enjoying some of my recipes 🙂 I’m glad you were able to adjust this to your taste Seraphina 🙂 N x
You call it mince there as we call it mince in UK .Will give this dish a try it sounds very good thank you. Remember that your speaking real English we know.
This recipe is amazing so easy and delisious but i found that by adding qabout half a tbale spoon of soysauce at the end it really set off the flavor amzing recipe and food cant wait to make again trying to resist eating it all before i even have a chance to serve it 😀
Thanks for the tip Sierra!! 🙂
Many years ago I made something like this as the filling for an appetizer rice wrap. I placed vermicelli noodles, the ground pork filling, and fresh basil and mint leaves in rice paper and rolled them up.
YUM!!!
I cooked this for one of our Chinese students and he declared I am a better cook then his Mama!! Thanks Nagi. X
Good evening Nagi! This Vietnamese caramelised pork mince recipe was truly delicious. Definitely to add to tried and true, and to repeat very often.
I think I must cook the mushrooms with orecchiette every 2 weeks. Nothing I have tried in your recipes has been a failure.
Keep up your excellent work!
Wow — what a great recipe! We loved this – and so quick and easy. Served with sauteed carrots and broccoli and rice, topped with scallions and cilantro, plus generous squeeze of a lime and siracha. Fantastic! Thanks for a great recipe!
That’s so great to hear Laura! I’m so pleased you enjoyed this, thank you for letting me know! N x
very sweet, I don’t think I would put as much sugar in next time.
Hi Deb! This is definitely a sweet dish, it’s not intended to serve loads per person 🙂 Unfortunately if you reduce the sugar in this it does compromise the caramelisation 🙂
Tastes amazing!! Thank you so much for this dish.
🙌🏻 🙌🏻 LOVE hearing that! Thanks for letting me know Tc! N x
made this today very tasty, had it in lettuce leaves ,so easy
Absolutely loved this dish.. My partner kept saying, is there any more lol
Tried this tonight and it was so easy and tasted great. Had no garlic but it didn’t matter. Hubby was very impressed and said I can cook it again anytime. Maybe he can learn as it’s so so easy.
That’s great to hear Jan! Thanks so much for letting me know you enjoyed this! N x ❤️