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 printed out this recipe a couple of weeks ago, but then I sort of forgot about it during a beef phase. I ran across it again last night and decided it was time to try it out. Well, it’s going to be a long time before I hit another beef phase, because I’m obsessing over this. It was delicious! I even got my mom to have seconds (extremely unusual). I used shredded romaine and bok choy green instead of iceberg lettuce (for nutrient density, because Mom doesn’t eat much), and I didn’t have cucumber, so I added some julienned red beet and bok choy stem. The pork and rice were perfectly complimented by the veggies. This carmelized pork has exactly the kind of taste that allows one to use a wide range of rice and noodle combinations. I wrapped a forkful of leftovers in a bit of cabbage last night before bed, and it was awesome, too. This is a keeper that is going to be one of this household’s “go-to” recipes.
WOO HOO!!! I’m so glad you loved this too!!! I agree, the flavor of the pork is really versatile 🙂 I love making this with noodles too!!
This was tonight’s dinner and another hit!
I may have put too much chilli in (crying while cooking can’t be a good sign, can it?! It buuuuurns) but it somehow still worked and there were lots of sadfaces when there wasn’t enough for seconds.
Can see this being made a lot as it was super quick to make, perfect when I’m trying to feed growing boys in the small slot between school and football club 😀
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Sacha! Thank you for letting me know!!! 🙂
Hi Nagi
This was our meal tonight, I served as you recommended with lettuce, carrot and cucumber, and steamed rice.
I doubled the recipe (as always) and was a huge hit all round. There’s a serving for leftovers tomorrow, and guess what? I’m the first to creep out the door in the morning so it’s all mine!
Thank you again, we all love you xox
YAY!!! I’m so glad you loved it Vanessa! It means a lot to me because this is one of those “from scratch” creations of my own. 🙂 If that makes sense? Thank you for taking the time to let me know you enjoyed it Vanessa!!! N x
So delicious. I just love it! The family loved it too. Great flavours & so darned easy. Thank you Nagi!
YAY! I’m so glad!!! I’m especially happy because this is one of those inventions from scratch 🙂 You know what I mean!!
Apart from thinking this looks/sounds absolutely delish (as always with your food), I also agree with other posters who saw your snapchat of the photo ‘process’ … you make it look so effortless!
It’s a talented food photographer indeed who can effortlessly make brown foods look good.
Oh and yes, agreed that it’s ‘mince’ not ground meat. I thought it was funny that you say ‘fruit mince’ for mince pie middles when I was over there one Christmas. We just call that ‘mince’ too … which I suppose might be a little confusing!
Mince / ground meat…. Helen! UK/US/Aus needs to agree on consistent food language to make OUR lives easier!!! N x
We love pork at our house so this will be fun to try! 🙂
Ooh, I hope you do!! N x
I watched your snapchat video on YouTube and instantly got hungry! My husband and I love the Vietnamese kitchen, so I will try your recipe for sure! Happy weekend!
Who would have though SnapChat could wet your appetite? 🙂
Pork mince always makes it into my shopping basket but it NEVER looks this sexy when I plate it up 🙂 Your snapchat yesterday was just hilarious – I’d be right behind Hoover following you around too!
Ohhhh, I’m so glad you saw the humour in it! 🙂 In this house, find the food and you’ll find Dozer. So predictable! 🙂
This looks yummy! Nice to have you back…Looks like you had a super trip….I’ll try this after Thanksgiving…:)
Hi Lyn! Thanks!! I did have a wonderful trip. 🙂 Hope you do try this! It really is so easy. 🙂
So simple but utterly delicious. I love how crispy mince goes when you cook it like this. You look like you had a brilliant holiday!
Thanks Tania! I think there aren’t enough recipes in this world that are made like this. 🙂 Such a waste!!
It was always ground whatever for me but I did know what mince was. This is a beautiful dish when the hungries attack.
Maureen! You’ve been in Aus long enough to be converted! Mince!
You had me at “sweet and salty!” I absolutely love sweet and savoury food at the moment and your por is exacty what I am craving right now!
Thanks Mel! I just read that gorgeous post you did on Beeta. Isn’t she the best? 🙂
I grew up calling it mince too & it makes its way into my trolley each week too 🙂 🙂 Your photos are so beautiful Nagi!
Happy weekend!
Hope you had a great weekend too Johlene!
Hi Nagi! Ground pork is super cheap here, I usually buy it to make either Italian sausage or chorizo. This, however gives me a great new recipe! I swear girl you could make dog food look elegant with your photography skills! Have a restful weekend! 🙂
Aww, thank you Dorothy!! I think that making canned dog food look elegant might be just about the most difficult challenge for a food photographer!!! N x
Nagi, this dish is just perfect for simplicity. I’m really trying to cook more simple meals, and this looks like it would be great. I’m a little bit paranoid about using fish sauce; I tried it in a Brussels sprouts dish, and it was way too strong. I think I’d probably start with half the amount, because I think it’s an important component of the flavor of the dish, but neither my husband nor I are fond of the flavor. It’s impossible here to find and buy single Thai bird chilies, so I like the idea of adding Sriracha instead (at least that’s what I would do). Welcome home!
Thank you, Nagi. I had already figured to start with 1 T of the fish sauce. I know that it’s an important ingredient and does good things to flavor when used correctly. I think my bad experience was from a use that was not so traditional, and the flavor was just too much.
Hi Susan! I thought about you when I shared this, knowing you are aiming for more simple food but was worried about fish sauce. 🙂 I promise you cannot taste it. When you add it, you will smell it but it cooks out. Soy sauce simply does not have the same depth of flavour! If you are worried, start with 1 tbsp and just add extra salt if you feel you need it. <3
I have sad news to report: I thought this tasted very nice, but my husband was put off by the funky smell of the fish sauce (even though I used less). He ate his portion, but said he’d prefer not to eat it again, and I have to honor that. I also threw the fish sauce in the trash, because I don’t want to be banished to cooking outside on the grill in winter and I do want to stay married. One recipe or ingredient is not worth more than my marriage. I think we’re signed up for a Vietnamese cooking class when we’re in Saigon this spring, so it will be interesting to see what he does with it (assuming they don’t cancel it again).
Oh no! That’s so sad! 🙁 I guess your husband has to stay away from all South East Asian food?? Because Thai only uses fish sauce, not soy sauce!!! HOW will he survive Vietnam? Vietnamese is probably the MOST fishy of all the South East Asian cuisines – ba ha ha!!!
Beautiful recipe! We usually don’t purchase ground pork unless we have a particular recipe. We do make the pork in small cubes. Now, we grind our own beef, why haven’t we ground our own pork?? That certainly is a stumper. We’ll have to make this recipe on an exotic night — after we’ve had our *ahem* appetizer of raw oysters 😉 And how could I have missed you on snapchat?? Are you still on there? Will you also show us how you make bread in stilettos?? I’d really like to see that. I sure hope I can find you setting up your shoot!! Have a great weekend.
You grind your own beef??
As for bread in stilettos…..OMG, is that too much to share on SnapChat? So embarrassing!!! 😉
Vietnamese food is my absolute favorite. Luckily Denver has some great restaurants and markets. This sounds fabulous and I can’t wait to try it!
Vietnamese markets in Denver? Wow! I didn’t realise!
Love how simple and easy this recipe is – caramelization is key indeed! And your photos are stunning as always!
And LOVED the behind the scenes of these photos (I just watched it on FB) I would never have thought to use diet coke/water for green tea! And is Ollie yours too? Cos I have an Ollie – he’s a Newfoundland mix!
Hope you have a wonderful weekend and recover from being jetlagged – though I must say, I cannot wait for you to come back to the East coast next year!
Thanks Shashi!!! The caramelisation is the secret to this – and the simplicity is definitely the reason I love it so much! Plans already underway for FBC2016….keep your ear to the ground!
I am glad you are back home safe and sound. I am still bummed that I was not able to attend the conference, but hoping to attend next year where ever it is… and that meal up there, I can devour them. It look so good.
I’m bummed you couldn’t make it too 🙁 YES hopefully next year!! Plans already underway!! N x
I loved watching you photograph this recipe on snapchat – and it is stunning!!! seriously, you are such a master of light, I could just stare at these photos all day! And the pork looks and sounds amazing!! xoxo
Aww, thanks Jen!!! I think SnapChat could be my latest obsession, I love that it doesn’t let you censor and edit!!! Once I got past that hurdle, because I’m so used to primping and editing anything before I let it be seen publicly, it was liberating!! N x
I was just going to say the same thing! And love meeting hoover! haha
SnapChat is secretly just my way of being able to put up photos of Dozer 😉