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!)
this is now on regular rotation in our house, so easy, so light, so delicious!! thanks nagi!
I don’t have brown sugar! Would caster do the job?
Hi Zoe, try caster sugar with a teaspoon of molasses in its place 🙂 N x
Incredibly easy and tastes great! Satisfies the Vietnamese food craving for sure. Used 1/4 tsp of cayenne instead of thai chilis and it wasn’t too spicy for my partner who does not like spice. Definitely will add it to the meal rotation.
Amazing!!! Didn’t have fish sauce so subbed with equal parts tamari and rice vinegar. Worked great!! Served with rice and cucumbers tossed in rice vinegar, chili oil, and olive oil. Such a great meal!
Making tonight…FYI lemongrass is missing from the ingredient list.
Hi Mary, it’s not missing, it’s just an optional extra as noted in the post 🙂 N x
Hi there – it doesn’t state how much lemongrass tho, unless I’m blind. Which I am, I wear glasses. I used paste and guessed!
I was worried about 5 Tbls of sugar and did find it very, very sweet even after adding extra fish sauce. I will try again with half the sugar.
I was too so I did equal parts fish sauce and sugar. Really delicious!
Hi Hannah, that’s because it is Vietnamese Caramelised pork – you can’t get the caramel without the sugar 🙂 N x
Dear Nagi, my pork did not caramelise, although I fried it for a long time, I just ended up with very sweet pork. Where did I go wrong?
We love this recipe!! What do you think of putting over ramen?
I think it would be amazing over ANYTHING! N x
Such flavor. The smell/aroma brought everyone into the kitchen to see what was for dinner. You seem to just have the right consistency of ingredients to fulfill the tastebuds. Thank you
We made it the other night, was awesome!!!! We made a double batch which turned out great. However, wish it would have stated to drain grease from pork. It wasn’t a lot but with the fish sauce it was too much liquid. Once I draines it, went so much better! Will definitely make it again!!!!
That’s great to hear Delia, thanks so much!! N x
I don’t see lemongrass in the ingredient list. How much should I use and when should I add it to the recipe?
Hi Cyn, I would use one stalk, finely peeled and chopped fine. Add it at step 2 with the onion and garlic, alternatively if you have lemongrass paste, you can add 1 tbsp. N x
I forgot to buy the mince so used diced chicken as that’s the only protein we had… still delicious!
I really loved the flavors in this but I think I did burn it a bit on the bottom. Should I turn down the heat to Medium-High? I’ve never caramelized anything besides onions before so I’m not sure what I did wrong.
I love this recipe but have a hard time getting my skillet clean after. Any suggestions?
I loved this recipe! I was a bit nervous because I had never cooked a Vietnamese dish before, but I’m a big fan of Japanese, Korean and Indian dishes so figured I would give it a try. It was delicious!
Awesome recipe Nagi! Definitely a keeper and now I must share this recipe with my family and friends.
This is now on my list of fun, easy, and interesting entrees for dinner guests here in western Pennsylvania in the USA. I’m not a fan of spicy foods but it’s true that something spicy is just right with this. I used a touch of sambal oelek. Instead of running to the store for more crunchy vegetables, I simply topped it with cilantro and green onion. I served it over jasmine rice. Grated carrots with a rice vinegar dressing worked well to add more crunch and contrast. Thanks so much! (If you like this recipe, you might also have fun with Spy Thai Beef from the website beefitswhatsfordinner.com.)
I just riffed off this recipe to make a sensational stir fry with ginger, garlic and red peppers to “scent” the oil, Japanese eggplant, shiitake mushrooms, bok choi, oyster sauce (instead of fish sauce), and lime juice with noodles instead of rice. Oh my, oh my. Thanks for the inspiration, I’ll use this recipe for a base again!!!
Quick and easy and tasy dinner. I cooked up a heap of veges with it too
So delicious!! I’ve made it about 10 times already!! Thanks!!
I love this recipe! I usually add extra veggies – today was bok choy. I’ve also done it with green beans added or red bell peppers. I serve it with coconut rice. There are never any leftovers!
Sooo good! Thank you.