This Vietnamese Pork recipe is an epic Vietnamese food speciality that’s easy to recreate in your own home. Slow cooked tender pork pieces in a sticky savoury-sweet glaze, Vietnamese Caramel Pork is a magical way to transform pork shoulder into something exotic and spectacular. And it’s SO easy!
Complete your Vietnamese banquet with fresh Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls to start and a side of fluffy coconut rice. And don’t miss the chicken version – Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken!
Vietnamese Caramel Pork recipe
Vietnamese Caramel Pork is one of those gems that seem exotic, yet is unbelievably simple AND you can get everything you need at your local supermarket. The pork is braised until tender, and looks completely unimpressive until the last 5 minutes when it magically caramelises and turns into something that you’d pay serious $ for at a posh Asian restaurant.
It’s sweet yet savoury, and the pork is fork tender. It’s called Thit Kho To in Vietnamese, and it’s traditionally made with pork belly. Personally, I prefer making it with pork shoulder (butt) because I find pork belly too fatty.
I just realised – I call this “fork tender”, but I guess it’s more appropriate to say “chopstick tender”… 😂
The secret ingredient – coconut WATER
There is one ingredient in Vietnamese Caramel Pork that you may not have in your pantry but is sold in all major supermarkets nowadays – coconut water. If you’re into healthy smoothies, you may well have some stashed away!!!
It’s not expensive, $2 – $3 depending on where you get it (Asian grocer stores are cheaper), and it’s essentially the “secret ingredient” for this recipe.
It doesn’t really taste like coconut, it’s sort of salty and sweet. Which makes it ideal to use as the broth for this recipe.
Substitute for coconut water?
Make it with coconut milk! I’ve tried it, and it’s great. A little saucier, a little sweeter, with a slight coconut flavour and smell that you don’t get in the traditional recipe. See the Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken recipe which is made with coconut milk.
How to make this Vietnamese Pork
I promised you this is simple – and it really is, which you’ll see in the video. It goes down like this:
Put brown sugar and water in a pot, bring to simmer to make a caramel;
Add pork, fish sauce*, garlic and eschallots**
Simmer for 1.5 hours until the pork is tender. Then magically, the pot of pale brown meat pieces in a murky liquid suddenly transforms into bronzed pieces of delectable, ultra tender pork that just melts in your mouth.
* NO it will not taste fishy! It’s the Vietnamese version of soy sauce!
** French shallots, shallots, depending on where you live. The baby onions. 🙂
How to serve Vietnamese Caramel Pork
Because the glaze has quite a strong flavour, I like to serve this with plain white rice. Steamed jasmine rice would be on point.
And for a fresh side, a crunchy Asian Slaw would be very fitting – and the fresh flavour will be great to balance the richness of the pork. Or toss steamed vegetables or a garden salad with this Asian Sesame Dressing or the Nuoc Cham in this Lemongrass chicken recipe.
“This Vietnamese pork recipe is a Vietnamese food speciality. One bite, and you’ll understand why!”
I love recipes like this. Forgiving, tastes exotic, kapow! flavours. It sounds and looks exotic, but the flavours are universally appealing.
Asian Food Lovers – this is for YOU! It’s an absolute ripper that I think you’ll love! – Nagi x
Get your Vietnamese fix!
Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken – the chicken version of this recipe
Lemongrass Chicken – one of my favourite things to grill!
Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls – the super quick version of the above
Browse all Vietnamese recipes
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Vietnamese Caramel Pork recipe video!
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Vietnamese Caramel Pork
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup / 100g brown sugar, tightly packed
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 kg / 2 lb pork shoulder (butt) or boneless skinless pork belly, cut into 3 cm / 1.2″ pieces (Note 1a)
- 1.5 cups / 375 ml coconut water (Note 1b)
- 1 eschallot / shallot , very finely sliced (Note 2)
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
Garnishes:
- Red chilli and finely sliced shallots/green onions
Instructions
- Place sugar and water in a large pot over medium heat. Stir, then when it bubbles and the sugar is melted (it looks like caramel), add the rest of the ingredients.
- Stir, then adjust the heat so it is simmering fairly energetically. Not rapidly, not a slow simmer (I use medium heat on a weak stove, between medium and low on a strong stove).
- Simmer for 1.5 hours, uncovered. Stir once or twice while cooking.
- At around 1.5 hours, when the liquid has reduced down and the pork is tender, (see Note 3 if pork is not yet tender), the fat will separate (see video).
- Stir and the pork will brown and caramelise in the fat.
- Once the liquid is all gone and it’s now stuck on the pork pieces, it’s ready.
- Serve over rice, garnished with fresh chilli and shallots. Simple pickled vegetables are ideal for a side because the fresh acidity pairs well with the rich pork.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
DON’T MISS…..
The chicken version made with coconut milk – Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken!
LIFE OF DOZER
Still his favourite toy. I swear, I can feel the attitude reverberating off him every time I see him bounding around in the backyard with this toy.
This dish is a firm favourite in our house. I team it with water spinach stir fry. It’s Great! I’ve just subscribed to your email, and downloaded your ebooks. I’m now looking forward to trying your other recipes!.
Wonderful! So glad you love this as much as I do Rustylady thanks for letting me know! N x
I love this dish!!! I have made this multiple times for family and friends who have requested the recipe. Yummy stuff!! I have added Thai Basil leaves toward the end of cooking which adds a great twist in flavors. I serve with toppings of cilantro, green onions, chili peppers, sriracha sauce to be added as desired. Thank you so very much for this recipe!
Hi Nagi
I used regular brown sugar, not the moist brown sugar I take it you’re referring to and found it did not melt at all. It started to and when all the liquid had evaporated it turned back to regular looking brown sugar….so added more water just to find it evaporating again….so I never had any caramel to start with. Is the sugar the problem?
Love your blog, recipes fantastic!
Lindi
Hi Lindi! Do you mean sugar granules??? I’m confused! The only brown sugar I know are fine granules that are kind of sticky, rather than like sand like white sugar 🙂 N xx
Yes just like white sugar only brown….but we also get a kind of sticky looking sugar here in SA which always looks damp, so I thought that maybe that is what you used…I used the brown sugar granules that look like white sugar granules…hope I am making sense
Does this recipe work cut in half?
Hi Taunya! It should be fine but use a saucepan rather than a pot 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi,
Is there something I can substitute the fish sauce with? Oyster sauce?
Hi Carrie! I think 2.5 tbsp of oyster sauce and remove 1 packed tbsp of brown sugar 🙂 Oyster sauce will definitely be better than using soy sauce. N x
Nagi:
This is an amazing recipe. I thought I made enough for an army but couldn’t stop eating it, so there are fewer leftovers than planned. I followed it about 90% but tripled the garlic.
Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Hi Nagi. This is another winner recipe! My husband and I enjoyed it so much we ate it all! (I was hoping for left overs). We ate it with steamed white rice, pickled carrots and daikon, and fresh cucumbers. It was fantastic! This recipe is a keeper! I was a bit nervous when I first started cooking it because the overpowering smell of fish sauce, but when it was finished cooking it tasted great. It was well worth it! Thank you for sharing yet another wonderful recipe!
I absolutely love hearing that Christine!! Thanks so much for letting me know – N x
This was absolutely fantastic! Very tender meat with delicious glaze – perfect! The only changes I made were to marinate the pork in the fish sauce, shallots, and garlic for a while before cooking. I also threw it in the oven once I added the liquid. 300 for about 2 hours, then finished it on the stovetop. The last 30 seconds are crucial, I almost burned the pork and ruined the whole thing! Served over bin bowls – amazing dinner for ~$7 for 2.
That’s so great to hear Heather! Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed it! N x
Hi, what about using a crock pot? I live at 6,000 feet in Colorado, and since water boils at 199 degrees F, it takes longer to cook things. When i make your carnitas, it takes 6 hours on high, at least. I was looking for an Asian pork shoulder recipe, since i can’t make carnitas all the time!
i too live at 4500’ in CO…..i leave the lid off the crockpot when i want liquid to evap. May have to play with WHEN to remove lid and at what temp to start with the lid off (at what point is it simmering to start with lid off). i’d give it a try if i were at 6K’
Hi Olga! Unforutnatey this doesn’t work in a crockpot 🙂 Liquid needs to evaporate 🙂
Wonderful recipe. Followed as written. The pork was tender and caramelized about 1 hr 10 min in for me. I served it with rice noodles, sliced cucumbers, shredded carrots, peppers, and cilantro.
So pleased you enjoyed this Hollie! Thank you for letting me know!! N xx
Hi Nagi, I love your recipes and am a big fan of your blog. Just wondering whether pork neck would work here?
Thanks
Yes it would be great Amanda! 🙂 Thank you for your kind words, so glad you enjoy my blog! N xx
Hi – I’m DYING to make this but have one question on the sugar. I’m wondering if there is a sugar substitute that I can use instead of brown sugar to reduce the number of calories. Have you tried any other sugars? I know it needs to caramelize but do you have any sugar options I can try?
Thanks so much!
Hi Ana! Unfortunately I am not sure if it’s possible to sub the sugar 🙁 Sorry!
Hi, this looks delicious. Can I use light muscovado sugar instead of the brown sugar? Thanks 🙂
Hi Charlie! Yep you sure can! 🙂
This was awesome, I have been cooking Vietnamese food for years. The only thing different I did was after I cut the pork into pieces i patted dry, then put into a bowl. Added 2 tbsp brown sugar and 5 spice seasoning by eye. Used hands to rub into all the meat. Then added about 2tbsp fish sauce and 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce mixing it with my hands. Then let it marinate. Then followed your recipe. Really good with jasmine rice.
That’s great Leah! So pleased to hear that! N x
I did end up adding more coconut water vs regular water. Probably cups total. So tender and so good. Thank you.
Sorry that’s 2 cups coconut water.
It’s nice
Hello! Made this tonight and was very happy with the results. You were bang on about the meat really hitting its stride at the very end of the simmer.
I had one small problem, however. Once all the liquid has been reduced, I was left with the tender pork but also a black goop that was spread around the pot. I’m assuming it was what was left of the shallots. It gave the meat a burnt taste if some goop happened to be stuck to it.
Do you have any way of mitigating this? Less heat maybe? I did use two shallots since I was trying to free up some space in my pantry. Maybe using only one shallot will make it half the problem.
Thanks again for the recipe!
Hi Danforth! If you use one and slice it really thinly, it basically dissolves so you won’t be left with “burnt gloop”! 🙂 N x
Can chicken broth be used in place of the coconut water?
Sorry not for this one! 🙂 N x
I watched the video and the pork looks amazing! However when I made it, mine came out a bit tough! Do you have any tips for me 🙂 it tasted great though
mine became hard because I cut the pieces too small. It is a fabulous recipe and my family love it.
Hi Valerie! Keep cooking 🙂 Add a bit of extra water to allow it to cook longer until it’s super soft!
Hi Nagi,
thanks for sharing this recipe – can this be made in an instant pot?
Great question! I was thinking the same thing when I was reading the post. Lol
I’m sorry not this one, needs to evaporate and need to be able to control heat like a stove 🙂
I have made it in the instant pot. I then put the meat in a large wok with some of the liquid so that it thickens and clings to the meat. Super yum!
So pleased to hear that Stevee! Thanks for letting me know 🙂 N x
I have a 5.21 bone-in pork shoulder butt roast. Do I double the ingredients and cooking time?
Hi Yvonne! Use the recipe scaler by clicking on the Servings slider and slide until the pork becomes the weight you are using. You’ll need to use a large wide pot, but it might take longer for the liquid to reduce than the pork to cook. So when the pork is tender (pry with 2 forks), take them out then put them back in once the liquid has reduced right down and the fat is separated (per video), then put it back in to brown. 🙂 N x
WHAT is a recipe scaler and where do I find it please!!!!
Awesome. Thank you.