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!)
EXCELLENT!!!!
THANK YOU Al!
A brilliant gluten free way to cook pork with a twist!
Thanks Lexi! So glad you enjoyed it, thanks for coming back to let me know! N x
This is delish, was looking for something to do with my pork mince and so pleased I stumbled across this, even with less than half the brown sugar it still tasted amazing. Have signed myself up for your emails, looking forward to trying some more of your recipes 😀
Thanks Vicki!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this!!
I made this a few days ago and I LOVE LOVE it. Can’t wait to make it again tonight, but this time for fun I will use chicken instead of pork. I ate it with rice the first time, but I am considering also trying it with some nice big lettuce leaves and wrap them around the meat. Thanks for such a wonderfully tasting, yet so quick to make, dish.
Ooooh! I can’t believe I haven’t thought about having this in lettuce wraps before, thank you for the tip! And I’m so glad you enjoyed it! N x
whoops I forgot the stars! Great dish!
OMG. This is so GOOD. Wow. My only regret is not doubling or tripling the recipe. 5 stars!!
WOO HOO! Thanks Regine!!! 🙂
This is great, unexpected flavor combination and excellent textures. I saw there were a lot of comments for a lowly pound of what we call “ground pork”. I live in the state’s, upper NE. One time I asked a man from Vietnam why everyone loved to visit his Country. His response was “the food”. Thus I always have these ingredients as he was so correct on the food. This one is just exceptional! Love it with the cucumbers and carrot, Sriracha too. Thank you so much for this special treat!
Fantastic! I’m so glad to hear that Elizabeth, thank you so much for coming back to let me know! N x
Great recipe Nagi. My son loved it so much he approved it for his take to school lunch:-) Making it again right now so it will make my life easier during the week, all I have to do is add some fresh rice in the morning. Thank you.
WOO HOO!! SO GLAD you enjoyed it Beatrice, thank you for letting me know! N x
Still one of my all time favorite recipes – not just from Nagi but overall. Fast and easy and so very tasty! Also, when your kids love something, it really makes my day?
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!