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Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls

Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls

Name: Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 1½ tbsp cooking oil, peanut oil is used; ½ onion (½ cup), finely diced; brown, white or yellow; about 1/2 cup; 2 tsp ginger, grated or minced; 2 garlic cloves (2 tsp paste), minced; or use 2 tsp paste; 1 bird's eye or Thai chilli, deseeded and finely chopped; optional; 500 g (1 lb) pork mince, ground pork; 5 tbsp brown sugar, tightly packed; 2 tbsp fish sauce; 1 green onion stem, finely sliced; jasmine rice, or other rice, for serving; red chilli, tomato and cucumber, sliced; optional

Caramelised pork mince served over white rice with sliced chilli, green onion, tomato and cucumber. — A bowl of caramelised pork mince over rice with fresh vegetables.

Sweet-salty caramelised pork mince with ginger, garlic and chilli, served over rice with fresh vegetables.

By Cookin' KitchenOctober 20, 2026

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Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

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Recipe

Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls

Sweet-salty caramelised pork mince with ginger, garlic and chilli, served over rice with fresh vegetables.

Cookin' · https://cookin.club/recipes/vietnamese-caramelised-pork-bowls

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

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Ingredients

4 servings

For 4 servings

1½ tbsp cooking oil, peanut oil is used
½ onion (½ cup), finely diced; brown, white or yellow; about 1/2 cup
2 tsp ginger, grated or minced
2 garlic cloves (2 tsp paste), minced; or use 2 tsp paste
1 bird's eye or Thai chilli, deseeded and finely chopped; optional
500 g (1 lb) pork mince, ground pork
5 tbsp brown sugar, tightly packed
2 tbsp fish sauce

To serve

1 green onion stem, finely sliced
jasmine rice, or other rice, for serving
red chilli, tomato and cucumber, sliced; optional

Instructions

Step 1: Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat.
Step 2: Add the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli. Cook for 2 minutes.
Step 3: Add the pork mince and cook for about 2 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until white all over.
Step 4: Add the brown sugar and fish sauce and stir. Leave the mixture to cook without touching it until the juices have cooked out and the pork begins to caramelise, about 2 minutes. Stir, then leave it without stirring for around 30 seconds to encourage more caramelisation. Repeat this process twice more, until caramelised to your taste.
Step 5: Serve over jasmine or other rice, or vermicelli noodles, and garnish with sliced green onion. Add plain cucumber and carrots on the side, or serve with sliced red chilli and tomato.

Notes

Chicken, turkey or beef mince can be used instead of pork. For extra lemongrass flavour, finely chop the white part of 1 stalk and add it with the garlic, or add lemongrass paste with the brown sugar.

Serve the pork over jasmine or other rice, or vermicelli noodles. Cucumber, tomato, carrots or shredded lettuce make fresh accompaniments.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 341 kcal
Fat: 13 g
Saturated fat: 3 g
Carbohydrates: 17 g
Sugar: 16 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 22 g
Sodium: 782 mg
Cholesterol: 110 mg

Estimated values; they will vary with the exact ingredients and brands you use.

Vietnamese cuisine

Dinners
brown sugar
chilli
ginger
pork
quick and easy
stir fry

About this recipe

Ginger, garlic, chilli, fish sauce and brown sugar give pork mince a sweet-salty, caramelised finish. Serve it over rice or vermicelli noodles with fresh vegetables.

Pork mince, brown sugar, chilli, garlic, ginger, onion and fish sauce arranged as recipe ingredients, with optional lemongrass. — Ingredients for the caramelised pork, including optional lemongrass.

The chilli can be left out or adjusted to taste. For a milder serving, offer sriracha at the table.

Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls