These Vietnamese Pork Chops are packed with flavor and so tender! They make a great midweek meal served with rice, a side of sliced cucumber, and an easy pan sauce.
The marinade for these pork chops does triple duty here. First, it adds so much flavor to the pork, it also makes it super tender and juicy, and then it is turned into an easy delicious sauce for the pork.
The marinade is a mixture of brown sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, lemongrass, garlic, shallot, and a little black pepper. This sweet, salty mixture will make you feel like you are sitting in a Vietnamese restaurant! Authentic flavors in your own home!
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Vietnamese Marinade Ingredients
Brown sugar - This adds sweetness to balance the other salty ingredients. You can use honey as a substitute, but the flavor won't be as authentic.
Soy sauce - You can use a low sodium soy sauce or just a regular soy sauce. The darker the sauce, the more intense the color will be on your cooked pork.
Fish sauce - This is available in larger grocery stores, Asian supermarkets, and very easily online. It adds a unique quintessential Vietnamese flavor to your food. I use the Squid brand, which seems to be available all over the world. You might be put off using it if you smell or taste it (although I love the pungent smell!), but I promise the flavor it adds isn't anything like the smell!
Lemongrass - If you can find it, use fresh lemongrass; if not, you can often buy lemongrass paste. To prepare lemongrass, discard the darker green section and the outer leaves. You want to use the bulb and the white/light green part only.
Garlic - Finely chop the garlic so the flavor mixes with the marinade. Garlic powder isn't a good substitute. Once the pork has marinated, ensure you brush off any garlic bits as they burn when cooking the chops.
Shallot - Again, this wants to be finely chopped. If you can't get shallot, then you can sub in green onion.
Black Pepper - use freshly ground/cracked black pepper if you can. It has so much more aromatics in it. The recipe uses ½ a teaspoon. If you want some extra heat, then you can increase this to taste.
Marinading the pork chops
The longer you leave the chops to marinate, the more tender and flavorful they will be. I would suggest a minimum of 3 hours, but overnight is ideal. Or make them in the morning for cooking that evening.
I like to use a ziplock bag to marinate the pork; this means you can really squish the flavors and coat the chops thoroughly.
You can place the chops in the marinade and then freeze them for up to 3 months. Then, remove them from the freezer, still in the marinade, and ensure they are fully defrosted before cooking.
Because there is no acid (lemon/lime/vinegar etc.) in the marinade, you don't have to worry about the meat getting soft.
The salt and sugar in this Vietnamese marinade act like an easy brine., keeping the chops juicy and tender when cooked!
Cooking your pork chops
Due to the marinade, the pork chops will stay nice and tender, so you can cook them over medium-high heat to seal in the juices.
I like to use a heavy skillet and cook them in a bit of oil, but they are great done on the outdoor grill as well.
When you remove the pork from the marinade, brush off any bits of shallot, garlic, or lemongrass. These tend to burn.
Keep the marinade as this is going to be boiled up to make a sauce. Don't worry that it has had raw meat in it. It will be cooked at high heat, which will make it safe to eat.
What to serve with your Vietnamese Pork Chops
I always serve this with jasmine rice and sliced cucumber. Then add plenty of fresh cilantro and mint to brighten everything up.
You could serve it with Vietnamese fried rice or some steamed bao buns. (similar to these mantou buns).
What to drink with Vietnamese
The sweet and salty nature of this dish, along with the herbs, gives your mouth a party! They can be tricky with wine, but my favorite combo is to add a dry Lambrusco. The slight sparkle and floral taste are outstanding here.
The pork will have a kick if you add the extra pepper (and optional chili), so a dry Reisling or Grüner Veltliner would be great.
Even without the additional pepper, a Grüner Veltliner would be a good choice, as would a New Zealand or Californian Sauvignon Blanc.
A Pinot Noir will balance the herbs beautifully for red lovers, while a Grenache can handle the salty and sweet notes.
Enjoy x
For more pork chop recipes, why not try:
Vietnamese Pork Chop Recipe
Ingredients
For the marinade
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed - see note 1
- ¼ cup soy sauce - see note 2
- ¼ cup cold water
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce - see note 3
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemongrass, finely chopped - see note 4
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 shallots, finely chopped - see note 5
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper - see note 6
For the pork
- 4 bone-in pork chops, 2.5cm inch thick - see note 7
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ¼ cup boiling water
- Fresh mint - to garnish
- Fresh cilantro - to garnish
- chopped chilli - to garnish optional
Instructions
Marinating the Pork
- Combine the water with the brown sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, lemongrass, minced garlic, chopped shallot, and black pepper in a ziplock bag or lidded container. Stir well to dissolve the sugar.
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup cold water
2 tablespoons fish sauce
4 tablespoons chopped lemon grass
4 minced garlic cloves
2 finely chopped shallots
½ teaspoon black pepper - Trim your pork chops to remove any rind; you can remove some fat, but leave some fat around the chop.
4 bone-in pork chops - Add the pork chops, ensure they are all coated in the marinade. Then leave to marinate for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.
Cooking the Pork
- When you are ready to cook, remove the pork chops from the marinade, ensuring you brush off any bits of shallot, garlic, or lemongrass. Keep the marinade.
- Place a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat; once the skillet is hot, add the oil and cook the chops on one side for 4 minutes. Turn and cook for a further 2 minutes on the other side. Remove from the pan, tent with foil, and allow to rest.
1 tablespoon oil
4 marinated pork chops - Pour the reserved marinade into the skillet. Add the boiling water and bring everything to a boil as you whisk. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened.
reserved marinade
¼ cup boiling water - Serve the pork chop, sprinkled with the chopped fresh herbs, and a little sauce drizzled over. The chili is optional.
fresh mint
fresh cilantro
chopped chili (optional)
Notes
- The brown adds sweetness to balance the other salty ingredients. You can use honey as a substitute, but the flavor won't be as authentic. (Palm sugar would be the most accurate)
- You can use a low sodium soy sauce or just a regular soy sauce. The darker the sauce, the more intense the color will be on your cooked pork.
- Fish sauce is available in larger grocery stores, Asian supermarkets, and very easily online. It adds a unique quintessential Vietnamese flavor to your food. I use the Squid brand, which seems to be available all over the world. You might be put off using it if you smell or taste it (although I love the pungent smell!), but I promise the flavor it adds isn't anything like the smell!
- If you can find it, use fresh lemongrass; if not, you can often buy lemongrass paste. To prepare lemongrass, discard the darker green section and the outer leaves. You want to use the bulb and the white/light green part only. If you can't find lemongrass, use the zest of 2 lemons and the zest from one lime.
- If you can't get shallot, you can sub in 2 green onions or ½ a finely minced small white onion.
- Use freshly ground/cracked black pepper if you can. It has so much more aromatics in it. The recipe uses ½ a teaspoon. If you want some extra heat, then you can increase this to taste.
- You can use thicker or thinner chops, but the cooking time will vary. Ideally, use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the pork is at 140ºF/60ºC when removing it from the pan.
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