This delicious Vietnamese Lemongrass Pork cooks in 30 minutes and is the perfect combination of salty, sweet and spicy flavors. It's great on a salad, over rice or in a noodle bowl.
Vietnamese Cuisine is commonly known for its fresh flavors. Various forms of pork are often served on top of noodle bowls, with rice, or on a banh mi sandwich. In this dish I've taken the traditional Vietnamese flavors, turning them into a recipe with common grocery store ingredients that come together quickly for an easy yet delicious dinner.
I like to serve this Vietnamese Lemongrass pork over rice, cauliflower rice, rice noodles or Skinny Pasta with some Vietnamese Pickled Vegetables and Spicy Sriracha Mayo or Easy Sweet Chili Sauce as a dipping sauce.
Jump to:
Ingredients
Here's what you need to make Vietnamese Lemongrass Pork:
- brown sugar
- chili garlic sauce
- minced lemongrass
- fish sauce
- minced garlic
- soy sauce
- minced ginger
- pork tenderloin
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Here's how to make Vietnamese Lemongrass Pork:
1. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, fish sauce, chili garlic sauce, minced lemongrass, minced ginger and minced garlic to a freezer bag, seal, and shake to mix. Then, thinly slice the pork tenderloins across the grain.
2. Add the pork to the marinade and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 8 hours.
3. To cook, remove the pork from the bag using a slotted spoon and spread it onto a greased sheet pan.
4. Bake at 425 for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through and draining off juices. Serve immediately.
Hint: Follow this tutorial for mincing the lemongrass or just use 1 tablespoon of lemongrass paste in place of the minced fresh lemongrass.
Substitutions
Want to substitute an ingredient for Vietnamese Lemongrass Pork? Here's how:
- Soy sauce - use an equal amount of tamari or coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce.
- Brown sugar - use an equal amount of honey or other alternative sweeteners such as coconut sugar in place of brown sugar.
- Fish sauce - omit the fish sauce altogether if you don't like its flavor.
- Chili garlic sauce- use an equal amount of sriracha sauce in place of the chili garlic sauce or use ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes instead.
- Lemongrass - use 1 tablespoon of lemongrass paste in place of the minced fresh lemongrass.
Variations
Try one of these variations on Vietnamese Lemongrass Pork:
- Spicy - this recipe has a hint of spice as is but double the chili garlic sauce to make it spicy.
- Gluten-free - to make this gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce and be sure to check the labels on the tamari, fish sauce and chili garlic sauce - most of these sauces are gluten-free, but not all brands are.
Equipment
This equipment comes in handy for making Lemongrass Pork:
Storage
Store leftover cooked Vietnamese Lemongrass Pork in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 3 months.
FAQ
Lemongrass pork is a staple protein in Vietnamese cuisine. You'll find it on top of noodle bowls, served alongside rice or served on a classic banh mi sandwich. In this recipe, rather than grilling it I've cooked it on a sheet pan in the oven for a low-maintenance approach to this classic.
Related
Looking for other easy Asian recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
Serve this sheet pan Lemongrass Pork with one of these side dishes for a balanced meal the whole family will love:
Recipe
Vietnamese Lemongrass Pork
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork tenderloin
- 1 cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 Tablespoons chili garlic sauce
- 1 stalk lemongrass, minced
- 1" chunk fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425.
- Thinly slice the pork tenderloins across the grain.
- Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, fish sauce, chili garlic sauce, minced lemongrass, minced ginger and minced garlic to a freezer bag, seal, and shake to mix.
- Add the pork to the marinade and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 8 hours.
- To cook, remove the pork from the bag using a slotted spoon and spread onto a greased sheet pan.
- Bake at 425 for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through and draining off juices. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Food safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
Shannon
A family favorite!