The Vietnamese Pork Chop is a popular street food dish that has gained worldwide recognition for its unique blend of flavors and textures. This dish typically features a succulent pork chop marinated in a mix of aromatic ingredients then grilled to create a slightly charred and caramelized exterior while retaining its juicy tenderness. The key to the Vietnamese Pork Chop’s delectable taste lies in its marinade. Typically, the marinade consists of a combination of fish sauce, soy sauce, garlic, lemongrass, and sugar. This blend of sweet, savory, and tangy flavors infuses the pork chop with a distinct and irresistible taste. The longer the pork chop marinates, the more pronounced the flavors become, resulting in a truly unforgettable dining experience. Once the pork chop has absorbed all the flavors, I cook it in my air fryer to give the meat its beautiful char!
The Vietnamese Pork Chop is often served alongside a plate of steamed jasmine rice, fresh herbs such as cilantro and mint, and pickled vegetables like carrots and daikon radish. My recipe also includes the classic dipping sauce “Nuoc Cham” made with fish sauce, water, sugar, lime juice, garlic, and chili garlic sauce.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Vietnamese pork chop is flavorful, juicy, and so easy to make with this recipe. You can easily marinate it for a few hours or overnight then pop it in the air fryer for an easy meal!
Ingredients
For the pork chops:
- Pork chops – Using bone-in pork chops adds more flavor and tenderness to the dish. The bone helps to insulate the meat during cooking, resulting in a juicier and more succulent chop.
- Fish sauce – Adds a unique depth of umami flavor, imparting a salty and slightly fishy taste that enhances the overall savoriness of the dish without overpowering it.
- Dark soy sauce – Provides a rich color and a slightly sweeter, more intense flavor than light soy sauce.
- Light soy sauce – Lighter in color and saltier than dark soy sauce, it contributes to the dish’s overall saltiness and umami flavor without making it too dark.
- Honey – A touch of natural sweetness to help balance the savory and umami flavors.
- Sugar – Works in partnership to the honey to balance all of the savory and umami flavors.
- Lime juice – A bit of acid here to create a blend of complex flavors.
- Garlic – Adds pungent, aromatic flavors to the dish.
- Onion powder – Provides a subtle sweetness and onion flavor without being too overpowering.
- Oyster sauce – A great sauce to infuse more umami and rich layer of flavor to the dish.
For the dipping sauce:
- Fish sauce – The key ingredient for the dipping sauce and full of umami!
- Water – Helps to dilute the fish sauce and rest of the ingredients.
- Sugar – Adds sweetness to the savory and umami flavor.
- Lime juice – Adds brightness and acid to balance the other flavors.
- Rice wine vinegar – Compliments the lime juice for added brightness and acid.
- Thai chili – The chili brings some heat to the dipping sauce but only a little is needed here
- Garlic – Brings an aroma unlike anything else.
- Chili garlic sauce – Rounds out the dipping sauce with a bit of spicy.
How to make Vietnamese Pork Chop
- Prepare pork chop by tenderizing meat with back of knife (blunt side of knife)
- Cut slits on sides of the pork chop to prevent curling when cooking
- Add all marinade ingredients and pork chops into bowl and marinade overnight
- Preheat air fryer for a few mins. Add pork in and air fry at 400F for 10-12 minutes depending on thickness (10 mins for thinner and 12 mins for thicker)
- Flip pork and cook for another 4-6 minutes, depending on thickness, until charred
- To plate, add rice, pork chop, veggies on side, and fried egg on top. Enjoy!
Tips
- Tenderize the pork chop with blunt side (back side) of the knife and use scissors to cut slits on the edges of the pork chop to prevent it from curling
- Preheat the air fryer for a few mins before putting in the pork chops so it cooks evenly and has a beautiful char.
Storage
Store in an air-tight container in the fridge up to 3 days