These Vietnamese Pork Bun Bowls (Bún) are easy to throw together on a busy weeknight and only take about 20 minutes (minus marinating time). They have the same fresh, savory, sweet, and umami-rich flavor as at your favorite Vietnamese restaurant, but incorporate a few shortcuts to make them extra quick and easy to make at home.
What is your favorite kind of Asian food? I’ve thought long and hard about this. I’m hesitant to commit, since they are all so different from each other, but I am almost 100% certain for me it’s Vietnamese. The flavors are always so fresh and bright, especially from the use of fresh herbs. The dishes are usually very light yet satisfying, and I never feel weighed down after eating them. Unfamiliar with Vietnamese food? Bún bowls, Bánh mì, and Phở are some of the most popular dishes you’ll find at Vietnamese restaurants, and all are wonderfully delicious.
These Pork Bun Bowls are kind of like a salad. They’re super fresh, super healthy, gluten free, and very flexible. They consist of layers of fresh lettuce, vermicelli rice noodles, vegetables (such as carrots, cucumbers, or radishes, which are often pickled), protein (most commonly pork, but tofu, chicken, beef, or fish can also be used), fresh herbs (mint, cilantro, and basil), garnishes (such as crushed peanuts), and the most amazing sauce ever (the base of which is fish sauce, which makes it packed full of flavorful umami).
There are a few shortcuts I took to make this recipe quick, easy, and accessible in terms of ingredients. For example, I used fresh vegetables rather than pickling them. I used “regular” (for lack of a better word) basil and mint, rather than the Vietnamese/Thai varieties.
But there’s one shortcut I didn’t take: marinating the pork for a long time. Pork shoulder is a notoriously tough cut of meat, and is usually cooked low and slow (such as for pulled pork sandwiches or carnitas). Marinating it for at least 24 hours is crucial for this recipe to help tenderize and flavor the meat.
As a bonus, I doubled the meat and marinade and froze half of it for another meal later. I’m starting to stock my freezer for when our baby comes in January- I’m sure future Elizabeth is going to thank me!
The only uncommon ingredients that you’ll need for this are rice vermicelli noodles and fish sauce. You can very likely find them at your local grocery store in the International or Asian aisle, but you can also get them on Amazon. Also, I used a heavy cast iron skillet to cook the pork- traditionally, the meat is BBQd, but I opted for a stovetop version. The cast iron gets super hot which helps get the blackened, scorched parts on the pork that are oh so tasty.
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out these Bánh Mì Hot Dogs, Chicken Bánh Mì Tacos, and Shrimp Spring Rolls for other Vietnamese-inspired recipes!
Recipe for Easy Vietnamese Pork Bun Bowls below!
Easy Vietnamese Pork Bún Bowls
Ingredients
For the pork:
- 1 lb. pork shoulder thinly sliced
- 1 small yellow onion finely diced
- 2 tablespoons sugar or honey
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons canola oil or other neutral tasting oil
- juice of one lime
- black pepper to taste
For the dipping sauce (Nước Chấm):
- 6 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons sugar or honey
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- juice of one lime
- crushed red pepper to taste
For the Bún Bowls:
- 4 cups chopped fresh lettuce
- 8 oz. rice vermicelli noodles cooked and cooled (a standard package size)
- 1 cucumber halved or quartered and sliced
- 2 carrots thinly sliced or cut julienne
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
- chopped peanuts for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Add the pork and all the marinade ingredients to a large freezer bag or container. Allow to marinate for at least 24 hours or up to three days (you can also freeze it for a longer time).
- Cook the pork on high heat in a heavy skillet, such as cast iron, shaking off any excess marinade as you remove it from the bag. Cook for approximately 10 minutes, or until seared and fully cooked through.
- Meanwhile, divide the bowl ingredients into four bowls, layering the lettuce, noodles, carrots, cucumbers, and herbs.
- Mix together ingredients for dipping sauce/dressing.
- Top each bowl with equal amounts of pork and garnish with chopped peanuts. Pour dipping sauce on top of each bowl just before eating.
Notes
- For a vegetarian/vegan version, use tofu instead of pork and use a vegetarian friendly substitute for the fish sauce, such as this one.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Brianna
This was just as good as going to my local Vietnamese restaurant. So good!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Linda Schrader
Hi Elizabeth,
This is my all time favorite Vietnamese dish!
I can’t wait to prepare this! Thanks for making this possible.
I look forward to following you on Pinterest.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! And thanks for following me on pinterest! The pinterest algorithm has changed quite a bit over the past year or so, so it may be hard to make sure you get all my new up to date recipes. If you like, you can also subscribe by email: https://www.bowlofdelicious.com/subscribe/ :-)
Joanie
I have eaten Vietnamese bun at a local restaurant here in New York City. This recipe is spot on! The dressing is perfect! We used shrimp instead of the pork for a light summer meal and is was wonderful! Thanks!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Warren Yoder
We were in Laos and Vietnam last Fall visiting friends. They introduced us to this dish. This is an excellent replication.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Erin
Loved this – we used sirloin chops and grilled and then sliced due to time and what pork we had in the freezer. Daughter LOVED it – had fun choosing ingredients and layering in the bowl.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you and your daughter liked it! :-)
Kitty Broihier
This looks amazing! Great photo, too! I think my teens would like to make this for all of us :)
Elizabeth
Thanks Kitty! This is a great one for teens to make because it’s so fun to assemble and you can divvy up labor. Hope y’all like it!