Lemongrass Ground Pork and Rice Bowls

4.89 from 9 votes

Lemongrass Ground Pork and Rice Bowls

Fresh and super flavorful, these Vietnamese-inspired pork and rice bowls are flavored with fresh lemongrass and a savory sauce. This is a fast, weeknight-friendly meal that can be customized with your favorite fresh herbs and vegetables.

To adjust the servings in this recipe, click on the number next to servings.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese

Keyword: easy dinner, easy, weeknight-friendly, family friendly, pork, rice bowl, spicy

Servings:

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

Cost: $10.00

Equipment

Mixing Bowl
Skillet or Wok

Ingredients

Lemongrass Ground Pork:

2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemongrass, grated (see note)
2 Tablespoons Hoisin Sauce
1 Tablespoon Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Fish Sauce
1 teaspoon Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Sriracha (optional, sub any hot sauce)
1 Tablespoon Cooking Oil
1 1/2 pounds Ground Pork
1-3 Thai Bird’s Eye Chilis, very thinly sliced (optional, see note)

For Serving:

Cooked Rice
1 head Green Leaf Lettuce, roughly torn
2 small Cucumbers, very thinly sliced
Fresh Cilantro and Fresh Mint, for serving
Lime Wedges, for serving

Instructions

Whisk together garlic, lemongrass, Hoisin sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, and Sriracha. Set aside.
Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add cooking oil. When oil begins to shimmer, add pork and saute, breaking it apart until pork is just starting to turn opaque, 4 to 5 minutes.
Pour sauce over pork and continue cooking until sauce cooks down and starts to caramelize, 6 to 8 minutes more. If using chilis, stir them in the last minute of cooking.
Assemble bowls with a bed of lettuce topped with rice. Add cucumbers on one side and top with pork.
Garnish bowls with fresh cilantro and / or fresh mint and lime wedges (be sure to squeeze a few lime wedges over top of the pork before serving).

Notes

Lemongrass - To give this dish lemongrass flavor, you can get fresh lemongrass stalks and firmly grate them or look for lemongrass paste in a tube (often found in the refrigerated / produce section)

Bird’s Eye Chili’s - Thai-style Bird’s Eye Chilis are small and extremely spicy. If you can’t find them or want to use something with less spice, Serrano chilis or red jalapeños are a great choice. You can also just skip this and adjust the heat by adding more Sriracha.

Nutrition