Vietnamese Caramelized Grilled Pork

Tender, thin-sliced pork loin chops grilled to perfection with a sweet and savory caramel sauce made from sugar, shallots, lime juice, and fish sauce. A classic Vietnamese dish that combines sweet, salty, and tangy flavors.

4 servings

24 min

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•6 pieces boneless pork loin chops
•⅓ cup sugar
•¼ cup shallots
•1 tablespoon lime juice
•1 tablespoon fish sauce
•½ teaspoon salt

Cooking Instructions

1.
Pound chops between 2 large sheets of plastic wrap with flat side of a meat pounder or with a rolling pin until less than 1/8 inch thick. Make several small 1/4-inch-deep slits around edge of each chop to prevent curling, then halve chops lengthwise and transfer to a bowl.
10 min
2.
Cook sugar in a dry 1-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until sugar is melted into a golden caramel. Add shallots, lime juice, fish sauce, and salt (caramel will harden) and cook, stirring constantly, until caramel is dissolved and shallots are softened, about 2 minutes. Pour sauce over pork and toss until well coated.
8 min
3.
Heat a lightly oiled well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then grill pork in batches, turning over once, until just cooked through, about 1 minute per side. (Discard any remaining caramel sauce.)
6 min

Cooking Instructions

Pound chops between 2 large sheets of plastic wrap with flat side of a meat pounder or with a rolling pin until less than 1/8 inch thick. Make several small 1/4-inch-deep slits around edge of each chop to prevent curling, then halve chops lengthwise and transfer to a bowl.

10 min

Cook sugar in a dry 1-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until sugar is melted into a golden caramel. Add shallots, lime juice, fish sauce, and salt (caramel will harden) and cook, stirring constantly, until caramel is dissolved and shallots are softened, about 2 minutes. Pour sauce over pork and toss until well coated.

8 min

Heat a lightly oiled well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then grill pork in batches, turning over once, until just cooked through, about 1 minute per side. (Discard any remaining caramel sauce.)

6 min