Sườn Nướng are the smoky Vietnamese Grilled Pork Chops that’ll take any BBQ to the next level! The meat’s marinated in fragrant aromatics, brushed with a honey pepper glaze, then grilled until golden and sizzling.
Make it a signature Cơm Tấm combo using our Steamed Egg Meatloaf, Shredded Pork Skin, Pickled Vegetables and Vietnamese Dipping Sauce recipes!
A recipe to add to your weekly rotation
I can’t count the number of times I’ve ordered Cơm Tấm Sườn Bì Chả and wished there was a second (or third) piece of deliciously grilled Sườn Nướng. I’d even go so far as to say that Vietnamese Pork Chops are so good they could be served as a meal on their own.
And if you make it at home, you certainly can make that happen. It’ll be even better because you’ll get to watch them come out fresh, hot and bubbling!
Each piece cooks just as pork belly in a noodle salad would – absolutely glorious with charred bits on the edges smoked like juicy flavor bombs.
You might try to balance out the flavor with fresh crunchy cucumber slices, but you’ll definitely be going back for another bite. The blend of aromatics marinated deeply into the meat won’t let you go otherwise.
Seriously, this is a winner of a weeknight recipe, but also terrific as a Summer grilling for any celebration banquet!
How can I cook the meat?
The beauty of Sườn Nướng is that you’ll have a delicious dinner no matter which way you decide to cook it.
In our recipe, we grilled each piece in the oven because that’s what we had on hand.
But if you have an outdoor BBQ, you can definitely get a smokiness using that instead. Give them a few minutes to develop a beautiful char on each side, then you’re ready to go.
Another alternative is to cook with the pan. Keep the heat on high, toss on the pork for a minute or two on each side and you’ll end up with very succulent pan fried Vietnamese Pork Chops!
Why this recipe works
- Brushing on the sweet and savory honey pepper glaze helps to develop a golden char.
- The combination of lemongrass, red shallots and garlic infuses into the Sườn Nướng for a deeply aromatic flavor.
- Grilling for just a few minutes on each side keeps the everything tender and juicy.
What you’ll need
For the marinade
About the ingredients
All of the Sườn Nướng seasoning is to be added to taste. For instance, if you prefer it more peppery, then add more pepper. Likewise, if the lemongrass flavor is too strong for you, then use less of that.
For the glaze
About the sauces
The glaze ends up being a mixture of sweet and salty flavors. If you like to on the sweeter side, use more honey to achieve that.
How to make this recipe
Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F).
Meanwhile, mix together the lemongrass, red shallots, garlic, five spice powder, chicken bouillon powder, sugar, salt, pepper, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, fish sauce and oil.
Smear the sauce over the pork chops, rubbing it in well to cover all the meat. Marinate for a minimum of 20 minutes.
After the 20 minutes, place the marinated pork chops on a grill rack with the drip tray underneath.
Pro Tip: If the chops were in the fridge while marinating, take them out 20 minutes prior to cooking to reach room temperature again, otherwise they will be tough when cooked.
Cook the pork in the oven for 5 minutes, then flip and cook for another 5 minutes.
Brush the glaze over the cooking meat and grill for 2 minutes before repeating on the other side.
Let the Sườn Nướng turn golden brown then serve with rice or enjoy as is!
Recipe FAQs
You sure can! Our Sườn Nướng recipe will work with chicken, fish and beef. You can even make it vegetarian with mushrooms or firm or fried tofu.
That’s certainly possible. Set it to 200°C (400°F) and coat the rack with an oil spray to prevent it from sticking. You’re looking at about 10-15 minutes cooking time on one side, then 5-10 minutes on the other or until both sides are golden brown.
It’s quite difficult to replicate that texture and flavor, but kaffir lime leaves would be fairly close. Otherwise, just skip the ingredient altogether. The flavor from the red shallots and garlic will still keep the meat aromatic.
Tips for the best results
- Marinate overnight. We try to do this with everything we marinate (beef, pork, chicken, fish and even tofu) to ensure the ingredients get the deepest flavor.
- Tenderize the meat. Use a meat mallet or the back of a cleaver to hit the pork chops a few times across its surface. This will physically break down the fibers for a more tender bite – the thinner, the better!
- Chop the aromatics finer. Unless you enjoy the big chunks, cutting the garlic, red shallots and lemongrass really fine will make its texture and flavor more seamless when the Sườn Nướng is cooked.
- Let the meat rest before eating. As you would with steak, give it time to rest and reabsorb its juices. The rule of thumb is to let the meat rest for as long as you cook it.
More Vietnamese classics the family loves
- Thịt Kho (Braised Pork Belly and Eggs in Coconut Water) – Juicy, succulent pork belly chunks simmered low and slow with soy eggs is the perfect way to end a day.
- Gỏi Cuốn (Rice Paper Rolls) and Tương Chấm Gỏi Cuốn (Hoisin Peanut Sauce) – This iconic duo makes the best finger food for families, especially when you get to wrap, roll and eat all together.
- Chả Giò (Spring Rolls) – Who doesn’t love crispy spring rolls? Make them at home to enjoy the freshest crunch stuffed with your favorite filling.
- Bánh Bôt Loc (Shrimp and Pork Dumplings) – Crystal dumplings are always exciting to eat, but these are especially so because they’re addictively chewy and dipped in a classic dipping sauce.
- Vietnamese Pork Mince – Enjoy this in a noodle salad, as a healthy lettuce wrap or topped over rice. You’ll appreciate just how simple and versatile this is!
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Sườn Nướng (Vietnamese Grilled Pork Chops)
Ingredients
For The Marinade
- 1 kg / 2.2 lb pork chops
- 2 red shallots (finely chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 stalk lemongrass (finely chopped)
- 1 tsp five spice powder
- 2 tsp brown sugar (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 2 tsp cooking oil
For The Glaze
- 4 tsp light soy sauce (or to taste)
- 4 tsp oyster sauce
- 2 tsp pepper
- 4 tsp honey (or to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F).
- Meanwhile, mix together the lemongrass, red shallots, garlic, five spice powder, chicken bouillon powder, sugar, salt, pepper, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, fish sauce and oil.
- Smear the sauce over the pork chops, rubbing it in well to cover all the meat.
- Marinate for a minimum of 20 minutes.
- After the 20 minutes, place the marinated pork chops on a grill rack with the drip tray underneath.Pro Tip: If the chops were in the fridge while marinating, take them out 20 minutes prior to cooking to reach room temperature again, otherwise they will be tough when cooked.
- Cook the pork in the oven for 5 minutes, then flip and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Brush the glaze over the cooking meat and grill for 2 minutes before repeating on the other side.
- Let the Sườn Nướng turn golden brown then serve with rice or enjoy as is!
Notes
- Marinate overnight. We try to do this with everything we marinate to ensure the ingredients get the deepest flavor.
- Tenderize the meat. Use a meat mallet or the back of a cleaver to hit the pork chops a few times across its surface. This will physically break down the fibers for a more tender bite - the thinner, the better!
- Chop the aromatics finer. Unless you enjoy the big chunks, cutting the garlic, red shallots and lemongrass really fine will make its texture and flavor more seamless when the Sườn Nướng is cooked.
- Let the meat rest before eating. As you would with steak, give it time to rest and reabsorb its juices. The rule of thumb is to let the meat rest for as long as you cook it.
- You can cook this recipe in the oven, over a BBQ, in a pan on a stovetop or an airfryer. Just keep in mind that the cooking times might vary depending on what you're using.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on 06/02/20 and updated with tips and FAQs in September 2021.
These grilled pork chops are delicious and full of flavor! Love serving with rice and veggies!
Thanks, Pamela! Great combo indeed!
Love all the spices in the marinade for these pork chops!! It makes this recipe so flavorful!
Thanks, Anjali! The spices are the best!
I usually make these on stove top, but I’m going to steal your idea and bake in an oven instead. Less mess and less clean up. 🙂
Stove top’s amazing but it’s super easy to bake as well!
This Vietnamese grilled pork chops will make a great date night dinner for me and my husband.
Yes, it’s perfect for this Valentine’s Day!
This tastes just like the pork chops I order at Vietnamese restaurants! So glad I found this recipe!
Thanks, Jamie! Glad to hear that!
Can I marinade it overnight?
You certainly can, Huey 🙂 In fact, the flavors will be much better if you do!
I followed this recipe to a T and it’s the best damn porkchops I’ve ever had! Thank you so much! I will be making this all the time now
That’s so wonderful to hear, Jebs! I’m glad you enjoyed them!
Saved as a favorite, I really like your blog!
Thank you, Valentine!
Thank you for this recipe. Before I try to make this can you clarify what this means in Step 3 of the recipe? “ Oven the pork chops for 5 minutes on either side.”
Do you mean to brush the marinate on the pork chops on both sides after 5 minutes in the oven? Thank you
Hi, Twee! Yep, you’re exactly right. Just give them a brush after the 5 minuts of cooking or just when it has started to cook. You’re after that sweet and savory glossy glaze over the top 😀
This recipe is Bloody AMAZING!!!
It’s even better than our favourite Vietnamese Restaurant!!!
This recipe is on regular rotation at our house now.❤
I serve with steamed broken rice, sliced cucumber, fried egg, pork & noodle meatloaf with egg top and nouc cham sauce…omgeee my favourite meal ever!
That’s so wonderful to hear, Renee! Glad you liked it! That’s exactly how I would love to serve it too ;P
Wow these look delicious. Love Vietnamese flavors, never thought to combine them with pork chops. Adding these to the meal plan for next week!
Thanks, Sarah! I hope you enjoy the flavors with the pork chops!
This looks so good! Can’t wait to try!
Thanks, Sarah!
The “pepper” in the ingredients, is that black pepper or something like cayenne pepper? Sounds delicious. Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Yep, just regular black pepper. If you can grind it fresh yourself, that would be even tastier! I hope you get to enjoy this dish soon 😀
What a gorgeous dish, so delicious and packed with flavours!
Thanks, Sylvie! It sure does pack a lot of flavor!
What a flavor combo! I actually love how these are done in the oven so you don’t have to fire up the BBQ, they look delicious!
Thanks, Sarah! They’ll work well for both but I agree that it’s great for those days when you just don’t feel like cooking outside!
I made this for an older Vietnamese couple visiting their son here in the states. I got many compliments and they went back for seconds of the pork chops! I used 1” thick cut chops, which required 10 min per side (still very tender!). Also, I think you mean to say “broil” for the last 2 minutes on each side with the glaze. That worked perfectly. “Grill” would mean using an outdoor grill or maybe an electric grill. But broil means to switch the oven to the top heating only, and put the pan on the top rack with high heat. It was perfect that way!
Hi, Heather! That’s so wonderful to hear! I’m glad this recipe worked out well for you. Thanks for letting me know about the difference between broiling and grilling. We only have an oven here and it has a grill option, so I always assumed it was to grill. I also thought that broiling was only done in a broiler. Glad you knew what I mean, though!
I believe we are talking about the same process! 🙂 Broiling is also only done in an oven! All of our ovens have a setting that is called “broil.” I’m located in the U.S. Maybe you are outside the U.S. and we are just using a different word for the same thing? I only found your website through this recipe, but I’m planning to follow and try some more! We host two high school Vietnamese students, and I’m sure they will appreciate your recipes!
Hi, Heather! That’s quite possible! I live in Australia, so we don’t generally have a broiling option in our ovens unless we specifically buy one with it. I hope you do get to enjoy more of our family recipes and that the lucky two high school students will enjoy them too 😀