Vietnamese Skillet Pork Chops are juicy, tender and delicious! Pork chops are marinated in a simple Vietnamese sauce, then pan-seared.
Many years ago I saved a recipe out of a Bon Appetit magazine I subscribed to. The recipe for Vietnamese Pork Chops sounded interesting, especially since I’ve never visited that country. I decided to try the recipe.
What I discovered is a very simple recipe using fish sauce as part of a marinade for the pork chops. In Vietnam their much loved fish sauce is called Nuoc Mam or Nuoc Cham (which translates to “dipping sauce”). It is typically made with fermented anchovies, sea salt and water.
For this recipe, fish sauce is combined with shallots, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and black pepper to make a flavorful marinade. Fish sauce can be found in most grocery stores in the Asian Food section.
After marinating the pork chops, the remaining marinade will be boiled and reduced into a pan sauce, while the pork cooks. The delicious sauce is spooned on top of pan-seared pork chops for serving.
The recipe is EASY to make, and tastes wonderful. Here’s how to make Vietnamese Skillet Pork Chops.
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
Make The Vietnamese-Style Marinade
Place one chopped shallot, brown sugar, fish sauce, rice vinegar, and black pepper in a medium sized bowl.
Use a wire whisk or a fork, to fully combine these ingredients, until the brown sugar dissolves. Set aside.
Prepare The Pork Chops For The Marinade
Pierce the pork chops on all sides multiple times using the tines of a fork. You can see the indents in the meat in the photo below.
By doing this, the marinade gets into the pork chops quicker, which results in tender, tasty pork chops!
Marinate The Pork Chops
Put the pork chops into a LARGE resealable bag OR in a large shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the pork chops, then flip them over, so all sides are covered.
Spoon marinade on top of the pork chops, then cover the dish. Let the chops marinate (covered) in the sauce for 20 minutes at room temperature. Flip them over a couple times so each side is well coated.
TIP: You can marinate the chops up to one day ahead! Keep them covered in the marinade and then refrigerate, flipping them occasionally. This is a great timesaver!
Right before you cook the Vietnamese skillet pork chops, remove them from the marinade. Let excess sauce drain back into the dish, and scrape off the shallots, too.
IMPORTANT! SAVE ALL THE MARINADE AND SHALLOTS FOR THE PAN SAUCE!
Pour all of the remaining marinade and shallots into a small saucepan. You will need to boil it so it is safe to consume after being in contact with raw meat.
Cook the marinade into a reduction sauce while the pork chops “rest” after being cooked.
Cook The Pork Chops
Heat 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet on Medium-High heat. If desired, you can lightly sprinkle salt on the pork chops, but I usually do not, as the sauce tends to be salty enough. Your choice.
Once the oil is very hot, but not smoking, add the pork chops to the skillet in a single layer. They should sizzle when they hit the pan!
Cook the pork chops for 4 minutes without moving them in the skillet, then flip them to the other side. Cook an additional 4 minutes.
When done, the pork chops should be browned on both sides, cooked through, and have an internal temperature of 145°F. Remove pork chops, cover (to keep them hot), and let them “rest” for 7-8 minutes before serving.
While The Pork Chops Are “Resting”
While the cooked pork chops are “resting”, make the pan sauce using the reserved marinade in the saucepan.
Bring the marinade to a full boil, stirring often, as it will bubble and rise in the pan as it cooks. Continue boiling and stirring for about 4 minutes (this kills any residual bacteria).
The sauce is done after it has boiled for about 4 minutes, and is reduced to about ¼ cup of pan sauce.
Serve The Vietnamese Skillet Pork Chops
Now it’s time to serve the Vietnamese Skillet Pork Chops. Place a pork chop onto a plate, then spoon a little pan sauce on top. Add a sprig or two of parsley (optional) then serve the pork chops with a lime wedge on the side.
Squeeze the lime wedge over the pork chops. The juice adds a pop of bright citrus flavor to this dish. It’s fantastic, so don’t leave the lime out!
We enjoy these pork chops with mashed potatoes or steamed white rice on the side. The “blandness” of mashed potatoes or rice are a good backdrop for the wonderful flavor of the pork chops.
I hope you have the opportunity to try these delicious pork chops. They have lots of flavor, and we are delighted with how juicy and tender the pork chops are.
Thanks for stopping by, and please come back soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a GREAT day!
Looking For More PORK CHOP Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have lots of delicious pork chop recipes to choose from, including:
- Awesome Grilled Pork Chops
- Smothered Pork Chops
- Brown Sugar Pork Chops
- Air Fryer Pork Chops For Two
- Creamy Honey Dijon Pork Chops
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Original recipe source: Bon Appetit Magazine, June 2013 issue, “Fast, Easy, Fresh Weeknight Favorites”, on page 46
↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
Vietnamese Skillet Pork Chops are juicy, tender and delicious! Pork chops are marinated in a simple Vietnamese sauce, then pan-seared.
- 1 small shallot finely chopped
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar (packed)
- ¼ cup fish sauce (nuoc nam or nam pla recommended)
- 2 Tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 1" thick pork chops (bone-in) (approx. 2 pounds)
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 lime , for serving (cut in wedges)
Make Marinade: Place shallots, brown sugar, fish sauce, rice vinegar, black pepper in medium bowl. Use fork to combine; mix until brown sugar dissolves. Set aside.
Marinate Pork Chops: Pierce pork chops on all sides multiple times using the tines of a fork. This helps marinade get into pork chops quicker, resulting in tender, tasty pork chops!
Put pork chops in a LARGE resealable bag OR a large shallow dish in a single layer. Pour marinade over pork; flip chops over, to cover all sides. Spoon marinade on top of chops; cover dish. Marinate for 20 minutes at room temp. Flip a couple times so each side is well marinated. TIP: You can marinate chops one day ahead! Keep dish covered and refrigerate, flipping them occasionally in the sauce.
When ready to cook pork chops, remove them from the marinade. Let excess sauce drain into the dish; scrape sauce and shallots off the chops. SAVE THE MARINADE FOR THE PAN SAUCE! Pour marinade/shallots into a small saucepan.
Cook Pork Chops: Heat vegetable oil in large skillet on Medium-High heat. Once oil is very hot, but not smoking, add pork chops in a single layer. Cook for 4 minutes without moving them in the skillet; flip to the other side. Cook about 4 more minutes. When done, pork chops should be browned on both sides, cooked through, and have an internal temp. of 145°F. Let pork chops "rest" for 7-8 minutes before serving, so juices can redistribute inside the meat.
While chops are "resting", make the pan sauce using reserved marinade in saucepan. Bring marinade to a full boil, stirring often (it will bubble and rise in the pan as it cooks). Continue boiling/stirring for approx. 4 minutes. Sauce should be reduced, leaving about ¼ cup in the pan.
To Serve: Place a pork chop on a plate; spoon pan sauce on top. Garnish with fresh parsley (opt.), and serve with a lime wedge on the side (a must). Squeeze lime juice over pork chops. Serve with favorite side dishes, and enjoy!
NOTE: If desired, you can very lightly salt the pork chops before cooking. I find this not necessary as the sauce/marinade is salty enough, but this is up to you to decide.
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!