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Home » Pork

Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Belly and Eggs (Thịt Kho Trứng)

Published: Jan 29, 2019 · Modified: Apr 25, 2023 by Suzanne Nuyen · This post may contain affiliate links · 3 Comments

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This dish is like a warm hug. Just imagine tender, melt-in-your-mouth pork belly braised low and slow in a sweet and savory sauce made with caramelized sugar and coconut water. I love this Caramelized Pork Belly dish, or Thịt Kho Trứng for special occasions or an everyday dinner.

Pin Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Belly and Eggs (Thịt Kho Trứng) to try later!

A white and gold bowl filled with Caramelized Pork Belly and Eggs (Thịt Kho Trứng)

This dish is especially popular during Tết, or the Vietnamese Lunar New Year. No table is complete without a plate of tender pork belly. Out of all the traditional new year dishes in Vietnam however, this one is one of the easier ones to make. Growing up, I ate this dish on regular rotation for dinner.

Jump to:
  • 🐷 Ingredients
  • 🔪 Instructions
  • 💭 Substitutions
  • 🍳 Equipment
  • 🍚 Serving suggestions
  • 🥡 How to store or make in advance
  • ✏️ Top Tips
  • 👪 Serving Size
  • Caramelized Pork Belly and Eggs (Thịt Kho Trứng) - An An Easy Lunar New Year Dish
  • 🦺 Food safety
  • 🔗 Related

🐷 Ingredients

raw pork belly, eggs, garlic, shallot and a bottle of coconut water on top of a wooden cutting board.

You will need:

  • skin on pork belly
  • minced garlic
  • minced shallot
  • salt
  • black pepper
  • fish sauce
  • sugar
  • coconut water
  • eggs

See recipe card for quantities.

🔪 Instructions

A hand chops raw pork belly into chunks

Cut your pork belly into large, one-inch chunks.

A wooden spoon stirs raw chunks of pork belly in a metal bowl

Season the pork belly with salt, pepper, minced garlic and shallot, and fish sauce. Stir to combine and let marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

A wooden spoon stirs granulated sugar on the bottom of a dutch oven

When you're ready to start cooking, heat the sugar in a heavy bottomed pot on medium-high heat. Stir the sugar occasionally so it melts and caramelizes at the same time.

A wooden spoon stirs brown, caramelized sugar at the bottom of a dutch oven

Continue to stir the sugar as it bubbles and browns.

A wooden spoon stirs chunks of pork belly, coating them in caramelized sugar

Once the sugar stops bubbling, immediately add the pork chunks and any leftover juices into the pot. Stir the pork quickly to coat it in the caramelized sugar.

Coconut water flows out of a glass measuring cup into a pot of caramelized pork belly

Add the coconut water to the pork belly chunks until they are just barely submerged.

pork belly simmering in coconut water

Cover the pork and let it simmer. Meanwhile, boil and peel some eggs.

a hand dropps hard boiled eggs into a pot of Caramelized Pork Belly and Eggs (Thịt Kho Trứng)

Once the pork is soft, uncover it and add the hard boiled eggs to the pork. Nestle the eggs into the sauce.

two hard boiled eggs nestled into Caramelized Pork Belly and Eggs (Thịt Kho Trứng)

Simmer the eggs with the pork uncovered until about half of the liquid has evaporated, and you're left with a thin sauce.

Hint: You want to work quickly when adding the pork to the caramelized sugar. The sugar will burn quickly at this point, and adding the pork prevents that from happening.

💭 Substitutions

You can replace half of the pork belly with pork shoulder for a leaner dish, but don't substitute the pork belly entirely. You need some fat or else the dish will be dry.

🍳 Equipment

I recommend using a dutch oven or stainless steel for this dish. Don't use something with a black or brown surface as it will make it hard for you to see when the sugar is done caramelizing.

a birds eye view close up of pieces of Caramelized Pork Belly and Eggs (Thịt Kho Trứng)

🍚 Serving suggestions

Serve this dish with plenty of jasmine rice or sticky rice to soak up the rich sauce. I like to mash the egg yolks into the rice and then pour the sauce over it.

This dish is a great main course for a special occasion and also a great option for a typical Vietnamese family meal. A family meal usually consists of rice (cơm), a vegetable dish (rau), a main protein, (món mặn), and a soup (canh).

For example, a Vietnamese family meal using recipes from this blog might include:

  • Rice
  • Rau: Vietnamese Chayote Squash and Egg Stir Fry (Su Su Xào Trứng)
  • Món Mặn: Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Belly and Eggs (Thịt Kho Trứng)
  • Canh: Vietnamese Tofu Soup with Tomatoes and Chives (Canh Hẹ Đậu Dủ Cà Chua)
A close up image of a piece of Caramelized Pork Belly and Eggs (Thịt Kho Trứng) in a white bowl

🥡 How to store or make in advance

You can season the pork belly the day before and keep it in the fridge overnight before cooking the rest of the dish. The eggs can also be boiled and peeled a day in advance.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. This dish does not freeze well.

✏️ Top Tips

  • Undercook your eggs a little bit so that they don't overcook from simmering in the sauce. I like a jammier egg.
  • If there's a large layer of rendered fat sitting on top of your sauce, you can stick the dish in the fridge or freezer until it solidifies to make the fat easier to remove.

👪 Serving Size

This dish comfortably serves 4-6 people on it's own or more if you serve it with a few other dishes as part of a traditional family meal.

A white and gold bowl filled with Caramelized Pork Belly and Eggs (Thịt Kho Trứng)
Print Pin
4 from 2 votes

Caramelized Pork Belly and Eggs (Thịt Kho Trứng) - An An Easy Lunar New Year Dish

Tender, melt-in-your-mouth pork belly is braised low and slow in a sweet and savory sauce made with caramelized sugar and coconut water. This dish is great for both special occasions and everyday dinners.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian, Vietnamese
Keyword Braised, Eggs, Pork
Prep Time 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
Total Time 2 hours hours
Servings 5
Calories 804kcal

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lbs pork belly
  • 2 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 shallot minced
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 cups coconut water
  • 5 eggs

Instructions

  • Cut the pork belly into one inch pieces and season with salt, pepper, minced garlic and shallot, and fish sauce. Stir to combine and let marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
  • When you're ready to start cooking, heat the sugar in a heavy bottomed pot on medium-high heat. Stir the sugar occasionally so it melts and caramelizes at the same time.
  • Continue to stir the sugar as it bubbles and browns. Once the sugar stops bubbling, immediately add the pork chunks and any leftover juices into the pot. Stir the pork quickly to coat it in the caramelized sugar.
  • Quickly add pork belly to sugar and stir to coat pork in the caramel
  • Add the coconut water to the pork belly chunks until they are just barely submerged.
  • Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour until the pork is tender and most of the fat has rendered out.
  • While the pork is simmering, boil and peel the eggs.
  • Once the pork is tender, uncover the pork and add the peeled eggs. Simmer for another 15-30 minutes until the sauce as evaporated to your preferred consistency.
  • Season with more salt and pepper if needed. Serve with white rice.

Notes

Nutrition facts as an estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Nutrition

Calories: 804kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 77g | Saturated Fat: 28g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 35g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 262mg | Sodium: 773mg | Potassium: 597mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 252IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition Facts
Caramelized Pork Belly and Eggs (Thịt Kho Trứng) - An An Easy Lunar New Year Dish
Amount Per Serving
Calories 804 Calories from Fat 693
% Daily Value*
Fat 77g118%
Saturated Fat 28g175%
Trans Fat 0.02g
Polyunsaturated Fat 9g
Monounsaturated Fat 35g
Cholesterol 262mg87%
Sodium 773mg34%
Potassium 597mg17%
Carbohydrates 8g3%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 20g40%
Vitamin A 252IU5%
Vitamin C 4mg5%
Calcium 63mg6%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Note: Nutrition facts are an estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

🦺 Food safety

  • Cook pork to a minimum temperature of 145 °F (63 °C)
  • Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
  • Wash hands after touching raw meat
  • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
  • Never leave cooking food unattended
  • Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
  • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

Did you make this recipe? Please tag @BunBoBaeBlog on Instagram or leave a rating or comment on the blog!

🔗 Related

Loved this recipe? You might also like:

  • A slice of Chả Trứng Chiên served with white rice and a side salad.
    Vietnamese Ground Pork Omelette (Chả Trứng Chiên)
  • Braised tofu and pork belly in tomato sauce (đậu hũ sốt cà chua)
  • Thịt Heo Quay (strips of crispy roasted pork belly)
    Crispy Roasted Pork Belly (Thịt Heo Quay)
  • Vietnamese Braised Catfish (Cá Kho Tộ)

More Pork

  • Vietnamese Century Egg Congee (Cháo Trứng Bách Thảo)
  • a bird's eye view of cooked spam and scallion biscuits in a cast iron skillet
    Spam and Scallion Biscuits
  • A square crop of a bowl of Vietnamese Tofu Soup with Tomato and Chives (Canh hẹ Đậu Hũ Cà Chua)
    Vietnamese Tofu Soup with Tomato and Chives (Canh hẹ Đậu Hũ Cà Chua)
  • three skewers of grilled lemongrass pork, or Thịt Nướng on a wooden platter with a bowl of fish sauce.
    Vietnamese Lemongrass Grilled Pork (Thịt Nướng)

Comments

  1. Diane Roberts says

    February 01, 2019 at 5:20 pm

    Looks fantastic, Suzanne! People are lucky to have your insight as a Vietnamese foodie.

    Reply
  2. Luna says

    January 31, 2019 at 6:06 pm

    This looks and sounds AMAZING <3 I definitely want to try this out!

    Reply
    • Suzanne says

      January 31, 2019 at 9:30 pm

      I hope you try it and love it! Take a picture if you do 🙂

      Reply
4 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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Hi! I'm Suzanne, your Bun Bo Bae. I'm a journalist, professional amateur baker, noodle enthusiast and food photographer living in Washington, DC. My immigrant parents taught me everything I know about Vietnamese home cooking, and now I want to share it with you!

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