Bún Thịt Nướng Recipe

Bún thịt nướng, or Vietnamese grilled pork noodle salad recipe, can indulge your craving for BBQ and healthy noodle dish. Here, you’ll find a modern and convenient variation done with an electric grill so that you spend less time cooking and more time enjoying its deliciousness.

Indeed, bún thịt nướng is a symphony of all the tasty flavors you can imagine. It includes smoky grilled meat, appetite-whetting dipping sauce, soft rice noodles, fresh vegetables, and stimulating pickles.

So, keep scrolling down and learn how to recreate this fantastic culinary recipe right in your place!

Facts about Vietnamese Bún Thịt Nướng

You can find many variations of grilled pork noodle salad all over Vietnam. The main ingredients are always the same: marinated pork grilled to perfection, rice noodles (rice vermicelli), accompanying herbs, and other garnishes.

However, the technique of marinating the pork or whipping up the dipping sauce, or what types of herbs to serve in the dish marks the subtle differences between various regions. For example, locals tend to enjoy heartier servings of fresh vegetables in hotter areas.

The sauce is another interesting point: the southern version is usually more sweet than salty, while the northern and central ones are the reverse. In fact, bún thịt nướng is more popular in Southern Vietnam, especially in Ho Chi Minh City.

Moreover, bún thịt nướng is often enjoyed with other Vietnamese dishes such as spring rolls (chả giò).

Tools for Cooking Bún Thịt Nướng

The following kitchen gadgets are necessary to prepare the best and easiest grilled pork noodle salad at home.

Ingredients of Bún Thịt Nướng

This bún thịt nướng recipe is going to need a lot of ingredients. But don’t worry: most of them are for garnishes and, as a result, are highly customizable.

Steps for Preparing Bún Thịt Nướng

This grilled pork noodle salad isn’t hard to make if you follow these 5 steps. Of course, you don’t need a master chef’s skill to do it, but the result can rival any restaurant dish.

Step 1: Prepare The Pickles

Slice ½ carrot and ½ white radish into thin slices. Soak them in a mixture of below components, such as:

Mix them well with your gloved hand or a large spoon, though the latter method is less effective.

Let the pickles rest for at least 15 minutes until the julienned veggies turn crisp and sour enough.

Step 2: Marinate The Pork

Mince shallots, garlic, fresh chili, and lemongrass. You may need to soften the last one with a meat mallet first.

Cut the pork into bite-sized pieces. Marinate them in a mixture of minced garlic, minced fresh chili, minced shallots, minced lemongrass, white pepper, chili powder, salt, white sesame seeds, five-spice powder, cashew powder, oyster sauce, condensed milk, olive oil, and honey.

Mix them well with your gloved hand. Marinate the pork for at least 1 hour.

Step 3: Grill The Pork

Skewer the marinated pork pieces on the skewers. Don’t overcrowd them: each skewer should be ¾ full.

Preheat the oven to 200°F for a few minutes. Brush the grill tray with oil so that the pork won’t cling to it, then arrange the skewers on the tray.

Put the tray into the oven and grill at 200°F for 15 – 25 minutes.

To ensure that the meat is fully cooked, remove the tray and flip the skewers, then grill for 10 more minutes.

When the pork skewers are well done, drizzle some hot oil on them to prevent them from drying out.

Step 4: Prepare The Dipping Sauce And Garnishes

Don’t sit idle waiting for the meat to cook. You can whip up the sauce and make the garnishes for the dish.

Cut a cucumber in half, then chop both halves into thin slices and set aside.

In a saucepan, roast peanuts for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove them from the skillet and let them cool.

Mince garlic and fresh chili, then set them aside. Don’t crush them with a mortar and pestle because doing so will release the full pungency of those ingredients and render your dipping sauce too intense in taste.

Heat water in a saucepan until warm enough, then add fish sauce, pineapple slices, and brown sugar. Stir well, then turn off the heat.

Chop scallion finely. Heat the saucepan with olive oil over medium-high heat, then add chopped scallion and stir well for 30 – 40 seconds. Set aside.

Step 5: Assemble The Noodle Salad And Serve

Arrange the pork skewers and rice noodles on separate plates, surrounded by herbs, bean sprouts, and cucumber slices. Top the noodles with scallion oil and roasted peanuts.

Don’t forget to serve them with carrot/ white radish pickles and dipping sauce. Complete the sauce with a few drops of lime juice, minced garlic, and minced chili.

How to Store Bún Thịt Nướng Properly

You can store the components of this recipe separately in the fridge (with air-tight containers, of course). Grilled pork, rice noodles, herbs, and dipping sauce can stay good for 2 – 3 days; the pickles can last a little longer.

In terms of freezing, the meat and noodles can be kept that way for several months. While pickles can be freezer-friendly, their texture may suffer considerably, so you should think twice about it.

In case you happen to already mix the noodles with the sauce, scallion oil, and grilled pork, my advice is to finish them as soon as possible. Although they can still be kept in the fridge, their taste won’t be the same.

Grilled Pork Noodle Salad: A Vietnamese Dish For Any Meal Of The Day

Have a hearty serving of this Vietnamese grilled pork noodle salad, and you will recognize how fresh vegetables and a flavorful sauce can change your grilled pork. While this dish should be served hot when the meat is still warm, you can make it ahead to store in the fridge for a quick and nutritious breakfast.

Be the first of your friends to master this recipe, but don’t keep it to yourself. Let’s share it with people around you so that they will consume more vegetables with this mouth-watering grilled dish. If you have any questions, just leave a comment, and I will get back to you soon.