This Vietnamese Vermicelli Noodle Bowl with Grilled Pork is a traditional Vietnamese dish that combines tender, juicy, and caramelized grilled pork, vermicelli rice noodles, fresh herbs and vegetable, tossed in a tangy fish sauce based sauce called nuoc cham.
This bright and refreshing Vietnamese Noodle Bowl is one of my favorite Vietnamese dish of all time. It combines so many complex and complementary flavors and textures together to create a satisfying explosion of happiness in one’s mouth.
What is Vietnamese Vermicelli Noodle Bowl?
Vermicelli Noodle Bowl is a popular noodle dish from Vietnam that is served dry with lots of fresh veggies, grilled meats or seafood, and drizzled with a bold flavored fish-sauce-based sauce.
The noodles used are thin rice vermicelli noodles that are white in color when cooked, similar to noodles used in Pho.
Today, you can find this rice vermicelli noodle bowl in almost any Vietnamese restaurants across the United States. It is light, fresh and loaded with amazing flavors and textures.
I wanted to create a version of this Vietnamese noodle bowl that is simple enough for everyday people to make (i.e. most of us who are not professional chefs but still want to make/eat good food at home), yet complex enough to capture the beauty, authenticity and complexity of the traditional dish. And to do it justice.
Because this Vietnamese vermicelli noodle dish is a GORGEOUS blending of flavors and textures. One of the absolute best.
So fire up that grill (or pan fry it because that works too), grab some Vietnamese Egg Rolls should you choose to (talk about a pairing made in foodie heaven), and get ready to put together this delicious Vermicelli Noodle Bowl with Grilled Pork, or also called bun thit nuong.
Kitchen Tools
Besides basic kitchenware, you will also need:
- Food processor – to blend up the delicious pork marinade. A blender can be used as well!
- Grill or Griddle (used to cook it indoor if you prefer) – to cook pork in said delicious marinade
- Meat thermometer – to ensure the pork is well cooked
Ingredients
There are a number of components to the vermicelli bowl, but don’t let it intimidate you! I’m going to break it down by section and hopefully you’ll find it fairly straightforward!
Grilled Pork
- pork shoulder – pork provides the best flavor for this dish; pork shoulder is traditionally used but you can use other cuts such as pork loin, pork butt etc. Alternatively, you can also use chicken or beef or leaner cuts of meat. For vegan/vegetarian option, use firm tofu.
- soy sauce – an Asian staple!
- fish sauce – a little goes a long way. THIS is what takes the dish from good to GLAMOROUS.
- brown sugar – the sweetness needed to balance out the flavors
- garlic – use fresh garlic and avoid substituting with garlic powder for best flavor.
- shallots – if you can’t find shallots, white or yellow onion will work in a pinch.
- lemongrass – feel free to omit it if you cannot find it. Alternately, grate a bit of ginger to enhance the dish.
Noodle Bowl
- Noodles – we’re using thin vermicelli rice noodles for this recipe. You should be able to find this at Asian grocery stores, and some mainstream stores in the Asian section.
- Veggies – I typically use a combination of shredded carrots, shredded cucumbers, bean sprouts, chopped lettuce, cabbage, radishes. Use one, two or as much as you like! Pick your favorites!
- Fresh herbs – Use fresh! Dried herbs do not taste the same. This brings a very distinct flavor to the noodle bowl. Mint, Thai Basil and cilantro are some common varieties.
- Garnishes – other fresh garnishes commonly add to the bowl are peanuts, lime wedges etc.
Sauce
The sauce, also known as “nuoc cham” in Vietnamese, it is a simple sauce with a punch made out of
- fish sauce – this bring saltiness as well as a lot of amazing umami flavors
- lime juice – contributes to the tangy flavors of the bowl
- sugar – sweetness to balance out the salty and the tangy
- water – used to dilute the sauce.
- red pepper flakes – adjust according to preferred level of spiciness
How to make Vietnamese Rice Vermicelli Noodle Bowl?
Grilled Pork
Grilled pork is marinated in a ridiculously flavorful sauce. My husband calls this the star of the dish; I say every component is just as crucial.
Throw all the marinade ingredients into a food processor or blender, and blend them up.
If you don’t have a food processor or blender, chop up the shallots, garlic and lemongrass and mix everything together with a whisk.
I typically marinade the pork first as it takes about an hour for the flavor to really sink into the meat.
Grill pork on a grill pan, griddle or outdoor grill. If you don’t have a grill, pork can be pan-fried on a skillet as well.
Grill under indirect heat (if using charcoal grill), or medium/low heat (if using grill pan, electric grill, or skillet) to make sure the insides of the pork is completely cooked.
There is sugar in the marinate, so pork will brown/burn quickly on the outside. So check on it every now and then, and lower heat as needed!
Vegetables and Garnishes
Once the meat is on the grill, go ahead and chop/prep the rest of the veggies and garnishes, then pickle the carrots and cucumber.
The trickiest part of this Vietnamese vermicelli noodle recipe is the prep work, especially if you are dealing with a large variety of vegetables. But remember, prep time can be saved by buying pre-cut veggies.
Pickling the carrots and cucumber gives them an extra oomph, and that tangy vinegary flavor goes perfectly with the noodles, pork and the rest of the garnish.
It doesn’t have to be pickled for a long time – about 30-60 minutes is sufficient.
Vermicelli Rice Noodles
As for the noodles, we will be using thin vermicelli rice noodles.
I typically buy them dry, but you can also find refrigerated ones in the Asian grocery stores.
Some will require boiling noodles in water briefly, and some just requires soaking noodles in boiled, hot water briefly. My recommendation is to follow package instructions. What we are trying to do is soften the noodles.
Sauce
If you think we are just eating the noodles plain, you are very much mistaken. Plain is not the word to describe this dish! In fact, I will argue it’s quite the opposite.
We are about to make a sweet, tangy, salty sauce which comprises of fish sauce, lime juice (squeezed from fresh limes), brown sugar, water and red pepper flakes. And you betcha we are going to smother the noodles with that yum sauce.
Bring Everything Together!
The last step is to bring all the components of Grilled Pork Vermicelli Bowl together – the chewy rice noodles, the crunchy lettuce, carrots, and cucumbers, the peanuts, sticky caramelized grilled pork, and that tangy savory sweet sauce drizzled all over.
It’s a flavor bursting experience with incredible textures – every time I take a bite my foodie heart is just so very happy.
Substitutions and Variations
If you cannot find these ingredients, here’s what you can do to substitute it:
- Rice vinegar – use white vinegar instead!
- Shallots – use white, yellow or sweet onions instead!
- Lemongrass – simply omit this.
- Brown sugar – granulated sugar works fine too
Feel free to add other ingredients to make this vermicelli bowl your own!
- Veggies – a variety of vegetables can be used to assemble your Vietnamese rice noodle bowl. Here are other good options: radishes, cabbage, bean sprouts, spinach.
- Herbs – other herbs such as Thai basil, cilantro.
- Other protein – the marinade can also work on chicken, shrimp, beef, or even crispy tofu.
Make Ahead and Storage
To make ahead, store the sauce separately and pour onto Vietnamese noodle bowl only when you are ready to eat.
This can be eaten cold, at room temperature or warm. I’ve eaten it all three ways and love them all.
Tips and Tricks
- Pat dry veggies: Make sure to use paper towel and pat dry veggies before adding to bowl. There’s really nothing worse than wet soggy veggies in your Vietnamese noodle bowl!
- Avoid overcooking noodles: Once noodles are soft, promptly drain the warm water. Rinsing it under cold water is can help stop the cooking process and prevent it from being soggy.
- Make ahead tip: Vietnamese Noodle Bowl makes a delicious easy and tasty meal prep option. Store noodles, veggies, and pork in separate air-tight containers, and store sauce separately in another container.
- Saucing it right: When combining sauce to your noodle bowl, drizzle a little bit of sauce at a time until you reach your desired taste so that you are not over-saucing it.
- Customize it: There is no right or wrong way to make a Vietnamese noodle bowl. Add or subtract the veggies, herbs, protein, or sauces to fit your taste. Try new things and have fun with it!
- Fresh herbs: Fresh herbs can take your Vietnamese noodle bowl to new heights! Fresh herbs such as mint, cilantro, and Thai basil can add a unique and vibrant flavors to this dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store each component separately, and only combine rice vermicelli noodles, veggies and garnishes, meat and sauce, when ready to eat. Store each item individually in a sealed container for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
I love adding some Vietnamese Egg Rolls or fried egg to it as well! Yum!
Yes! You can absolutely roast it in the oven. Flip it halfway through and reapply marinade. If you want the golden brown texture (which is yummy!), try broiling it for 2-3 minutes at the end.
When cooking pork, especially in medium/high heat, the sugar in the marinade will caramelize. As a result, you will see black burn-like spots on your pork. It adds to the yum!
I get it. Fish sauce has a strong smell and takes some getting used to, but the taste is like magic. Your noodle bowl will be missing out on a signature flavor without fish sauce.
Use thin vermicelli rice noodles, which you may also recognize in Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup). They are similar to noodles used for Pad Thai and Pad See Ew, but are thinner in shape. They are also different from mung bean thread noodles, even though they look very similar! Bean thread noodles are usually clear and transparent when cooked.
You should be able to get thin vermicelli rice noodles at Asian grocery stores and some mainstream stores in the Asian section, as well as through my affiliate link.
Pile everything onto the rice vermicelli noodles – grilled pork, veggies, garnishes. Then splash that yum sauce all over it. Then you decide how you want to proceed. Mix it all up; Or, mix some portion of it up, eat, and mix more of it up. I suggest pouring lots of sauce to it because that flavorful liquid is GOLD.
ENJOYED THIS RECIPE? Tell us what you think by leaving a rating and review below! 🤍
More Asian Recipes!
- Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad
- Pad Thai Noodles (Video Included!!)
- Thai Red Curry with Chicken
- Malaysian Curry Puff
- Mee Goreng Mamak (Malaysian Fried Noodles)
- Chinese Braised Pork Belly
- Chinese Barbecue Pork (Char Siu) and Bok Choy Rice Bowl
Vietnamese Vermicelli Noodle Bowl with Grilled Pork
Ingredients
Grilled Pork
- 2 lbs pork shoulder
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp shallots
- ~2 inch lemongrass bottom white part
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
Noodles
- 7-8 oz dried rice vermicelli noodles
Vegetables and Garnishes
- 1 1/2 cups cucumber shredded
- 1 1/2 cups carrots shredded
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- A few leaves lettuce
- A handful cilantro
- A handful mint leaves
- 1/2 cup peanuts chopped
- 1 fresh lime
Sauce (Nuoc Cham)
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2-3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice or to taste
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes or to taste
Instructions
Grilled Pork
- Remove some of the fat from pork shoulders (but it is not necessary to remove all the fat), and slice pork into thin slices. Bring them into a large ziplock bag.
- Combine and blend the rest of the ingredients listed under "Grilled Pork" in food processor/blender to create marinate, and add to ziplock bag. Make sure pork is evenly coated with marinate. Marinade pork for at least 1 hour, or up to a few hours.
- Grill pork on a grill pan or outdoor grill. Pork can be pan-fried on a skillet as well. Grill under indirect heat (if using charcoal grill), or medium/low heat (if using grill pan, electric grill, or skillet) to make sure the insides of the pork is completely cooked – check by using a meat thermometer. Note that because there is sugar in the marinate, pork will brown/burn quickly on the outside.
Pickled Vegetables
- Bring hot water and sugar (as listed in "Vegetables and Garnishes" ingredients) together in a bowl to dissolve sugar. Add rice vinegar. Stir to combine.
- Add shredded cucumber and shredded carrots to bowl with vinegar mixture. Or, if desired, separate vinegar mixture into two bowls and separately pickle cucumber and carrots.
- Press the carrots and cucumber down so that they are completely submerged in the mixture. Pickle for 30-60 minutes.
- Drain vinegar mixture.
Other Vegetables and Garnishes
- Prep/chop the rest of the vegetables and garnishes – lettuce, cilantro, mint leaves, and peanuts. Slice lime into a few wedges.
Noodles
- Cook noodles based on package instructions. It usually cooks quickly! If noodles needs to sit for a while before combining with the other ingredients, rinse them in cold water to prevent them from sticking to each other, continuing to cook, and turning mushy.
Sauce (Nuoc Cham)
- Combine hot water and sugar to completely dissolve sugar. Then add the other sauce ingredients. Stir to combine.
Combine
- Bring noodles to bowl, and top with grilled pork, vegetables, and garnishes. Serve with sauce, and enjoy!
So delicious my family love it !! My husband wants me to make it every week 😊
Haha I am so happy to hear that you and your fam loved it!!!
Let me just say… this is one of the BEST things I’ve ever made!! I was introduced to this by a friend at work and i got soooo excited the few times I was able to have it! I never tried to replicate it because i thought it would be impossible. Then I came across your website and needed to try it. Honestly this is even better than what I’d had, and for that I thank you! I literally crave this. I’m usually one to omit sugar in recipes because I’m not crazy for sweet.. it you’re like me, don’t do it! it adds the Browning delicious finish on the pork that adds another element. I did add a little romaine to it but its not necessary. So glad I found you!
Thank you for the kind compliment – this made my day! Thank you for sharing your tips and taking time to let me know how everything went 🙂 I hope you keep trying more of my recipes and let me know what you think of them! 🙂
This is really yummy! I used pork tenderloin and cooked it in my cast iron skillet. I was hesitant about the sauce as fish sauce tends to be very overwhelming but the sauce adds a nice layer of flavor! Even my 6 year old says the pork is really good. Will definitely make again!
So happy to hear that you all loved it! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
This was a really good recipe! I had guests and everyone enjoyed this meal
Thank you Melanie! I’m so glad you all enjoyed this recipe.
Oh My Word! This was Magically Delicious! I love most things Vietnamese as this was no exception! The flavors were like a bahn mi in a bowl. I did make rice and the noodles, my husband is not a fan of the noodles, but he was really happy with the rice and raved about how good it was, much to my surprise. He’sabit finickyat times. So VERY good. Thank you for sharing!
I’m thrilled you both enjoyed it so much! Thanks so much for sharing all that!
This was so good! My family loved it so much! I used a pork tenderloin marinated for several hours, added daikon radish to the pickled vegetables, and served spring rolls wrapped in the lettuce. They were so good dipped in the sauce. I cooked the pork in a skillet, great recipe!
Yum! I love daikon radish!! Thank you for sharing how you serve them – such great ideas!
Is it really only 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce for the marinade?
Yes! Fish sauce bring the majority of flavor and saltiness (and a little bit of fish sauce goes a LONG way) to this dish – so we don’t want to overdo it with the soy sauce.
Super delicious — especially loved the pork! Cut the sugar in half, which was still delicious! I braised my pork for an hour in the marinade and about a cup of water, then cooked off any liquid until I had a dark brown glaze. Will definitely try the grill another time when it’s not raining but, alas, we were stuck inside tonight! Thanks for this great recipe!
I think it’ll be even better on the grill! 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Loved this recipe!!
Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
My husband has been daydreaming about this dish since I made it two weeks ago. This time I’ll marinate it for more than an hour and use fresh lemongrass. I’m excited to see if it could possibly be better than last when I used dried lemongrass. Overall, rave reviews the first time my 2 year old loved it and that’s when I know the recipe is a keeper. A million thanks for sharing your recipe.
You are so welcome! We love this crowd favorite so much as well!
This was a huge hit in my house. The marinade for the meat and the quick pickles were spot on. Restaurant-quality flavor. Will definitely be going into my regular dinner rotation!
Thank you so much Natalie! I’m so happy to hear that!
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. Thank you for this recipe. it was perfect.
Thank you thank you! So glad to hear that 🙂
I really enjoyed making and eating this recipe. I had saved it awhile back, but was too intimidated to cut down a pork shoulder to make this. I’m glad I did. The flavor from that cut of meat and the marinade were scrumptious. I had to double the ingredients for my ~4lbs pork shoulder, though I thoroughly trimmed it. Grilled, mine came out lighter than yours, but full of flavor and not dry. Had some charring, but no where near yours. I was also hesitant about the sauce as the star of the show is fish sauce. I did cut the sugar in half and did not miss it. If you’re like me and don’t like to taste that fishy taste, the lime cuts through it really well. It still smells like feet, but tastes delicious. I forgot to pickle the veggies but didn’t miss them, I liked them raw and small. I made enough for 2 nights and the leftovers were pretty good. I’m not sure it’s mentioned, but I heated up the sauce and that helped keep everything warm, especially the second day when I didn’t want to reheat my meat and overcook it. Perfect summertime, cool, but not cold meal. I guess my point is that it’s versatile. Thank you again for sharing it with me. -Jamie
Thanks Jamie for sharing with us how it went! I appreciate the details on your modifications and variations!
I moved to a small town where it’s an hour drive to get anything but burgers, pizza etc. I miss all the Viet/Thai restaurants in my home city. I craved a vermicelli bowl and this didn’t disappoint! It’ll be making it regularly. I followed the recipe exactly.. Don’t be afraid of fish sauce; don’t leave it out!
YES to the fish sauce! I’m so glad you are now able to enjoy this dish at home! Thank you for sharing!
A very good marinade for the pork as well as a nice add touch with the pickled veggies. I did add a little spice to mine. This was amazing!
Thank you so much, Jay!
I made this with chicken thighs instead of pork. Turned out great!!
Yum! GREAT idea!
Hosting a luncheon, can I make ahead, except for the noodles? Or is it best to eat immediately?
You can definitely make the meat ahead of time!
Loved this dish! This recipe is easy to put together and a delight for all that get invited to indulge in. I will make this again and again
Wonderful! I love hearing that! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Delicious! Had do improvise a little do h what I had on hand but all the flavors are there! thank you for sharing!
Thank YOU for making it! Glad to hear that!
Oh my goodness, this was the best vermicelli dish I have ever had!! My husband also agrees and says it is better than any restaurant. so flavorful and very easy recipe to follow.
10/10 recommend.
The only think I added was bean sprouts instead of lettuce !
That’s such music to my ears! Thank you for sharing and I’m so happy you both enjoyed it so much.