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    You are here: Home / Vietnamese food / Suon Nuong (Vietnamese Grilled Lemongrass Pork Chops)

    Suon Nuong (Vietnamese Grilled Lemongrass Pork Chops)

    Published: Jun 10, 2022 by Kaylie This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe
    Grilled pork chop over rice with side of salad.
    Grilled pork chops with green onions.

    These authentic and flavorful Vietnamese pork chops (suon nuong) are marinated in fragrant and savory ingredients like lemongrass, fish sauce, sugar and honey. Grill them over medium-high heat for picture-perfect grill marks, and nice charred edges. Serve these delicious pork chops over a bed of rice with a variety of fresh and pickled vegetables – and of course, drizzled with nuoc cham for the ultimate dish that will rival any restaurant!

    grilled pork chops with green onions.

    Lemongrass is a quintessential aromatic that you’ll find in a lot of Vietnamese dishes and marinades. It has a refreshing citrusy flavor, with a hint of mint, that brightens up any dish. There are many suon nuong marinade variations, but this version is my favorite since it was inspired by my mom’s recipe. 

    If you have been to a Vietnamese restaurant you’ll find these lemongrass pork chops paired with a broken rice or a vermicelli dish. Whatever you serve it with, it’ll be delicious! 

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients & notes
    • Instructions
    • Pro tips
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • More Vietnamese recipes to try!
    • Suon Ram (Vietnamese Lemongrass Pork Chops)

    Ingredients & notes

    Ingredients to make lemongrass pork chops and marinade.

    Pork chops – I used ¾ inch thick bone-in pork chops.  Thinner cuts are great too. 

    Lemongrass – You can get stalks of lemongrass at most Asian stores or you can find it in the frozen aisle, where they are pre chopped/minced. 

    Fish sauce – It’s not Vietnamese unless there’s fish sauce! My favorite brands include Red Boat, Son and Three Crabs.

    Brown sugar and honey – A combo of these sweeteners give a darker color to the pork and gets you nice grill marks. 

    Instructions

    Lemongrass marinade in bowl.

    Make the marinade by combining all the ingredients and mix well.

    pork chops marinading in bag.

    Pour marinade over the pork and coat well, in a plastic ziploc bag. Squeeze out all the air, zip it up, then marinate overnight.

    Pork on a grill.

    Grill on medium high heat for 5-6 minutes on each side (for ¾ inch thick chops). 

    Grilled pork chop with rice and side of salad.

    Serve over a bed of rice with vegetables like sliced tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, lettuce and pickled vegetables. Drizzle with nuoc mam cham sauce and enjoy!

    Pro tips

    • You can also use this lemongrass marinade for delicious grilled chicken.
    • For additional aromatics and flavor, brush it with some scallion oil (mo hanh). To make it heat vegetable oil on medium heat and sautee chopped green onions for 1-2 minutes.
    • To get those nice, charred grill marks and better caramelization, make sure to preheat your grill to at least 400 Fahrenheit, and shake off the excess marinade before placing the chops on the grill.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Why are my pork chops tough?


    The best way to keep pork chops moist is to not overcook them.

    How do you grill Vietnamese pork chops?

    Make sure to place them on a grill preheated to at least 400 Fahrenheit, heat set to medium-high, and only turn the pork once. 

    How long should you cook grilled pork chops?

    A ½” thick chop takes about 5 minutes per side to reach medium doneness. A ¾” thick chop takes about 6 minutes per side. And for a 1” thick chop, cook for  about 7 to 8 minutes per side.


    How can you tell if pork is cooked without a thermometer?

    Try the “poke test”: With your left hand, touch your thumb to your middle finger. Using your right hand, touch the meaty part of your thumb – it should feel close to a medium-done chop/steak. Now like the thickest part of your pork chop, if it feels softer, cook for a bit more.

    More Vietnamese recipes to try!

    • Authentic Vietnamese Chicken Salad (Goi Ga)
    • Thit Kho Tau (Vietnamese Braised Pork with Eggs)
    • Fresh Vietnamese Pork and Shrimp Spring Rolls (Goi Cuon)
    • Suon Ram Man-Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Spare Ribs

    Love a recipe you’ve tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card and a comment below! That’ll make my day!

    Let’s be friends! Follow me on social media @ Instagram, Pinterest. Give me a tag @apeachyplate when you try out a recipe!

    Grilled pork chop with rice and side of vegetables.

    Suon Ram (Vietnamese Lemongrass Pork Chops)

    Kaylie
    These authentic and flavorful Vietnamese pork chops are marinated in fragrant lemongrass, savory fish sauce, and a touch of sugar and honey. Grill them over medium-high heat for picture-perfect grill marks, and nice charred edges.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    marinade time 8 hrs
    Total Time 8 hrs 20 mins
    Course lunch, Main Course
    Cuisine Asian, Vietnamese
    Servings 4 pork chops
    Calories 505 kcal

    Equipment

    • grill we have a great Weber grill
    • 1 ziploc bag, gallon size

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 pork chops I used ¾ inch thick bone-in pork chops.  Thinner cuts are fine too.
    • ⅓ cup canola oil
    • ¼ cup lemongrass, chopped
    • 1 cup shallot, chopped
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 3 tablespoons fish sauce
    • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
    • 1 tablespoon honey
    • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

    Instructions
     

    • Place the pork chops into a resealable bag.
    • In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, lemongrass, shallot, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, sesame oil and salt.
    • Pour the marinade over the pork chops in the plastic bag, making sure it evenly coats each piece of meat.
    • Seal and place the bag in a large bowl (as the bones may puncture the bag) in the refrigetor overnight.
    • To grill, preheat the grill to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, on medium high heat. Grill for about 6 minutes on each side (see notes below for grill time for thicker cuts).

    Notes

    *Nutritional facts provided are only an estimate, accuracy is not guaranteed.
    • To get nice charred grill marks and better caramelization, make sure to preheat your grill to at least 400 Fahrenheit, and shake off the excess marinade before placing the chops on the grill. Only turn once. 
    • A ½” thick chop takes about 5 minutes per side to reach medium doneness. A ¾” thick chop takes about 6 minutes per side. And for a 1” thick chop, cook for  about 7 to 8 minutes per side.
    • The pork chops should reach at least 145 Fahrenheit in the thickest part, which will be cooked medium.
    • You can also use this lemongrass marinade for delicious grilled chicken.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 4pork chopsCalories: 505kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 33gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 2469mgPotassium: 815mgFiber: 2gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 10IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 52mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Tag @apeachyplate or hashtag #apeachyplate!
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    Hello, I’m Kaylie -a licensed registered nurse and mommy to two hungry little boys who oversee my taste-test kitchen. Here you’ll find tasty recipes made with real ingredients that I cook for my family – from healthy and nourishing, to savory and comforting. I hope you enjoy, from my family to yours!

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