Authentic Bun Thit Nuong (Vietnamese Grilled Pork Vermicelli Bowls)

Bun Thit Nuong or Vietnamese Noodles with Grilled Pork is one of the most classic Vietnamese noodle dishes. Savory grilled pork is served with a refreshing bowl of noodles, herbs, and pickled vegetables, all drizzled with nuoc cham. Included in this recipe are gluten free options as well as tips on how to make this without a grill if you don’t have one.

One of the most classic Vietnamese noodle salads in Vietnamese cuisine is Bun Thit Nuong or Vietnamese Noodles with Grilled Pork. 9 times out of 10, if Vietnamese people order bún, they will order this dish. There’s absolutely nothing like it flavor wise. Grilled lemongrass pork is served in a bowl of vermicelli noodles paired with fresh herbs, do chua, mo hanh, and a drizzle of nuoc cham. Everything in this seemingly simple bowl of cold noodles create a harmony and balance of flavors. It is hands down one of my favorites.

Love this recipe. The instructions Becca provided were easy to follow. She also shared measurement of each ingredient so you can’t really go wrong.

TC T.

I’ve been eating Bun Thit Nuong my whole life

Making noodle bowls is practically a rite of passage growing up in a Vietnamese family. From noodle bowls with chicken like Bun Ga Nuong or ones with Vietnamese egg rolls like Bun Cha Gio, I’ve had and made them all (at least 2-3 times each a summer!). But the one I always revert back to is this one – Bun Thit Nuong or Vietnamese noodle bowls (or noodle salad) with grilled pork.

Everyone has their own version of this dish, and in my family, we like the mantra less is more, so we only include lettuce, mint, cucumbers, pickled daikon and carrots, and crushed peanuts in addition to the typical suspects (vermicelli and the meat). Sometimes we switch out the peanuts for fried shallots instead to create a bit of variation in flavor and texture, and we also throw in cha gio from time to time for extra texture and protein. Much of the variation for my family comes from what we have on hand at the time.

Some deets about some key ingredients you’ll need

• Pork shoulder – In traditional Bun Thit Nuong, pork shoulder or pork butt is used. You can use whatever cut of pork you want, but I recommend shoulder or butt if you can find it. In my hundreds of tests, I found the fat content of pork shoulder or pork butt gives the final dish a juicier texture.
• Oyster sauce – A good substitute for oyster sauce is vegan oyster sauce. I’ve tested this with vegan oyster sauce, and it works just as well as regular oyster sauce.
• Vegetable Oil – Personally, I’ve been using olive oil much more recently, and have been liking the flavor and color with the marinade.
• Light brown sugar – Light brown sugar can be substituted with dark brown sugar. Note that dark brown sugar is sweeter, so that will make the dish sweeter. Over the years, I’ve used both types of brown sugar depending on what I have on hand, and don’t feel that one is better than the other. If I had to give the edge to one, it would be light brown sugar because it limits the sweetness of the pork, allowing the fish sauce flavor to come through more.

What do I do if I don’t have a grill?

If you don’t have an outdoor grill, you can use a grill pan, indoor grill, or a saute pan. I personally used an indoor grill for this recipe. I recently bought this one, and I absolutely love it. It minimizes the amount of smoke emitted, so my fire alarm isn’t constantly going off.

If don’t have a grill or grill pan, I would use a saute pan. Heat the pan over high heat for 5-10 minutes until the pan is really hot. The hot pan will help you get the “grill” look without actually grilling.

Some tips on making Bun Thit Nuong that have helped me

Slice the pork while frozen for easier cutting

Thinly slicing pork is really hard. In my experience, I found that when the pork is partially frozen it holds its shape better, making it easier for me to cut.

Marinate the pork overnight for the best flavor

The longer the pork marinates, the better the flavor will be. I tested this for 30 minutes, 1 hour, and overnight, and while it was tasty in all 3 tests, the pork that was marinated overnight had the best flavor.

Reheating Bun Thit Nuong

I would first microwave the vermicelli noodles for ~1 minute and then let it sit for 5 minutes. When you store vermicelli noodles in the fridge, all the moisture from the fridge makes the noodles stick together. Microwaving the noodles helps them come apart, and it also helps evaporate some of that excess liquid. You need to let them cool down because the noodles tend to soak up more dressing when they’re warm, so you tend to overdress the dish when the noodles are warm. The noodles are best served at room temperature. Once the noodles are reheated, reheat the pork in a separate bowl using the microwave then put it all together in a bowl. Enjoy!

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