I absolutely love pork kofta, the flavors alone make it a masterpiece: lemongrass, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, a hit of sambal… this summer I have been grilling pork koftas but I wanted to bring you something that has a little less effort.
So I took the exact same mixture, minus the rolling and the grill and now we have one of the most satisfying dinners in my rotation! No skewers. No preheating anything outside. Just a skillet, a spatula, and twenty minutes between you and dinner.
Why This One Works So Hard for So Little Effort
It’s a crumble, not a shape. The second I stopped forming this into koftas, everything got easier. Ground pork gets tossed with aromatics, dumped in a hot pan, and broken up with a spatula.
It browns so beautifully this way! More surface area touching the pan means more of those deeply caramelized, crispy edges in every single bite instead of just on the outside.
The pickled cucumbers add the perfect brightness! A quick fish sauce cucumber pickle takes five minutes of hands-on time and then just sits there getting more delicious while you cook the pork. By the time you’re plating bowls, you’ve got crunch, acid, and a little heat sitting right on top!
It’s endlessly forgiving. Rice on hand but no fresh herbs? Still great. Only have ground chicken? Swap it. This is the kind of recipe that bends to what’s actually in your fridge on a Wednesday!
Tips to Make This Even Easier
No lemongrass? No problem. Fresh lemongrass can be hard to track down depending on where you shop (I get mine at Whole Foods next to fresh herbs like rosemary and dill). A few swaps that work:
- Lemongrass paste (found in a tube near the herbs at most grocery stores). Use about 1 tablespoon in place of the two stalks
- Lime zest plus a little extra ginger. Not a perfect match, but it brings a similar bright, citrusy lift
- Skip it entirely. The dish will lean a little more straightforward ginger-garlic-fish sauce, and it’s still delicious. Don’t let the lack of one ingredient stop dinner from happening.
Don’t skip the resting time on the cucumbers. Even fifteen minutes makes a real difference. If you can make them first thing when you walk in the door and let them sit while you do literally anything else (change clothes, pour a drink, give all the cuddles to your little pup), they’ll be even better by the time you eat.
Let the pork actually sit in the pan. The instinct is to stir constantly, but resist it! Give the pork a solid minute or two undisturbed before you toss it around again. That’s how you get those crispy, caramelized bits instead of just gray, steamed crumbles.
Make extra. This reheats well and is fantastic the next day wrapped in lettuce cups for lunch, or piled onto rice again if you’re not one for reinventing leftovers.
This dish is fast, it’s forgiving, and it’s got enough acid, crunch, and savory depth going on that everybody will be asking when you’ll make it again!
20-Minute Thai Pork Bowls with Zingy Cucumbers
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
For the Pork
1 1/2 lb ground pork
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 lemongrass stalks, tender inner part only, finely minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp sambal oelek (or chili paste)
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 lime, juiced
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
For the Bowls
3 cups cooked jasmine or basmati rice
1/2 cup fresh Thai basil or mint, torn
1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving
For the Pickled Cucumbers
1 1/2 lb Persian or English cucumbers, thinly sliced
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 shallot, very thinly sliced
2 Thai chilies, thinly sliced (seeds removed for less heat)
Instructions
Quick-pickle the cucumbers
Thinly slice 1 1/2 lb cucumbers into rounds and lay on a paper towel while you make the brine. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup rice vinegar, 2 Tbsp fish sauce, 2 Tbsp lime juice, 1 Tbsp sugar, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt until dissolved. Stir in the shallot and Thai chilies, then add the cucumbers and toss to coat. Let sit at room temp while you make the pork (even 15 minutes helps; longer is better).
Season the pork
In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 lb ground pork, 2 lemongrass stalks, 4 garlic cloves, 1 Tbsp ginger, 2 Tbsp fish sauce, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 Tbsp sambal oelek, 3 green onions, juice of 1 lime, and 1 tsp sesame oil. Mix gently with your hands or a fork just until combined.
Brown the pork until crispy
Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork mixture and break it up with a spatula or meat crumbler into small crumbles. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and crispy in spots, 8 to 10 minutes (resist the urge to stir constantly; let it sit for a minute at a time so it actually browns instead of steaming).
Build your bowls
Divide warm rice among bowls. Top with the crispy pork, then add the pickled cucumbers to the side of the bowl. Scatter with torn basil or mint and serve with lime wedges for squeezing!
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