• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Carmy - Easy Healthy-ish Recipes
  • Home
  • All Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Airfryer
    • Breakfast
    • Freezer Friendly
    • Instant Pot
    • Main Dishes
    • Meal Prep
    • Meatless
    • Sides
    • Under 60 Minute Meals
  • Meal Prep
  • Instant Pot Recipes
  • How To Tutorials
    • Meal Prep
      • Meal Prep 101: Why You Should Meal Prep, How To Meal Prep, and Other Meal Prep Tips
      • Tips To Help You Meal Prep For the Week Successfully
      • Tips for Meal Prepping on a Budget + 28 Recipes
      • Whole Chicken Meal Prep (3 Freezer Friendly Meals)
    • Meal Prep: Learning the Basics E-Book
    • How To Tutorials
      • How To Cook a Whole Chicken in an Instant Pot
      • How To Cook Chicken Breasts Perfectly
      • How to Make the Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
      • How to Press Tofu Without a Tofu Press
  • About Me
    • Collaborate With Me
    • Privacy Policy
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • All Recipes
  • Instant Pot
  • Meal Prep
  • Airfryer
  • How To Tutorials
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Recipes / Main Dishes / Thit Kho (Vietnamese Caramelized Pork and Eggs)

    Thit Kho (Vietnamese Caramelized Pork and Eggs)

    Posted: Nov 28, 2021 Last Modified: Nov 28, 2021 by Carmy · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    A childhood favourite, this Thit Kho always brings back fond memories. A classic comfort recipe, this Vietnamese Caramelized Pork and Eggs recipe is made with pantry staples and makes for the perfect weeknight dinner.

    A classic home-cooked meal, this braised pork belly with eggs are coated in a sweet caramel sauce comes together in only a few simple steps. Growing up, my mom would make this regularly as it only requires a handful of simple ingredients and was one of the few recipes I would inhale within seconds.

    Overhead view of braised pork belly and egg over rice.

    Other names I’ve seen this recipe called are thit kho trung or thit kho tau. There are also many versions of this recipe but this is how my family makes it and I grew up making it. I hope you enjoy this pork belly recipe as much as I do!

    Why You’ll Love This Braised Pork Belly Recipe

    • It only requires a few ingredients so you can throw this caramelized pork belly and egg recipe together in next to no time. The ingredients are also simple enough that you probably already have them in your kitchen.
    • Thanks to braising it low and slow, the pork belly is so flavourful and tender.
    • It’s savory, salty, and sweet! Like a party in your mouth.

    Ingredients You’ll Need

    Ingredients needed to make thit kho tau.
    • sugar — you’ll need granulated white sugar to make the caramel sauce.
    • pork belly — I love pork belly. Keep in mind that it’s on the fattier side. If you prefer something leaner, try pork shoulder.
    • onion — use whatever onion you’ve got. I ususally use sweet onion.
    • garlic — the more the merrier! I use a whole head!
    • fish sauce — this adds a savory umami element that is difficult to replicate. While I’m not a big fan of fish sauce, it works well in this recipe and you don’t even notice it.
    • dark soy sauce — while you can use regular soy sauce for an extra hit of saltiness, I use dark soy sauce since it gives the pork a beautiful dark colour. Feel free to add less or use regular soy sauce.
    • salt & pepper
    • Coca Cola — while some recipes uses coconut water or Rico coconut soda, my parents made ours with Coke.
    • pork bouillon cube — this adds a bit of extra pork flavour to the dish.
    • water — just a splash!
    • eggs — you can make hard boiled eggs however you like. Try my air fryer hard boiled eggs, Instant Pot hard boiled eggs, or stove top hard boiled eggs.

    How to Make Thit Kho

    • Sugar added to a Dutch oven.
    • Sugar melting in the Dutch oven.
    • Melted sugar in the Dutch oven.
    • In a Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, add in the sugar on low heat and stir until the sugar just melts. It’ll take around 5 to 8 minutes.
    • Pork belly added to the Dutch oven.
    • Pork belly in the Dutch oven.
    • Add in the pork and stir to coat it with the melted sugar.
    • Cook the pork for 5 to 10 minutes to try some of the fat out of the pork.
    • Onions added to the Dutch oven.
    • Seasoning added to the Dutch oven.
    • Add the diced onion and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes before adding the minced garlic. Cook for another minute until fragrant.
    • Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, salt, and pepper.
    • Coke added to the Dutch oven.
    • Eggs added to the Dutch oven.
    • Simmered pork belly and eggs in the Dutch oven.
    • Add the Coca Cola and turn the heat up to medium.
    • Once the mixture comes up to a simmer, add in the peeled hard boiled eggs.
    • Add in ¼ cup of water and simmer with the lid on for an hour and a half. Rotate the eggs at the half way mark or try to nestle the eggs in as much liquid as possible.
    A bowl of thit kho tau over rice.

    Recipe Tips and Notes

    • When melting the sugar, keep a close eye on it and avoid high heat.
    • This recipe was made in a Dutch oven. I love my Le Creuset because the inside is a light colour so I can keep a better eye on my sugar melting. You want it to be a light golden colour.
    • When simmering the pork belly, you can take the lid off near the end if you want to cook down the liquid more. I prefer leaving the lid on so it’s more liquidy as I love pouring all the liquid over my rice.
    • I usually use my rice cooker to make jasmine rice to serve with this recipe.
    • Feel free to add your eggs later on if you prefer them to be less cooked through.
    • Cooking this recipe low and slow is how the pork ends up so tender so don’t try to rush it by increasing the heat.
    Overhead view of thit kho tau in a bowl of rice.
    Overhead view of braised pork belly and egg over rice.

    Thit Kho (Vietnamese Caramelized Pork and Eggs)

    A childhood favourite, this Thit Kho always brings back fond memories. A classic comfort recipe, this Vietnamese Caramelized Pork and Eggs recipe is made with pantry staples and makes for the perfect weeknight dinner.
    5 from 11 votes
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Cook Time: 1 hr 50 mins
    Total Time: 2 hrs
    Servings: 5 servings

    Ingredients

    • 3 tbsp sugar
    • 2 lbs pork belly
    • 1 small onion, diced
    • 1 head garlic, minced
    • 3 tbsp fish sauce
    • 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
    • 1 tsp salt & pepper
    • 1 can Coca Cola
    • 1 pork bouillon cube
    • ¼ cup water
    • 6-8 hard boiled eggs

    Equipment

    • Dutch oven

    Instructions

    • In a Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, add in the sugar on low heat and stir until the sugar just melts. It’ll take around 5 to 8 minutes.
    • Add in the pork and stir to coat it with the melted sugar.
    • Cook the pork for 5 to 10 minutes to try some of the fat out of the pork.
    • Add the diced onion and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes before adding the minced garlic. Cook for another minute until fragrant.
    • Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, salt, and pepper.
    • Add the Coca Cola and turn the heat up to medium.
    • Once the mixture comes up to a simmer, add in the peeled hard boiled eggs.
    • Add in ¼ cup of water and simmer with the lid on for 1.5 hours. Rotate the eggs at the half way mark or try to nestle the eggs in as much liquid as possible.

    Notes

    The calories estimation includes the braising liquid. While I drizzle some on top when I serve, you may or may not use it all.
    Tried this recipe?Did you make this recipe? I’m always so happy to hear about it! I’d love to see how it turned out. Tag me at @CarmysHungry on Instagram so I can see it! If you enjoyed the recipe, I’d really appreciate a comment with a 5 star rating! ♥

    Nutrition Per Serving

    Calories: 1114kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 103g | Saturated Fat: 37g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 47g | Cholesterol: 354mg | Sodium: 2246mg | Potassium: 513mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 332IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 2mg
    Author: Carmy
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Vietnamese

    Recipes to Make Next

    • Lemongrass Chicken Thighs
    • Vietnamese Rice Paper Shrimp Rolls
    • Vietnamese Grilled Chicken
    • Vietnamese Coffee

    Other places to connect with me
    @carmyshungry on Instagram
    Facebook
    Shop my Amazon faves
    Email: [email protected]

    Click here to sign up to stay up to date with new recipes sent straight to your inbox PLUS a free ebook with 10 easy chicken recipes!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Audrey

      January 14, 2022 at 11:19 am

      5 stars
      Very flavorful!!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Carmy is a healthy-ish living blogger based in Ontario. Here, you can find healthy-ish meal prep recipes, Instant Pot recipes, and lightened up family favourites! Follow along as she shares what she learns along the way!

    More about me →


    Click here
    if you’d like to collaborate with Carmy

    Popular

    • Gochujang Chicken Thighs (Grilled or Stovetop)
    • Hibachi Chicken with Fried Rice
    • Garlic Herb Butter Roasted Chicken in a Dutch Oven
    • How To Make Instant Pot Poached Eggs

    Sign up to stay up to date with new recipes straight to your inbox PLUS a free ebook with 10 easy chicken recipes!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy
    • Work with Me

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates plus a downloadable shopping list and recipes for one week's meal prep (lunches and snacks).

    Recipes

    • All Recipes
    • Meal Preps Recipes
    • Instant Pot Recipes

    Copyright © 2021 Carmy — Easy Healthy-ish Recipes