Easy 25-Minute Thai Ground Pork Rice Bowl

Easy 25-Minute Thai Ground Pork Rice Bowl is the quickest and tastiest way to have a fast and simple lunch or dinner. This is an excellent recipe if you want to prep lunches ahead of time or having a delicious, filling and healthy dinner. Ground pork cooked in a sauce made with brown sugar, soy sauce and ginger make for a tasty protein to enjoy with your fresh vegetables, rice and toasted rice powder.

Hello! I just wanted to start this post with a quick apology/explanation. I’ve been slacking with my recipes and blog posts the last few weeks. Unfortunately, we had a very sudden and unexpected death of a close family member on March 11th. My Aunt Debra was a beautiful person and we miss her every day.

I’ve been working on this same post since a few days before she passed. Every time I have sat down at the keyboard to do work, I’ve been very overwhelmed and distracted. But I’m trying to push myself to keep Spice and Sugar Mama moving along. I was thinking about maybe just starting a different post for a different recipe until I was ready to circle back to this one. This is one that I’ve really been wanting to share so I’m going to keep pushing so that I can publish it.

As I’m sure you can imagine, things were difficult. I assisted with the final arrangements and things that needed to be done. Unfortunately, this isn’t even close to the first time I’ve had to help with these family situations but it never gets easier. The service was close to two weeks after the day so things were chaotic and busy for most of the month of March. Circumstances surrounding the death have added to questions and the pain and hardship that you feel during any time of grieving a loved one. My Aunt was very supportive of my food blog so I will do my best to refocus and soldier forward with something positive.

I signed up for a cupcake decorating course. I’m hoping that will be a good reset as well and help me focus my energy into some positivity. As with any grief, you don’t really feel like doing much but I’m glad I forced myself to sign up for this class. And it won’t hurt anything that I’ll be able to fancy up my hot mess cupcakes!

Now, back to the recipe. This is a newer recipe that I developed and it has made it heavily into my dinner rotation. It is actually my new and current favorite meal. I know I’m a little late to the party but I just had to experience the rice bowl obsession. I can safely say, I have leaped onto the bandwagon! A Thai ground pork rice bowl that tastes absolutely amazing and comes together in under half an hour? Yes, please! The flavor in this recipe is unbelievable. Hence the reason, that this is one of my new favorite dinner recipes.

This meal is amazing for a number of reasons. First of all, there are so many ways to switch things up and make your pork rice bowl unique to you. Secondly, this recipe is very budget friendly. Ground pork is an inexpensive meat and you can literally use the veggies that you have right in your fridge.

I love this recipe so much because it’s so huge on delicious Thai flavor. But it really has very few ingredients and takes the smallest amount of effort to throw together. The process is so quick and simple. The ground pork cooks quickly and easily. It’s just fried in a skillet with a little salt and black pepper added. And while that’s happening, you can put together your sauce, chop the garlic and prep the veggies that you will use for your rice bowl.

The ingredients in this dish are also things that shouldn’t be too challenging to find right at your local grocery store. I buy chili oil at my usual grocery spot. However, fresh Thai chilis and toasted rice powder are things that I buy at the Thai store. There are plenty of other fresh spicy pepper options at the grocery store that I can use in place of the fresh chilis, when needed.

Toasted rice powder is something that I feel like is a must-have in this ground pork rice bowl. I’ve never seen that anywhere besides the Thai store that I frequent. However, we live in the golden age of the internet and online shopping. So you should certainly be able to get your hands on some fairly easily. If not, I’ve included instructions to make your own at home instead.

What is a rice bowl?

Besides a slice of Heaven, a rice bowl is a meal that is served in a large bowl. The rice bowl consists of rice (of course), vegetables and a protein. There are hundreds or maybe even thousands of different variations that you can put together for your rice bowl. All different types of cuisines can be used for a rice bowl. It doesn’t just have to be Thai deliciousness that you’re making. I find that the rice bowl is incredibly filling yet surprisingly light. It feels like eating a very hearty and satisfying salad.

Rice bowls are filling and super convenient. They travel great if you need to pack a lunch for work or you wanted something easy and filling to bring for a family outing or picnic. When you’re ready for lunch, you simply mix everything together and eat. They heat up very well. My husband loves bringing leftover Quick 25-Minute Thai Ground Pork Rice Bowl. I just prepare him a smaller amount so it fits in a Tupperware container.

Substitutions and Variations:

• Ground pork: You can use any meat that you would like. Strips of pork, steak or chicken would be delicious in this recipe as well. But I would highly suggest going with a ground meat for this recipe. Ground meat makes it easier to mix everything together in the rice bowl and have the meat evenly distributed throughout. Also, it cuts down the cook time to make a quick and easy meal.
• Brown sugar: Sugar is essential to the sauce to get the ground pork to caramelize properly. You can certainly use an equal amount of white sugar instead. Or if you are running sugarless in the kitchen that day, you can substitute the 1/3 cup of brown sugar for 1/4 cup of maple syrup.
• Chili oil: I love the unique flavor that chili oil lends to this Thai Sauce in this rice bowl recipe. However, if you do not have it on hand or you aren’t a fan, just leave it out. Everything will still turn out equally as delicious.
• Jasmine rice: This is always my go-to and favorite rice. Jasmine is what I’ve grown up eating and you can’t beat this fragrant traditional rice. However, if you wanted to mix things up or you’ve committed the ultimate kitchen sin and run out, then you have other options. Brown rice, quinoa or couscous would make a great meal. You could even get really crazy and make it a noodle bowl instead. Swap out the rice and add rice noodles, vermicelli or some ramen.
• Vegetables: The beauty of this rice bowl is that it’s really so versatile. You can add all of your favorite veggies or use what you have on hand in the fridge and it will turn out delicious. Other great options are romaine lettuce, green or red cabbage, snap peas, onion, bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, green onion, kale or bok choy. If possible, I would not skip the cilantro or mint in this recipe.
• Toasted rice powder: This is an optional ingredient in this recipe because I know that it might be a little more challenging to find. Head to your local Thai or Asian supermarket or get in touch with your good friend Amazon and have some shipped to the house. You could also toast your own rice at home (instructions below).

How do I make my own toasted rice powder at home?

Toasted rice powder is extremely easy to make yourself and right in your own kitchen. The ingredient list is short. White Jasmine rice. Yep, that’s all. You put the dry Jasmine rice in a skillet on medium heat. Do NOT pan spray the pan or use any kind of oil. Continuously stir the rice for about roughly 10 minutes. Once the rice is evenly toasted and golden brown, remove it from the heat. Allow the rice to cool completely. Then use a spice or coffee grinder and grind the toasted rice into a powder. The desired texture is up to you. You may want the rice powder to be very fine or you may want a little bit of gritty texture to your rice powder. Grind to your preference.

Assembling Your Rice Bowl for Easy 25-Minute Thai Ground Pork Rice Bowl

The measurements in this recipe will allow you to make four separate rice bowls with generous portions. Assembling the bowl is easy.

• Add 1 cup of cooked Jasmine rice to a large bowl.
• Add 1/2 cup of lettuce to the bowl. Add it to the outside edge. Leave the area in the middle open. You want all of the vegetables to form a circle around the ground pork that will be placed in the center of the bowl. (See photo in instructions)
• Add 1/2 cup of shredded carrots to the outside edge of the bowl next to the lettuce.
• Add 1 tablespoon of cilantro to the outside edge of the bowl.
• Add 1 tablespoon of mint to the outside edge of the bowl.
• Add sliced tomato or cherry tomatoes to the outside edge of the bowl.
• Add desired amount of chopped cucumber to the outside edge of the bowl.
• Put a lime wedge along the edge of the bowl.
• Place about 1 cup of the cooked ground pork in the center of the bowl.
• (Optional) Top the ground pork with thinly sliced Thai chilis and 1 tablespoon of toasted rice powder, if desired.

Instructions

Heat olive oil in large pan sprayed skillet over medium heat. Add the ground pork, salt and black pepper. Brown for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Break apart the pork and stir frequently.

While the pork is browning, combine all of the ingredients for the sauce in a mixing bowl. Stir to mix well. Chop the garlic and chop and slice the veggies for the rice bowl.

Once the ground pork is cooked through, add the chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the sauce and continue cooking and stirring for 5 minutes until the pork is caramelized.

To assemble the rice bowls, place 1 cup of cooked Jasmine rice into a large bowl. Then, arrange the sliced and chopped veggies along the edge of the bowl. Leave the middle of the bowl open for the ground pork at the end. For each serving, use about ½ cup of lettuce, ½ cup of shredded carrots, 1 tablespoon cilantro, 1 tablespoon mint and sliced tomatoes/cherry tomatoes and cucumber. Add a lime wedge to the bowl. Add the cooked ground pork to the middle of the bowl. If desired, top the ground pork with thinly sliced Thai chili peppers and 1 tablespoon of toasted rice powder. When eating, squeeze the lime wedge over the top and stir everything together to combine in the bowl. Enjoy!

Easy Thai Favorites

• 20-Minute Thai Beef Noodles with Mushroom and Snow Peas is a perfect dinner for when you want something equally as delicious as it is quick. The Stir-Fry Sauce is versatile for so many different recipes. The winning combination of rice noodles, beef, veggies and sauce is the best option for your next fast family dinner.
• Authentic Thai Yellow Curry Sausage and Vegetables is an amazing dinner that comes together so easily. Coconut milk, turmeric and brown sugar make the most beautiful sauce for the Italian sausage, cabbage, broccoli and potatoes. This is a dinner that your family will fall in love with immediately.
• Mom’s Authentic Thai Som Tum (Papaya Salad) is one of my favorite things in the entire world to eat. Papaya, carrots and lots of other delicious veggies come together with lemon, garlic and fish sauce to make a perfect salad. This is perfection when served with hot Jasmine rice and roasted chicken or ribs.
• Best Spicy Thai Lemongrass Chicken has the best marinade. Gingery with soy sauce and lemongrass, this recipe makes for a spicy and unforgettable version of a restaurant favorite.
• Authentic Chicken and Shrimp Pad Thai will deliver on all of the genuine flavors that Thailand is known for. This recipe will become an instant classic that you and your family will fall in love with.

Let me know in the comments below what sort of variation you did for your Easy 25-Minute Thai Ground Pork Rice Bowl. What changes will you make the next time you make this recipe? I love hearing from you guys. As always, thank you for supporting the Spice and Sugar Mama food blog!