Vietnamese fried pork spare ribs (Suon Heo Chien) is a quick and easy recipe of pan-fried pork riblets. Enjoy on its own or with steamed rice or noodles for a complete meal.
This is a great recipe for a busy work or school night that comes together in under 30 minutes.
Pork ribs at the grocery store usually come in big slabs. To get the cut I want for this recipe, I have to chop it up into bite-size pieces with a large meat cleaver at home.
However, if you have a butcher to assist you, you can cut down the prep work. Ask him/her to cut the ribs into long 1-to-2-inch-wide strips. This way you have a string of tiny ribs. When you take them home, cut in between the meat to get individual riblets.
If you get pork ribs from Asian grocery stores, they are usually already cut this way.
The ribs are first soaked in water with a bit of baking soda, a restaurant hack to quickly tenderize meat. After soaking, they’re rinsed and dried. This process also helps clean away any bone fragments.
For the marinade, I’m using the ultimate Vietnamese home-cooking cheat—bouillon stock powder—along with salt, sugar, ground black pepper, and garlic powder.
Since I’ll be frying the ribs to get a nice caramelization, I’m avoiding liquids in the marinade. No fish sauce here, as it would lead to a messy hot oil splatter.
I’m also skipping fresh garlic, which burns easily when frying. Garlic powder is a foolproof option and makes the recipe quicker and simpler.
Vietnamese Fried Pork Spare Ribs (Suon Heo Chien)
- Total Time: 1 hour 23 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
A pan-fried pork riblets recipe, perfect on its own or with rice or noodles for a complete meal.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork spare ribs (cut into bite-size pieces)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (meat tenderizer)
- 1 tablespoon chicken or mushroom bouillon powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 scallion/green onion (optional; slice thin)
Instructions
- Tenderize pork ribs: Place them in a bowl and add enough water to fully cover them. Mix in baking soda and let the ribs soak for 15 minutes. Drain the water, rinse off the baking soda, and pat the ribs dry with paper towels.
- Marinate ribs with chicken/mushroom bouillon powder, salt, sugar, garlic powder, and ground black pepper for at least 30 minutes or overnight in fridge for best results.
- Pan fry: In a large skillet with a lid, heat vegetable oil on medium-high. Pan fry spare ribs until golden brown on all sides (about 4 minutes per side).
- Add water and cover skillet with a lid. Cook on medium low heat for about 30 minutes or until ribs are tender. Remove lid and continue to cook until excess moisture is gone, if any.
- Garnish with sliced green onion/scallion and serve.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 38 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese
