Thịt Kho Recipe – (Vietnamese Braised Pork with Eggs)

thit kho, Vietnamese braised pork and eggs


Pork belly is also popular for this dish if you want it to be richer. For me, the extra fat in the pork is nice–however the chewy pork belly skin just makes me wish I was eating a crispy version.

Here’s a step by step pictorial:


Cut into 1-1.5″ pieces.


Rinse to get all the nasties out, then drain.


These are the brands I use for coconut soda, soy sauce, and fish sauce.

coconut soda, soy sauce, and fish sauce

Liquids, pork, eggs, and water into the pot!

3965736656_81bc101144_othit kho, Vietnamese braised pork and eggs

When I was a kid, I enjoyed this by mashing up the yolk and mix it with the rice, then adding some broth. Well…this hasn’t changed except I’ve stepped up my game with ground pepper on top. To be eating this “properly” you want to pair thit kho with a side of dua chua.

Cook’s Notes:
I have tried adding slices of yellow onion and garlic too. It adds a nice complementary layer of flavor. For the seasoning in this thịt kho recipe: tinker with the soy sauce, fish sauce, and salt after the liquid has finished reducing to fit your taste. Do this by aiming to slightly under-season before boiling the pork, then adding more after the liquid reduces.

Thịt Kho Recipe - (Vietnamese Braised Pork with Eggs)
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
  • 2.2 lbs. (1 kg) of country style pork ribs / shoulder / belly, cut into 1.5" cubes
  • 6 hard boiled eggs
  • ½ (6 oz.) can coconut soda
  • 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1.5 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  1. Get about 2-3 quarts of water boiling on high heat, or enough to fully submerge the pork.
  2. When the water reaches a boil, add the pork for about 1-2 minutes, basically to clean it. We're not trying to cook it all the way through here.
  3. Then, pour out the water and rinse the pork under running water. Use your hands! Drain the water.
  5. Fill up the pot until the water just covers the pork. Turn the stove back on high heat.
  6. When it hits a boil, lower to about about 50% heat and set the timer for 2 hours. The longer you cook it, the softer the pork gets. If you're in a hurry, 1 hour could do. Leaving it slightly uncovered lets the liquid reduce so you get a nice concentrated broth later. Make the Nuoc Mau (caramel) and add to the pot (or use "thick soy sauce" to add color)
  7. When there are about 30-60 minutes left on the timer, add the eggs. Eventually we want the liquid to reduce to half of the original. So when the timer shows 15 minutes left and you have too much liquid, turn the heat up to evaporate the water faster. If you don't want to overcook the other ingredients, reduce the liquid in another pot.
  8. Serve with rice!



  2. Thanks! Just wish I had some Dua Cai Chua to go with this. =]

  3. its so hard to find vietnamese recipes i understand and use online. more more more.

  4. =] sure thing.


  6. Huy, do i cover the pot with a lid? or leave it open?


  8. Similar to adobo in the philippines:) ill try this recipe..

  9. A friend made this as a comfort meal for me once and I loved it!

  10. This is way better than the Filipinos’ adobo.

  11. looks similar to adobo but taste way different to adobo trust me this dish is heaps tastier

  12. make sure you use good fish sauce, like the one pictured above.





  14. Isnt the broth suppose to be thicker?


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