Next weekend is definitely ideal grillin' weather for Independence Day! So, why not whip up something with an Asian flair for July 4th -- like these Vietnamese Grilled Pork Tenderloin Skewers? So, so good!
Oh, the aromas of so many BBQs fired up all over the neighborhood! These incredibly flavorful pork skewers are so easy to prepare! And the marinade has so much flavor from the lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and shallots!
The pork is super tender when grilled and takes no time at all to cook through. Just about 15 minutes is all you'll need for grilling! These skewers can be made on a stove-top grill pan as well.
Ingredients you'll need for the marinade and sauce
- reduced sodium soy sauce
- fish sauce
- rice vinegar
- brown sugar
- fresh lemongrass
- finely shallots
- garlic cloves
- fresh ginger
- canola oil
- red pepper flakes
- fresh cilantro
The marinade is everything in this Vietnamese dish. It gives such amazing flavor to the pork with hints of fresh ginger, garlic, and lemongrass. When making the marinade, make sure to set some aside for the sauce!
Serve these skewers with a side of our delicious Spicy Kale & Fennel Salad, which pairs so well with this recipe! All that's left is a tall mug of cold beer and you've got yourself a stellar summer meal! Nom nom!
Recipe notes
- Not everyone eats pork, so some great protein substitutes are chicken, steak, and shrimp.
- Make sure to reserve some of the marinade to use as a sauce. It's the best!
- If you can't find lemongrass stalks, you can find lemongrass in a tube in the produce section. Use about a teaspoon.
- You can use a stove-top grill for the skewers if you don't have access to an outside grill.
- Steamed rice is also a good accompaniment with these pork skewers!
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Update Notes: This post was originally published on June 19, 2017, but was republished with slight text changes and additions, like step-by-step instructions and tips in June 2020.
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Vietnamese Grilled Pork Tenderloin Skewers
These super flavorful Vietnamese Grilled Pork Tenderloin Skewers are so easy to prepare! And the tangy sauce with a hint of lemongrass is to die for!
- Total Time: 75 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemongrass, finely chopped (white parts only)
- 2 tablespoons shallots, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped (divided)
- 1 large pork tenderloin, trimmed of silver skin and fat, and cut into bite-sized pieces
Instructions
- For the marinade, place all ingredients up to pork tenderloin into mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside a small portion of the marinade. Place the marinade in a large sealed bag and add the pork. Marinate at least one hour or more in the refrigerator.
- Remove the pork from the refrigerator and thread the pork onto wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for at least 30 minutes (this prevents the skewers from burning on the grill).
- Grill the pork skewers on medium high heat for 15 minutes, turning frequently. Meanwhile, place the reserved marinade in a small sauce pot and heat. Drizzle over skewers when ready to serve. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro.
- Serve with a side of Spicy Kale & Fennel Salad.
Notes
- Not everyone eats pork, so some great protein substitutes are chicken, steak, and shrimp.
- Make sure to reserve some of the marinade to use as a sauce. It's the best!
- If you can't find lemongrass stalks, you can find lemongrass in a tube in the produce section. Use about a teaspoon.
- You can use a stove-top grill pan for the skewers if you don't have access to an outside grill.
- Steamed rice is also a good accompaniment with these pork skewers!
- Prep Time: 60 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Main - Meat
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: Asian Fusion
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 286
- Sugar: 3.2 g
- Sodium: 639.7 mg
- Fat: 16.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 5.7 g
- Protein: 27.6 g
- Cholesterol: 82.1 mg
Keywords: pork skewers vietnamese, grilled pork skewers, healthy pork kebab recipe, pork tenderloin kebabs
Kari
I love Vietnamese food so much because the taste is such a great balanced blend of flavours and these skewers look like lots of fun to make.
Asian Caucasian
Thanks, Kari! These are delicious on the grill! This recipe never disappoints.
Lathiya
The grilled pork skewers look fabulous. It looks so juicy and flavorful. Perfect to treat a crowd.
★★★★★
Asian Caucasian
Thanks, Lathiya! These are a crowd favorite for sure! Plus, they're so easy to prepare!
Julie @ Running in a Skirt
This is such a great recipe for pork tenderloin. I love the flavors in it and It's a family favorite. Great photos too!
★★★★★
Asian Caucasian
Thanks, Julie! The marinade works so well with other proteins like meat, shrimp, chicken, etc. It's a great recipe the whole family will enjoy!
Alex
Great idea to save the leftover marinade to use as a sauce. I can imagine how wonderful this is on the BBQ! Will bookmark to try soon 🙂
Asian Caucasian
Hope you love this! We make this one quite often, switching out the protein.
Alena
These pork tenderloin skewers are a perfect addition to a summer barbecue! And that sauce - such a flavorful addition and a crowd-pleaser!
★★★★★
Asian Caucasian
The sauce/marinade is everything and so versatile! We love using it for so many dishes.
sapana
Summers and grilling are made for each other. This Vietnamese skewer sounds just perfect to enjoy the summer days in the garden with family and friends.
★★★★★
Asian Caucasian
These skewers are really easy grilling. We have this recipe on repeat during the summer!
Emily
This marinade is so delicious! My whole family loved these grilled pork skewers, and will definitely make again!
★★★★★
Asian Caucasian
So glad you enjoyed these, Emily! I know it's always a hit with my family and friends!
Ali Hanson
This is such a great marinade! I have a pork roast that I am going to try this with. Hopefully, it will turn out as good as the tenderloin!
★★★★★
Asian Caucasian
I bet it will! You can use this marinade for so many recipes! Good luck!
Gail Montero
What a delicious marinade for pork and love that it doubles as dipping sauce as well. I'd love to use this for chicken and shrimp as you suggested!
★★★★★
Asian Caucasian
I've used this recipe with chicken, shrimp, fish, meat... endless possibilities! I hope you enjoy it as much as we have!
Jacqueline Debono
I love skewers on the grill in summer. These Vietnamese pork skewers look really good. Love the combination of ginger, garlic and lemon grass in the marinade! On my to-make list!
★★★★★
Asian Caucasian
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! It's on our list of top faves!
Amy Liu Dong
I am happy to know this recipe, it looks delicious and so easy to make. My husband will definitely become happy having this on his plate.
★★★★★
Asian Caucasian
My hubby loves this! It's very versatile as you can substitute the pork with most proteins. Enjoy!
Kushigalu
What a great recipe to try for 4th of July. I love the flavors in this dish. My husband would love this skewers.
★★★★★
Asian Caucasian
I know my hubby loves this Vietnamese dish. It's one of our faves! Enjoy!
Marta
The flavorful marinade is more than enough to make this a hit with my family! I can't wait to wow them with it.
★★★★★
Asian Caucasian
The marinade is everything in this dish! It sure is a favorite recipe around here!
Shana
I’m not really a pork eater, but this does look good. I’ll pass it on to my mom, I’m sure she’ll enjoy it.
Asian Caucasian
You can substitute the pork with most proteins: meat, chicken, tofu, fish. So options and all taste great!
Jere Cassidy
That sauce looks amazing. Now that we have a new grill I need to fire it up for these kabobs.
★★★★★
Asian Caucasian
Perfect for your new grill! I think you're going to love this!
Beth
I have some lemongrass growing in my yard, and I look forward to trying it with the other ingredients in this sauce. Thanks for suggesting the meat substitutions - that's very helpful as we don't all eat pork in my house.
★★★★★
Asian Caucasian
Yes, there are so many protein options with this Vietnamese dish! All good!
Alexis
Such a simple to prepare recipe but it tastes amazing. Thank you for sharing.
★★★★★
Asian Caucasian
So glad you like this recipe! It's one of our faves!
Joyce
I love the flavours of lemongrass with chicken! This recipe looks delicious and full of flavours! Cannot wait to give this one a go!
★★★★★
Asian Caucasian
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! It's always a hit and it's a blog favorite!
Wendy
Oh my goodness! These Vietnamese Grilled Pork Tenderloin Skewers are so delicious. I grilled them this week and they are tender and bursting with flavor.
★★★★★
Asian Caucasian
So glad you loved this skewer recipe! It's definitely a favorite Vietnamese dish in our house and perfect for summer grilling!
Sondra Barker
These look amazing and I love the idea of using other types of protein. Such a great idea for the holiday weekend!
★★★★★
Asian Caucasian
Steak, chicken, and salmon would work perfectly with this recipe! So many options!
Taleen | Just As Tasty
These pork skewers look so good! I love Vietnamese food so I can't wait to try to make these myself!
★★★★★
Asian Caucasian
It's a super easy recipe, Taleen! You will love the flavors in this Vietnamese dish!
Stine Mari
You had me at fresh lemongrass! I always order the dish with lemongrass in South East Asian restaurants. These pork skewers are so perfect for summer and for 4th of July!
★★★★★
Asian Caucasian
Lemongrass is so fragrant in Asian dishes! I love it in this recipe!
Maria
These pork skewers look amazing! I love your selection of flavors. I would love to serve these skewers over a salad.
★★★★★
Asian Caucasian
Great idea, Maria! These would be so good over a salad. I've also substituted the pork for chicken or shrimp and it's delish!
Daisy Manauel
I cannot wait to try this pork skewer recipe! My hubby just loves Vietnamese food so he’ll be all over this one. Thanks for the July 4th inspo!
★★★★★
Asian Caucasian
Happy to help, Daisy! I think you're husband is going to love this Vietnamese skewer recipe as much as we do! Enjoy!
Asian Caucasian
Thanks so much for the feedback, Cheryl! I'm so glad your family enjoyed these pork skewers. I know that they're a winner in my family too!
Cheryl S.
Wow! I made these Vietnamese pork skewers for my family and their reaction was classic! I guess I’ll be making these from now on! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
★★★★★