Tamarind Pork and Rice Bowls (Easy and Weeknight-Friendly)

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Bold, tangy, savory, subtly sweet, and packed with texture, these tamarind pork and rice bowls have everything you want for dinner, all piled into one bowl. Ground pork gets coated in a tangy and sweet tamarind sauce, then piled onto white rice and finished with quick-pickled cucumber, carrot, and shallot. Cilantro and mint add balance and freshness, and chopped peanuts bring a satisfying and salty crunch. It’s the kind of weeknight dinner that feels exciting but comes together without a ton of effort, which is exactly how we like it.

Pull Up A Chair

Rachel: I make these when I want dinner to feel exciting but not too complicated. The mint and pork are my favorite parts.

Emily: This kind of meal makes me happy. It’s balanced and easy and comes together fast. I love the herbs and pickles.

Why You’ll Love These Easy Rice Bowls

Big flavor and low effort. No difficult steps, no extra kitchen appliances, just fresh, tasty ingredients and simple instructions.
Tamarind adds tang without a sour overload. Many dishes benefit from a hit of acid for balance, but vinegar can be a little sharp at times. The tamarind paste provides a little fruity acidity that, along with a little extra lime, adds just the right amount of tang to the bowls.
Totally customizable and meal-prep friendly. You can make this with beef, chicken, or turkey if you don’t like pork, or even crumbled tofu for a meatless version. Prep the meat and veg ahead of time and use precooked frozen rice to make it even easier.
Fresh, crunchy toppings balance the rich pork. The pork is super delicious, but our favorite parts of these pork bowls might actually be the fresh herbs, quick pickles, and salty peanuts. Don’t skimp on the cilantro and mint! They bring so much brightness and balance.

Close up of a tamarind pork and rice bowl

What is Tamarind (And Why It Works Here)?

Tamarind is a tart fruit that grows in pods on trees and is used in Asian and African cuisines. The sticky pulp inside the pod is turned into tamarind paste, which has a sour, slightly fruity flavor that adds brightness and balance to dishes. It’s also the signature flavor in pad Thai.

You’ll usually find tamarind sold either as a solid block or as a paste (sometimes labeled “tamarind concentrate”). The block has a bold flavor but takes a little extra work to soak and strain, so we usually reach for the paste since it’s ready to use right away. Brands vary in intensity and texture, so if tamarind is new to you, start with 1 tablespoon, taste the sauce, and add more, if needed. Keep in mind the flavor will mellow once it cooks with the pork.

Ingredients in Tamarind Ground Pork Rice Bowls

Seasoned pork – ground pork, Thai tamarind paste, palm or granulated sugar (or coconut sugar), lime juice and zest, toasted sesame oil, fish sauce, ginger, and a corn starch slurry (corn starch + water).
Quick pickles – Persian cucumbers, shredded carrot, sliced shallot, lime juice, fish sauce, sesame oil, and a touch of sugar.
Rice bowls – jasmine rice, cilantro, mint, crushed peanuts, green onions, and lime wedges, if desired (and seasoned pork and quick pickles).

How to Make These Tamarind Ground Pork and Rice Bowls

Make the quick pickled veg. Whisk together the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and sesame oil for the pickles and toss with the cucumbers, carrot, and shallot. Let them sit while pork cooks.

Cook the ground pork with the tamarind sauce. Cook the ground pork in a pan over medium heat until it’s almost done, about 8-10 minutes. Whisk together the ingredients for the tamarind sauce and pour it over the pork. Cook the sauce with the pork for 2 to 3 more minutes, or until the sauce thickens and coats the meat.

Tamarind sauce pouring over ground pork for the pork and rice bowls.

Assemble these yummy Asian-inspired pork bowls. Add some cooked rice to a bowl, then top with some of the seasoned pork, quick pickles, crushed peanuts, herbs, green onions, and extra lime wedges, if desired.

All the toppings for the pork and rice bowls, including tamarind pork, pickled veg, fresh herbs, lime wedges, and crushed peanuts.

Emily & Rachel’s Tips for the Best Pork and Rice Bowls

Rachel and Emily from Cooking with Conks, standing side-by-side in green and yellow aprons.

Taste and adjust tamarind as needed. Tamarind has a strong flavor, so if you’re not used to it, we recommend starting with half of the recipe amount and then increasing it if needed.
Remember that the tamarind sauce will be concentrated in flavor, for a reason. When you taste the tamarind sauce, you may think it’s super strong, but it will be used to season the entire pound of pork. Because it will be spread out farther, it won’t end up tasting too concentrated or strong once it’s cooked.

Don’t skip the fresh herbs. The mint and cilantro (and green onions) make this dish. They provide much needed balance and brightness.
Use pre-cooked rice to save time. We like buying frozen, cooked rice that can be reheated quickly in the microwave. You could also just make fresh rice before cooking the pork. Just be mindful that it will increase the amount of time needed to make this recipe.

Substitutions and Variations

Swap out the pork for ground chicken or turkey.
Make it vegetarian with crumbled tofu or mushrooms and replace the fish sauce with soy sauce.
Add a little heat with a drizzle of sriracha or sambal to finish.
Top it with Thai basil or different herbs!
Skip the peanuts if you’re allergic.

How To Serve and Store This Dish

This pork bowl is a full meal in itself. It has grains, protein, fresh herbs, and fruits and vegetables. You can serve it as the main meal alongside a fresh beverage, like our Easy Italian Sodas or Honeydew Melon Smoothie, or before a fruity dessert, like our Berries and Cream or Fruity Rice Krispies Treats.

This recipe makes great leftovers, which you can enjoy for lunch the next day! Store leftover pork, rice, pickled veg, and herbs and peanuts in separate containers. Reheat rice and pork in the microwave or on the stove before assembling the pork and rice bowls.

Ingredients

Quick Pickled Veg

3 Persian cucumbers sliced into thin coins (about 2 cups)
1 medium carrot shredded (½ to 1 cup)
1 large shallot sliced thin
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp granulated sugar
2 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Tamarind Pork

1 pound ground pork
2 tbsp Thai tamarind paste
1 tbsp palm sugar, granulated sugar, or coconut sugar
Zest of 1 lime
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp grated ginger
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp corn starch

Rice Bowl

2 to 4 cups cooked jasmine rice
1 bunch cilantro leaves only
1 bunch mint leaves
½ cup crushed peanuts
4 green onions diced
Lime wedges, if desired

Instructions

Make the quick pickled veg. Whisk together the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and sesame oil for the pickles and toss with the cucumbers, carrot, and shallot. Let them sit while pork cooks.
3 Persian cucumbers, 1 medium carrot, 1 large shallot, 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tsp granulated sugar, 2 tsp fish sauce, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
Make the tamarind sauce for the pork. Whisk together tamarind paste, palm or granulated sugar, lime juice and zest, toasted sesame oil, fish sauce, and grated ginger until combined. In a separate bowl or cup, whisk together the cornstarch and water until it’s fully combined into a slurry. Mix the slurry with the rest of the tamarind sauce.
2 tbsp Thai tamarind paste, 1 tbsp palm sugar, granulated sugar, or coconut sugar, Zest of 1 lime, 1 tsp lime juice, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp grated ginger, 2 tbsp water, 1 tbsp corn starch
Cook the ground pork. Cook the ground pork in a pan over medium heat until it’s almost done, about 8-10 minutes.
1 pound ground pork
Mix the tamarind sauce with the pork. Pour the tamarind sauce over the pork, then cook it for about 2 to 3 more minutes, or until the sauce thickens and coats the meat.
Assemble the bowls. Add some cooked rice to a bowl, then top with some of the seasoned pork, quick pickles, crushed peanuts, herbs, green onions, and extra lime wedges, if desired.
2 to 4 cups cooked jasmine rice, 1 bunch cilantro, 1 bunch mint leaves, ½ cup crushed peanuts, 4 green onions, Lime wedges, if desired

FAQs: Tamarind Pork and Rice Bowls

Tamarind paste is usually very tart and has a hint of sweetness. If you can’t find it, you can add a little extra lime and a tiny bit more sugar to your sauce. Tamarind does have its own flavor, but lime and sugar should come close to the impact you’ll get from the tamarind paste.

We like serving this with jasmine rice, but you could also use basmati rice or even brown rice for a nuttier flavor.

Sure! The flavor profile will be slightly different, as will the texture, but it will still work.

Absolutely! To make this vegan or vegetarian, use crumbled tofu instead of ground pork, and replace the fish sauce in the sauce with soy sauce or tamari.

Final Thoughts

This all-in-one meal is easy, flexible, and totally weeknight-friendly. We love that it’s super flavor-packed as it is, but it can also be easily customized to suit your dietary needs and taste buds. If you make this dish, let us know how it turns out by rating and commenting on the recipe! Your feedback really helps us as we work to create new recipes for you to enjoy.

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