Looking for an Easy Lu Rou Fan recipe for busy weeknights? Rou Zao Fan is a quick and easy ground pork version of the recipe. Deliciously savory but made in โ of the time! (On the table in 30 minutes.)

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โญ Why This Recipe is a Star
- Quick: I love traditional Asian food but they're usually pretty time consuming to make. Hence, my goal is to produce 2 versions of each classic Asian recipe: 1 traditional and 1 "hack". This Rou Zao Fan Recipe is my "hacked version" of the more complicated Taiwanese Lu Rou Fan recipe. It's ready in less than โ of the time!
- Easy: No need to cut meat or aromatics. Just brown the meat and braise!
- Delicious meal: needless to say, Taiwanese braised pork with rice is a super savory and comforting dish!
vs Lu Rou Fan
Lu Rou Fan ้ญฏ่้ฃฏ/ ๆปท่้ฃฏ, or Braised Pork Rice, is a staple dish in Taiwanese cuisine.
Succulent pork belly (3-layered pork) is braised in 5-spice powder and soy sauce soy till the meat is covered in a glossy sauce (from the gelatine) and is so tender, it literally melts in your mouth. However, it takes time to get the meat that way!
Rou Zao Fan is a quick and dirty version. By substituting ground pork with pork belly, you can get the same taste in less than โ of the time!
๐ฅ Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients:
- ground pork: if you have a butcher, ask him to grind up some fatty pork for you. The fat melts into the oil, to create a sticky sauce that's ever-so-delicious. If you can only get pre-minced pork, with no control over the fat levels, don't stress, just use a bit more oil or, even better, pork lard. (But do not use lean meat!)
- light soy sauce: 1 of the key ingredients of the dish so please use high-quality soy sauce
- dark soy sauce: some Rou Zan Fan recipes only use light soy sauce, but the resulting dish will not look very attractive as it won't have the beautiful dark brown color that dark soy sauce brings. If you can't get it, here are some dark soy sauce substitutes.
- brown sugar: rock sugar is usually used. It gives the dish a more glossy appearance. However, rock sugar needs to be pounded down into smaller pieces which would increase the cooking time. And since we're going for a quick and easy recipe, I've tried the recipe with both brown sugar (preferred- brown sugar is an iconic Taiwanese ingredient) and white sugar and they taste great both ways.
- Chinese five-spice powder: I prefer homemade 5-spice- click through for the recipe- but shop bought works too. Don't be too heavy handed, if not your sauce will have a powdery taste.
- star anise and cinnamon stick: to accentuate the flavor of the 5-spice, I add some whole spices to the braise. Don't use broken up star anise, if not you'll have problems finding them after cooking (and may bite on them accidentally.)
- Sichuan peppercorns: purists may scoff but I find adding Sichuan peppercorns provides a burst of freshness that really lifts the flavor of the sauce! (It's also used in some 5-spice recipes, so it's not as weird an addition as it seems.) I like using whole pepeprcorns- you'll bite into them every now and then and it just fills your mouth with fragrance.
- shaoxing wine: If you don't have it, here are some Chinese rice wine substitutes.
- ground white pepper: the taste is strong and it clumps easily, so add bit by bit, to taste.
- shallots: I know I promised a quick and easy recipe but fried shallots are part of what makes this dish Taiwanese! You can shorten the cooking time by buying fried shallots from Amazon or the Asian market but they're never as fresh as homemade! (You'll also need a neutral flavoured vegetable oil (not olive oil) to fry the shallots. Strain the crispy shallots, and use the leftover shallot oil to cook the pork!)
- dried shiitake mushrooms: these are optional but the dried mushrooms do add umami to the sauce.
- hard-boiled eggs: this is optional but it's a good way to bulk up the dish. Sometimes I like to vary it up and top the dish with a fried egg instead.
- spring onions: optional garnish
How to Serve: Taiwanese usually serve Lu Rou Fan with white rice and sides such as pickled radish, sliced cucumber, or marinated eggs. The fattiness of the dish needs some acidity to cut through it, so add some pickled chilies or quick pickled cucumbers on the side!
๐ Variations & Substitutes
- Lu Rou Fan: Substitute the minced pork for skin-on pork belly. You can leave it as a larger piece or cut into small pieces depending on your preference. You'll also need to substantially increase the braising time (to at least 1h-1.5 hours) to get the pork belly melt-in-the-mouth tender.
- Some recipes add oyster sauce or, a secret ingredient, Taiwanese shallot sauce. (The latter is not something everyone has in their pantry, so I've omitted it from my recipe.)
๐ช Step-by-Step Instructions
- Optional Prep
- At least 30 minutes before cooking: soak the dried mushrooms, if using, in hot water (to soften them.)
- If using, prepare the hard-boiled eggs.
- Fry the shallots. Once crisp, carefully pour over a strainer. Reserve the oil for cooking.
1a. Mix the soy sauces, cooking wine, sugar and water in a bowl.
1b. Over medium heat, brown the minced pork in the pan.
2a. Once the pork has been browned, add the mixed sauce, white pepper, 5-spice powder, whole spices and, if using, dried mushrooms and hard-boiled eggs.
2b. Simmer til the liquid is thick. From time to time, flip the eggs in the sauce so that they're coated with the minced pork sauce.
2c. Serve with rice and green onions. Don't forget to liberally top with crispy fried shallots.
Note: cooking time may vary depending on the strength of your fire.
๐ฅก How to Store
Store the pork in the fridge for 2-3 days.
I don't like to keep leftover rice. However, if you do, remember to store the rice and pork in separate airtight containers.
Reheating
Reheat in the microwave or over the stove till heated through.
๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ณ Expert Tips
Tip #1: Waste not, want not. If you have leftovers of the aromatic sauce, save it for tossing with noodles or blanched vegetables.
Tip #2: Do NOT leave out the white rice. The sauce is super savory so, without the rice, it'll taste too heavy and salty. If you really want to be healthier, substitute with brown rice or cauliflower rice.
Tip #3: Feel free to make a big batch. This Taiwanese pork rice bowl recipe tastes even better after reheating, as the flavors will have really soaked in. Just be careful not to heat the pork too vigorously as we don't want the mince to become dry!
๐ญ Recipe FAQs
Lu Rou Fan is not traditionally a spicy dish. It is more savory and slightly sweet. However, some people may choose to add chili or other spicy condiments to customize the dish to their taste preferences.
Yes, many Lu Rou Fan recipes use ginger and minced garlic. However, I've tested the recipe without them to make the recipe quicker (no need to slice, peel and stir-fry.) The dish still tasted great, so I'm leaving them out!
Soy sauce contains wheat so no. You can substitute soy sauce with tamari and make your own dark soy sauce from tamari and sugar, but the taste of this traditional Taiwanese dish will change.

๐ฅ Suggested Accompanying Recipes
Enjoyed this easy Taiwanese Pork Recipe? Please leave a 5-star ๐๐๐๐๐rating in the recipe card below! If you REALLY liked this Asian ground pork dish, please consider supporting it by buying me a bottle of soy sauce! ๐ (No obligation though!) Thank you and have a great day!
Rou Zao Fan (Easy Lu Rou Fan)
Equipment
- Wok Substitute: pot or deep pan
Ingredients
- 1-2 Tablespoons vegetable oil Or as needed. Preferably shallot oil from cooking the fried shallots or pork lard
- 1ยฝ lb ground pork if you have a butcher, ask him to grind up some fatty pork for you. The fat melts into the oil, to create a sticky sauce that's ever-so-delicious. If you can only get pre-minced pork, with no control over the fat levels, don't stress, just use a bit more oil or, even better,ย pork lard. (But do not use lean meat!)
For the sauce
- 1ยฝ Cups water This is the total amount of water added INCLUDING the mushroom soaking water. i.e.If you end up with 1 Cup of mushroom soaking water, you only need to add another ยฝCup of water here.
- 2 Tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Shaoxing wine If you don't have it, here are someย Chinese rice wine substitutes
- 1 Tablespoon dark soy sauce some Rou Zan Fan recipes only use light soy sauce, but the resulting dish will not look very attractive as it won't have the beautiful dark brown color that dark soy sauce brings. If you can't get it, here are someย dark soy sauce substitutes.
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar rock sugar is usually used. It gives the dish a more glossy appearance. However,ย rock sugarย needs to be pounded down into smaller pieces which would increase the cooking time. And since we're going for a quick and easy recipe, I've tried the recipe with bothย brown sugarย (preferred- brown sugar is an iconic Taiwanese ingredient) and white sugar and they taste great both ways.ย
- 2-3 teaspoons Chinese 5-spice powder I preferย homemade 5-spice- click through for the recipe- butย shop boughtย works too. Don't be too heavy handed, if not your sauce will have a powdery taste. If your 5 spice is old and not so fragrant, add more whole spices rather than more powder.
- 2-3 star anise Don't use broken up star anise, if not you'll have problems finding them after cooking (and may bite on them accidentally.)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns or to taste. adding wholeย Sichuan peppercornsย really lifts the flavor of the sauce!
- 1-2 teaspoons ground white pepper or to taste.ย the taste is strong and it clumps easily, so add bit by bit, to taste and mix well
- 3 dried shiitake mushrooms Soaked in hot water for at least 30 minutes before cooking. Add the mushroom soaking water to the sauce. Optional but theย dried mushroomsย do add umami to the sauce. Add whole or, if slicing, squeeze out the water before slicing.
- 3 hard-boiled eggs optional
Garnish & Sides
- โ Cup fried shallots or to taste. Although homemade tastes best, to make this a quick recipe, buyย fried shallotsย from Amazon or the Asian market! (To make your own, you'll also need a neutral flavouredย vegetable oilย (not olive oil) to fry the shallots. Strain the crispy shallots, and use the leftover shallot oil to cook the pork!)
- spring onions
Instructions
Optional Prep
- At least 30 minutes before cooking: soak the dried mushrooms, if using, in hot water (to soften them.)
- If using, prepare the hard-boiled eggs.
- If making from scratch, fry the shallots. Once crisp, carefully pour over a strainer. Reserve the oil for cooking.
Cooking the Braised Pork
- Mix the soy sauces, cooking wine, sugar and water in a bowl.
- Over medium heat, brown the minced pork in the pan.ย
- Once the pork has been browned, add the mixed sauce, white pepper, 5-spice powder, whole spices and, if using, dried mushrooms and hard-boiled eggs.Note: cooking time may vary depending on the strength of your fire.
- Adjust the fire to simmer til the liquid is thick. (We don't want a rolling boil.) From time to time, flip the eggs in the sauce so that they're coated with the minced pork sauce.
- Serve with rice and green onions. Don't forget to liberally top with crispy fried shallots.
Notes
Note: the nutritional information is an estimate automatically calculated using the WPRM recipe maker and I am not responsible for its veracity.
Nutrition
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