Bun Thit Nuong | Low Carb Bun Thit Nuong Recipe

Low Carb Bun Thit Nuong may not be something you've ever heard of, but you'll be so glad you found this recipe! It's a low carb version of a classic Vietnamese cold noodle dish with crispy Vietnamese grilled caramelized pork strips, cold rice noodles, fresh herbs, and crunchy peanuts. The traditional dish is heavy in carbs, so I decided to make a Keto version in my Air Fryer!

Why You're Going To Love This Dish

• Low Carb. Only 3 net carbs per serving.
• Fast. Less than 30 minutes of cook time.
• Easy. Prep your ingredients, marinade, and air fry. Just a few easy steps for a delightfully delicious dish.

What is Bun Thit Nuong In English?

Every time we go to a Vietnamese restaurant, what I really want is the bun thit nuong. That crispy, slightly sweet pork, the peanuts, the cucumbers! But restaurants give you LOTS Of noodles—and not as much meat. Which is yummy, but not exactly low carb. So I decided to make my own Low Carb Bun Thit Nuong.

Bun refers to the noodles, thit nuong is barbecued meat.

How To Cook Low Carb Bun Thit Nuong?

The air fryer is perfect for Thit Nuong because you’re looking at fairly thin slices of pork that need to crisp up at the edges. You can marinate this ahead of time if you like, and cook it just before you’re ready to eat.

1. Combine onions, sugar, soy sauce, oil, garlic, fish sauce, lemongrass, and pepper.
2. Thinly slice the pork shoulder.
3. Let the pork marinate.
4. Add the marinated pork to the air fryer basket.
5. Air fry for 10 minutes, flipping half way through the cooking cycle.
6. Place cooked pork on a serving tray and sprinkle with roasted peanuts and cilantro or parsley.

What Do You Serve With It?

Typically, you’d serve this with:

• Cold rice noodles (omit noodles or use zucchini noodles for low carb!) Yes, that's right. Warm pork on top of cold noodles makes for a tasty and unexpected bite.
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Chopped roasted peanuts
• Fresh mint
• Quick-pickled cucumbers and carrots
• Fish sauce poured over the top

Is Low Carb Bun Thit Nuong High in Calories?

While you would think something this full of flavor would be high in calories, you would be wrong. With a little over 230 calories per serving, you can enjoy this dish virtually free of guilt.

Low in carbs AND low in calories. What more could you ask for?

Tips and Tricks for Making Low Carb Bun Thit Nuong:

This recipe is incredibly simple (as most of our recipes are) but for an even better first experience making this dish, check out these tips and tricks:

• Cut pork strips thin so they crisp easily in your Air Fryer.
• For the most flavor, marinate your pork for up to 24 hours.
• You can omit Lemongrass paste if it is not available at your grocery store.

How Long Does It Last?

For the best flavor and texture, I would suggest eating this Keto Bun Thit Nuong within 3-4 days after cooking it. The beauty of this dish is that it reheats wonderfully and the flavor continues to develop even after it is cooked.

Looking for more Air Fryer Recipes?

• AIR FRYER SESAME GINGER BROCCOLI- A low carb broccoli side dish that is bursting with Asian Flavor.
• SALADE NIçOISE- A salad of cooked vegetables and tuna.
• GERMAN ROULADEN- A crispy flank steak roll, with all of the flavors of a classic rouladen, but not the hours-long braise times.

If you're looking for more adventurous ways to use your Air Fryer, this Low Carb Bun Thit Nuong recipe will delight your tastebuds. If you're simply looking for a new delicious low carb recipe this should be at the top of your list.

Bun Thit Nuong | Low Carb Bun Thit Nuong Recipe

Bun Thit Nuong is a classic Vietnamese cold noodle dish with crispy caramelized pork strips cold rice noodles, fresh herbs, and crunchy peanuts. An airfryer is an excellent way to make this quick thit nuong.

Print Recipe Rate Recipe

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Course: Appetizers, Main Courses

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Keyword: Bun Thit Nuong, Bun Thit Nuong Recipe, Low Carb Bun Thit Nuong

Servings: 4

Calories: 231kcal

Click on highlighted ingredients or Equipment to see exactly what I use to make this recipe

Equipment

• PHILLIPS AIR FRYER
• STAINLESS STEEL MEASURING CUPS
• Measuring Spoons
• Tongs
• WHISK

Ingredients

For the Marinade

• ▢ 1/4 cup (40 g) onions, chopped
• ▢ 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) Oil
• ▢ 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) splenda, or 2 tablespoons sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) dark soy sauce
• ▢ 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) Minced Garlic
• ▢ 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) Fish Sauce
• ▢ 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) minced lemongrass paste
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Ground Black Pepper
• ▢ 1 pound (453.59 g) thinly sliced pork shoulder

For Finishing

• ▢ 1/4 cup (36.5 g) crushed roasted peanuts
• ▢ 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) chopped cilantro , or parsley

Instructions

• In a bowl, whisk together the onions, sugar, soy sauce, oil, garlic, fish sauce, lemongrass, and pepper.
• Thinly slice the pork shoulder into 1/2 in slices, and then cut crossways into 4-inch pieces.
• Add the pork to the marinade and let it rest for 30 minutes or for up to 24 hours.
• Remove the pork slices from the marinade, and place in single layer in the air fryer basket.
• Set the air fryer to 400ºF and cook the pork for 10 minutes, flipping over halfway. 
• Test with a meat thermometer to ensure the pork has reached an internal temperature of 165ºF.
• Remove pork to a serving tray, sprinkle with the roasted peanuts and cilantro or parsley, and serve.

Watch The Video

I bought a tube of lemongrass paste at my grocery store (in the produce section) but you can always either mince up some fresh lemongrass or omit if you can't find it.

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Nutrition

Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 16g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g

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And don't forget to check out my air fryer cookbooks! Every day easy air fryer, and Air Fryer Revolution.