Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice, also known as Lu Rou Fan, is one of Taiwan’s most iconic comfort foods. This humble yet incredibly flavourful dish can be found everywhere—from street food stalls to traditional eateries across the island. With its rich, savoury sauce, melt-in-your-mouth pork, and fluffy steamed rice, Lu Rou Fan is the perfect example of how simple ingredients can create something truly unforgettable.
What is Lu Rou Fan?
Lu Rou Fan (滷肉飯) is a classic Taiwanese rice dish topped with slow-braised pork belly cooked in soy sauce, aromatics, and warming spices. The result is a glossy, deeply flavourful sauce that soaks into the rice—making every bite rich, savoury, and incredibly satisfying. This beloved dish also varies by region. In southern Taiwan, it is often referred to as Rou Zao Fan (肉燥飯) and tends to have a slightly sweeter flavour profile compared to the northern version.
What to Serve with Lu Rou Fan
Lu Rou Fan is typically served with simple yet delicious sides such as pickled vegetables (like cucumber or daikon) and braised eggs (滷蛋), which soak up the same savoury sauce. I still remember my first visit to Tainan, a city in southern Taiwan. I was surprised to see Lu Rou Fan topped with meat floss. It may sound unusual at first, but it beautifully absorbs the sauce and adds an extra layer of texture. It’s now one of my favourite ways to enjoy this dish.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Authentic Taiwanese flavour : rich, umami-packed, with a glossy, sticky sauce that coats every grain of rice.
- Melt-in-your-mouth pork belly : slow braising creates incredibly tender, flavourful pork.
- Perfect for meal prep : it tastes even better the next day as the flavours deepen.
Tips for Making the Best Lu Rou Fan
- Hand-cut pork belly : Using hand-cut pork belly (instead of pork mince) gives a better texture and allows the natural gelatin to enrich the sauce.
- Render the fat properly : Slowly cooking out the pork fat is essential—it builds the foundation of flavour for the entire dish.
- Caramelise the sugar : Cooking the sugar with the pork gives the dish its signature glossy colour and balanced sweetness. Rock sugar is ideal, but brown sugar works just as well.
- Use fried shallots : Crispy fried shallots add a deep aroma and bring out that authentic Taiwanese taste.
Final Thoughts
Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice is more than just a dish—it’s a taste of home, culture, and nostalgia in every bowl. Once you try making Lu Rou Fan at home, you’ll understand why it’s loved across Taiwan—and why it’s so hard to stop at just one bowl.
Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice (Lu Rou Fan) 台式滷肉飯
Ingredients
- 300 g pork belly, diced
- 20 g pork fat cut from pork belly
- 100 g shallots, finely diced divided into two portions
- 2 garlic cloves about 12g
- 20 g spring onion whites, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 30-40 ml soy sauce
- 2 tsp oyster sauce
- 20 ml rice cooking wine
- ½ –¾ tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp five-spice powder
- ~250 ml water adjust as needed
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- Pickled cucumbers for serving
- Steamed white rice
Instructions
- Render fat & fry shallots : Add the pork fat to a pan over medium-high heat and cook for about 1 minute to renderthe fat. Lower the heat and cook for another 2 minutes, then remove the solids. In the rendered fat, fry half of the shallots until golden and crispy. Set aside.
- Cook the pork belly : In the same pan, add the pork belly and stir-fry over medium-high heat for 1–2 minutes until it releases fat and lightly browns.
- Caramelise : Add the brown sugar and stirto coat the pork, allowing it to caramelise slightly.
- Simmer : Add the remaining shallots, garlic, and spring onions. Pour in water, soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice cooking wine, white pepper, and five-spice powder. Cover and simmer on low heat for 30minutes.
- Add eggs : Add the hard-boiled eggs and continue simmering for another 15 minutes. Add more water if needed.
- Serve : Spoon the braised pork oversteamed rice and serve with pickled cucumbers.
Notes
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