Lu Rou Fan (Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice)
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Lu rou fan (滷肉飯, lǔ ròu fàn) is Taiwan's iconic braised pork rice: finely diced or minced fatty pork belly slowly simmered in a glossy, savory-sweet sauce of soy sauce, five-spice, rice wine, and rock sugar, then spooned generously over a bowl of hot steamed rice. It's the ultimate Taiwanese comfort food — rich, sticky, deeply savory, with the melting fat of the pork belly carrying all that aromatic sauce into the rice. The secret ingredient is fried shallots, which give the braise its distinctive sweet, toasty depth. Unlike Shanghainese red-braised pork, which uses big chunks, lu rou fan uses small dice so every spoonful coats the rice. It braises gently for about an hour (or 30 minutes in a pressure cooker) and is traditionally served with a braised egg, pickled greens, and a few slices of cucumber. A little goes a long way over rice.
Why you'll love this lu rou fan (taiwanese braised pork rice)
- Taiwan's ultimate comfort food — glossy, savory-sweet pork that melts into the rice.
- The fried-shallot secret gives it that toasty, can't-quite-place-it depth.
- A little pot feeds a crowd over rice, and it reheats beautifully.
- One pot, mostly hands-off, with an Instant Pot shortcut.
Ingredients
Pork
- 1.5 lb pork belly, skin optional, finely diced (¼-inch) or coarsely minced
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- ½ cup fried shallots, store-bought, divided
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
Braising sauce
- ⅓ cup light soy saucesubstitutes →
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, for colorsubstitutes →
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing winesubstitutes →
- 1 tbsp rock sugar, or brown sugar
- 1 tsp five-spice powdersubstitutes →
- ½ tsp white peppersubstitutes →
- 2 cups water or stock
To serve
- 4 soft-braised eggs, optional, peeled
- 4 cups steamed rice
- to taste pickled mustard greens & cucumber, optional
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Equipment
- Heavy pot or Dutch oven — For the gentle braise. An Instant Pot cuts it to ~30 min.(shop →)
Instructions
Render & brown the pork
Heat the oil in a pot over medium-high and cook the diced pork belly until it renders some fat and browns lightly, 6–8 minutes. Spoon off excess fat if there's a lot.
💡 Browning the pork builds flavor and renders some fat so the dish is rich, not greasy. Don't skip it.
Add aromatics
Add the garlic and half the fried shallots; stir 30 seconds until fragrant.
Build the braise
Stir in the soy sauces, Shaoxing wine, rock sugar, five-spice, and white pepper, then add the water. Bring to a boil.
Braise until glossy
Reduce to a low simmer, cover, and braise 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the pork is tender and the sauce is glossy and slightly thickened. Add the braised eggs for the last 20 minutes if using. (Instant Pot: 30 minutes high pressure, natural release, then simmer to thicken.)
Serve over rice
Stir in the remaining fried shallots. Spoon the pork and plenty of sauce over bowls of hot rice, and serve with a braised egg, pickled greens, and cucumber.
Tips & notes
- Fried shallots are the signature flavor — buy a tub at any Asian grocery (they're cheap and keep forever). Adding some at the start and some at the end gives the best depth.
- Dice the pork belly small (about ¼ inch) so it melts into the sauce and coats the rice — this is what makes it lu rou fan rather than chunky braised pork.
- A 50/50 mix of fatty and leaner pork keeps it rich without being greasy; pork shoulder can replace some of the belly.
- Make the braised eggs by simmering peeled soft-boiled eggs in the sauce for the last 20 minutes — they soak up the flavor.
- It's even better the next day and freezes well; reheat gently and add a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.
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Lu Rou Fan (Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice)
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 1 hr
- Total
- 1 hr 15 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Beginner
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb pork belly, skin optional, finely diced (¼-inch) or coarsely minced
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- ½ cup fried shallots, store-bought, divided
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, for color
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp rock sugar, or brown sugar
- 1 tsp five-spice powder
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 2 cups water or stock
- 4 soft-braised eggs, optional, peeled
- 4 cups steamed rice
- to taste pickled mustard greens & cucumber, optional
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a pot over medium-high and cook the diced pork belly until it renders some fat and browns lightly, 6–8 minutes. Spoon off excess fat if there's a lot.
- Add the garlic and half the fried shallots; stir 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in the soy sauces, Shaoxing wine, rock sugar, five-spice, and white pepper, then add the water. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a low simmer, cover, and braise 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the pork is tender and the sauce is glossy and slightly thickened. Add the braised eggs for the last 20 minutes if using. (Instant Pot: 30 minutes high pressure, natural release, then simmer to thicken.)
- Stir in the remaining fried shallots. Spoon the pork and plenty of sauce over bowls of hot rice, and serve with a braised egg, pickled greens, and cucumber.
Nutrition (est., per serving): 640 cal · 26 g protein · 52 g carbs · 37 g fat
Lu Rou Fan (Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice) FAQ
What is lu rou fan?
Lu rou fan (滷肉飯) is Taiwan's beloved braised pork rice: finely diced fatty pork belly simmered in a glossy, savory-sweet sauce of soy sauce, five-spice, rice wine, and rock sugar, spooned over hot steamed rice. It's rich comfort food, traditionally served with a braised egg and pickled greens, and is one of the most iconic dishes of Taiwanese cuisine.
What's the difference between lu rou fan and red-braised pork?
Both are soy-braised pork, but lu rou fan uses small-diced pork belly braised until it melts into a sauce you spoon over rice, flavored with five-spice and fried shallots in the Taiwanese style. Shanghainese red-braised pork (hong shao rou) uses large chunks, leans sweeter, and is served as a dish in its own right rather than as a rice topping.
What are fried shallots and do I need them?
Fried shallots are thinly sliced shallots fried until crisp and golden — sold in tubs at Asian groceries. They're the signature flavor of lu rou fan, lending a sweet, toasty depth you can't easily replicate. They're inexpensive and keep a long time, so they're worth buying; in a pinch, fry your own or use store-bought fried onions.
Can I make lu rou fan in an Instant Pot?
Yes. Brown the pork and bloom the aromatics on sauté mode, add the sauce ingredients, then pressure-cook for about 30 minutes with a natural release. Finish on sauté to reduce the sauce to a glossy consistency. It's a great shortcut that delivers nearly the same melting texture as the hour-long stovetop braise.
What do you serve with lu rou fan?
Classically a braised soy egg, pickled mustard greens, blanched greens like bok choy, and a few slices of cucumber, all over rice. The pickles and vegetables cut the richness of the pork. It's a complete meal in a bowl, and a small amount of the intensely flavored pork goes a long way over plenty of rice.
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