Thai Grilled Pork Salad (Moo Nam Tok) – Authentic Nam Tok Recipe with Toasted Rice Powder

Thai salads are one of my favourite dishes to order when eating out. They capture everything I love about Thai food – spicy, zesty, umami, and so refreshing. With layers of textures and complex flavours, you never get bored of them.

When I started making Thai salads at home, this Thai grilled pork salad, or Moo Nam Tok, quickly became a favourite.

Unlike a standard “meat plus veg” salad, this recipe lets the pork shine.

The charred slices carry smoky richness, while fresh herbs, crisp onions, and a tangy fish‑sauce lime dressing balance the flavours perfectly. It’s bold, refreshing, and surprisingly easy to make at home.

What makes this Thai grilled pork salad special is choosing the right cut of pork. I like to use pork neck because it has a perfect balance of lean meat and juicy, fatty texture.

A little fat in the meat renders beautifully on the grill, creating a smoky, charred exterior and tender, juicy inside. Too-lean cuts can dry out quickly, so this step makes all the difference.

The combination of thin slices of charred pork, homemade toasted rice powder for a subtle nutty crunch, and a bright dressing that doesn’t overpower makes this Thai salad unforgettable.

Every bite is layered with flavour and texture, giving you the authentic taste of Moo Nam Tok at home.

Next time you fire up the grill or host a BBQ, try marinating pork neck and re-creating my Thai grilled pork salad. It’s a crowd-pleaser that will have everyone asking for seconds.

What is Moo Nam Tok?

Nam tok in Thai literally means waterfall, but in this recipe, it means dripping juice from the meat while cooking. Sometimes you will see this Thai salad recipe labelled waterfall salad.  

Nam tok is traditionally a grilled meat salad, most frequently made with beef, pork like our Moo Nam Tok, and sometimes with chicken. 

This grilled pork salad recipe is based on the Isan style of cooking in Thailand. Isan cuisine originates from the eastern region of Thailand, where the dishes are more similar to Laos cooking and Khmer food from Cambodia. There are more grilled meats, spicy salads and clear broths in the mix. 

Traditionally moo nam tok is served with sticky rice but can also be enjoyed with steamed white rice or eaten by itself. 

Recipe Overview

Flavour/Texture: Juicy charred grilled pork with fresh herbs and a spicy, tangy fish sauce dressing definitely heightens the senses. The zesty lime juice in the fish sauce dressing helps cut through the richness of grilled pork, just like our pomelo salad with roast duck.

Plus the ground toasted rice powder sprinkled throughout just adds that extra depth and that toasty, nutty flavour. 

Ease: The steps to making this grilled pork salad is fairly straightforward. You just need to take the time to make the toasted glutinous rice powder and grill the pork to perfection. 

Time: This Thai salad recipe will take a little more time to prepare as we need to marinate and grill the pork for approximately 1 hour. 

Ingredients You’ll Need for Moo Nam Tok

Pork: Select pieces of pork neck that are not too thick otherwise they will take a bit longer to grill. If too thick, slice the meat in half lengthwise to speed up the process. 

Glutinous rice: When cooked, glutinous rice becomes sticky and is less fluffy than standard jasmine rice.

Hence it is also known as sticky rice. It is an essential ingredient in Thai cuisine and is found in many dessert recipes. You can find small bags of glutinous rice in Asian grocery stores.  

Cilantro: We are using both the cilantro leaves in the salad and the roots for the pork marinade.

Cilantro roots are more pungent in flavour compared to leaves, so they are great to add to sauces and marinades. Always wash the roots well before finely chopping. 

Mint: Popular herb used in Asian salads, mint adds freshness and vibrant green colour. 

Red onion: You can use shallots or red onion in this recipe for extra spiciness and texture.

Fish sauce: A pantry staple for Thai cooking, we use fish sauce in the marinade and dressing. Look for a good quality fish sauce, especially for your salad dressing. 

Brown sugar: You can use brown sugar or palm sugar in this recipe to help balance the dressing and marinade, depending on what you have in the pantry.

Chilli: Go as spicy as you want! We use dried chilli flakes instead of fresh chillies like in our Pak Choy salad recipe. The heat of dried chilli flakes will gently infuse in the fish sauce dressing.

Lime: Lime has a zestier flavour compared to lemons therefore fish sauce dressing goes well with lime. 

Variations and Substitutions

Pork neck substitute: If you can’t find pork neck, try other cuts of pork, such as pork jowl, pork scotch steaks or pork shoulder. If you use pork belly, I would thinly slice first and grill pork belly slices instead of a whole piece. 

Alternative for glutinous rice: Jasmine rice can be used in place of glutinous rice if unavailable.

Toasted rice powder substitute: You can look for premade toasted rice powder at Asian greengrocer or substitute it with crushed roasted peanuts. 

Substitute for cilantro: If you don’t like cilantro, you can omit it from salad or switch it with Thai basil. 

Spice level: This fish sauce salad dressing is typically quite spicy. If you prefer more or less spicy, adjust the amount of chilli flakes used in the dressing.

How to Make Thai Grilled Pork Salad

How to Grill Pork

Let’s start with the marinade for pork neck. 

Combine fish sauce, brown sugar, white pepper and chopped cilantro roots in a small mixing bowl. 

Mix until brown sugar is dissolved. 

Add the marinade mixture to pork neck and let it sit for at least 10 minutes. 

Preheat grill pan or BBQ to high heat. 

Grill pork neck for 15-20 minutes until cooked through and nicely charred. Flip pork neck halfway through cooking to char both sides of meat. 

You can also cook the pork neck in the oven if you don’t want to stand by the grill. 

Preheat oven to 200°C or 400°F. Place the pork on a grilling rack and cook for approximately 45 minutes, turning the other side up halfway through.

Let the grilled pork neck rest before slicing into thin slices.

How to Make The Salad

On a dry pan over medium heat, toast raw glutinous rice until golden brown. 

Stir constantly to avoid the rice getting burnt.  

Remove toasted glutinous rice from pan and use a mortar and pestle to grind the rice into a fine uneven powder.

Thinly slice red onion into half moons. 

Wash and roughly chop mint and cilantro leaves. 

Chop scallions into small rounds.

How to Make Thai Fish Sauce Dressing

Combine fish sauce and brown sugar in a small bowl. Mix until brown sugar is dissolved.

Add chilli flakes and lime juice to mixture and stir. 

Adjust flavours according to taste.

How to Assemble the Salad

In a large mixing bowl, add sliced grilled pork, toasted rice powder, red onions and salad dressing. Mix together.

Then add coriander, mint leaves and spring onions and lightly toss with other ingredients. 

Transfer to a large platter and serve. 

How to Make This Salad Perfectly [Expert Tips]

Choosing the right cut of pork: As the name of this salad suggests, “dripping juice from the meat”, it is important not to have a cut of pork that is too dry after grilling.

I use pork neck because the fat gives the charred exterior and juicy interior the salad deserves. Lean pork fillets just won’t cut it. 

Grill at high heat and let the meat rest: Sear the pork over high heat for a good char, then let it rest for a few minutes before slicing.

This short rest keeps the juices locked in, ensuring every bite is tender and flavourful.

Don’t skip the toasted rice powder: Toasted rice powder is the secret ingredient that adds a subtle nutty crunch to this Thai grilled pork salad.

Gently toast glutinous rice until golden, but watch it carefully, it can go from perfect to burnt very quickly. Grinding it coarsely gives the best texture. You can use regular jasmine rice if you don’t have glutinous rice on hand. 

Getting the right balance for salad dressing: The fish sauce-lime dressing is what ties all the flavours together. Even with a recipe, I find it takes a little tasting and adjusting to get the perfect balance of tangy, savoury, and slightly sweet.

Differences in fish sauce brands, sugar types, or lime acidity can change the flavour, so always taste and adjust as needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

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