Hong Kong Style Baked Pork Chop Rice

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Hong Kong Style Baked Pork Chop Rice is one of my favorite dishes to get at Hong Kong diners. This comfort dish has juicy, breaded pork chops atop a bed of fried rice and a rich tomato sauce and baked until golden. The tender pork is crispy but is softened with the cheese and the tomato sauce adds a tangy, slightly sweet flavor.

Cheesy baked dish with browned edges garnished with fresh herbs.

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Hong Kong Classic and Cantonese Favorite
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
For the pork chop marinade:
Substitutions and Variations
Steps To Make the Baked Pork Chop Rice:
Expert Tips
FAQs
Check out more delicious pork recipes:
Hong Kong Style Baked Pork Chop Rice

Hong Kong Classic and Cantonese Favorite

Baked pork chop rice is a classic dish found in Hong Kong diners, or “cha chaan tengs,” (茶餐廳) which blend Western and Chinese culinary flavors. Cha chaan tengs (Hong Kong-style diners) were influenced by British colonialism where locals were seeking Western dishes at more affordable prices compared to high-end European restaurants.

Combining familiar ingredients like pork and rice with Western elements such as tomato sauce and baking techniques as well as cheese, this dish became a staple of Hong Kong’s East-meets-West food culture. The savory pork chop just goes so well with the tomato sauce, you will see why it’s one of my Hong Kong favorites! If you want to try more Hong Kong diner foods, check out this Hong Kong French Toast and Hong Kong Rice Noodles (Cheung Fun).

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Tender and Flavorful Pork Chop: The pork chop is marinated to perfection as well as fried with a light layer of cornstarch for crispiness.
Rich and Tangy Tomato Sauce: The homemade tomato sauce adds a burst of savory flavor and tanginess. Baking the pork chop in the sauce makes the meat extra juicy too!
Authentic flavor: This recipe is made from my Cantonese dad and it tastes just like the ones served at hong kong diners (or even better)!

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this Baked Pork Chop Rice recipe. The full ingredient list and quantities are in the recipe card below, and substitutions are provided in the next section.

For the pork chop marinade:

Raw pork chop on a cutting board with salt, chicken bouillon, garlic powder, corn starch, and cooking wine.

Add all your seasonings to ensure the pork chop has lots of flavor. I prefer to use bone-in pork chop because it has more flavor and tastes more juicy. In the end, I will cut out the bone when I assemble the rice dish. Love pork chops? You can also try this Pork with Chinese Black Bean Sauce or this Japanese Katsu-don.

The shaoxing cooking wine helps take out the gaminess of the pork chop. You can buy at asian grocery stores like 99 ranch or hmart. If you can’t find it, use dry sherry.

Tomato Sauce & Assembly

Ingredients including fried rice, tomatoes, onion, and seasonings on a white marble countertop.

Start making your tomato sauce first so you can assemble the pork chop rice. The tomato sauce has ketchup and tomato paste for a nice sweet and tangy taste. The oyster sauce will give it umami and sweetness. Feel free to sub with soy sauce if you don’t have it.

If you like vegetables in your tomato sauce, you can add bell pepper or zucchini in there. We prefer to take out the vegetables for a more authentic hong kong style baked pork chop rice.

Substitutions and Variations

Protein – You can substitute the pork with chicken thighs or beef. Instead or bone-in pork chops, you can also use boneless or pork tenderloin for a leaner cut.
Type of Rice – I recommend to use egg fried rice for this dish. Since it is an added step and you have to fry it, I understand if you want to skip out on the extra work. Feel free to use plain white rice or brown rice instead.
Vegetables – Add more bell peppers and/or mushrooms in the tomato sauce if you wish. The vegetables will give a nice crunch and add more nutritional value.

Steps To Make the Baked Pork Chop Rice:

Pounded raw pork chop placed on a white cutting board, ready for marination.

Step 1: Pound the back of a knife or use a meat pounder on both sides of the pork chop. Make slits on the side of the pork chop. Marinate with salt, garlic powder, chicken bouillon, shaoxing cooking wine and corn starch on both sides.

Chopped shallots, onions, garlic on a plate, and diced tomatoes on a wooden board.

Step 2: Prep tomato sauce by mincing an onion, shallot, tomatoes and garlic. Set aside.

Golden brown pork chop frying in a hot black skillet with oil.

Step 3: Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and fry the pork chop until golden brown on both sides (takes 2-3 minutes on each side depending on the thickness ) on medium-high heat. Note: The pork chop only needs to be browned on both sides, it doesn’t need to be completely cooked because we are going to bake it later. Set aside the pork chop.

Chopped onions and shallots frying in oil inside a black skillet.

Step 4: Make the tomato sauce by heating the pan to medium. Add 1 tablespoon oil, shallots, onions and garlic clove. Fry for 1 minute.

Diced tomatoes and tomato paste added to sautéed onions and shallots in a skillet.

Step 5: Then, add diced tomatoes, water, ketchup, and tomato paste. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes become soft.

Hand pouring cornstarch mixture into a skillet with tomato sauce and oyster sauce.

Step 6: Add oyster sauce, salt, sugar, and black pepper. Cook for one minute. In the meantime, make your cornstarch slurry by mixing ¼ cup water plus 1 tablespoon corn starch. Slowly add to the sauce and mix together quickly so there’s no clumps. Set sauce aside.

Sliced fried pork chop placed on top of egg fried rice in a baking dish.

Step 7: Assemble your pork chop rice by adding egg fried rice (egg fried rice recipe in FAQ or try this golden egg fried rice recipe) or add plain white rice on the bottom. Next add the pork chop (you can slice it or add it in there whole).

Pork chops and egg fried rice in baking dishes covered with a rich tomato sauce.

Step 8: Add the tomato sauce on top and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Cheesy baked rice with pork and tomato sauce served from a baking dish onto a plate.

Step 9: Bake the dish at 400F for 15 minutes until the cheese has melted. Hope you enjoy!

Expert Tips

Marinate the pork chop overnight for maximum flavor and tenderness.
Tenderize the pork chop by hitting it with the back of your knife on both sides or use a meat pounder. This ensures the pork chop is tender. Cut slits on the side of your pork chop so it doesn’t shrink too much when pan frying.
After pan-frying the pork chop, don’t worry if the pork chop is not cooked through. We are going to bake in the oven to finish cooking.
If you want the top to be golden brown and the cheese to be crisp, broil the dish for the last 2 minutes of baking.

FAQs

How do you make egg fried rice?

Add 2 eggs to a medium-high pan with 1 tablespoon oil and scramble the eggs. Next add rice and incorporate in the eggs. Fry the eggs and rice for 5 minutes until the rice is not clumpy. Mix in salt and sugar. Set aside rice.

Can I use canned tomatoes instead of fresh ones?

Yes, you can! You can use whole tomatoes instead of the cubed ones. The cubed ones can be very watery and your sauce may not be as thick.

Can I prepare the pork chop rice ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare and assemble the dish in advance. Just bake it right before serving for the best texture.

Can I freeze baked pork chop rice?

While you can freeze the cooked rice and sauce, it’s best to bake and add the cheese fresh before serving for the best results.