Moo ping (or Thai BBQ pork skewers) are a delicious Thai street food that you can easily prepare on your grill at home! Pork is thinly sliced and marinated overnight before being arranged on skewers and placed onto the grill! They are then grilled to perfection, resulting in a juicy and slightly caramelized exterior with a tender, flavorful center!
Grilled Thai-Style Barbecue Pork
Moo ping is a classic Thai street food that is incredibly popular (and for good reason!) It is the ultimate grilled pork skewer that is packed with so much flavor, it'll be hard to believe they didn't come straight from Thailand!
Don't worry. Making this traditional dish is amazingly easy to do in the comfort of your own home. Simply slice up some pork, let it marinate, and cook it on your grill!
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🥘 Moo Ping Ingredients
You should be able to find these ingredients at your local grocery store or Asian market. However, coconut milk is non-negotiable, as it tenderizes the meat and adds some sweetness!
- Garlic - 1½ tablespoons of minced garlic.
- Cilantro Root/Coriander Root - 3 tablespoons of cilantro/coriander roots (or try a coriander root substitute).
- White Pepper - ¼ teaspoon of ground white pepper.
- Black Pepper - ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper.
- Palm Sugar - 3 tablespoons of palm sugar.
- Coconut Milk - ¼ cup of coconut milk.
- Oyster Sauce - 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce (or try an oyster sauce substitute).
- Soy Sauce - 2 tablespoons of soy sauce (or use a soy sauce substitute).
- Dark Soy Sauce - 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce.
- Coconut Oil - 1 tablespoon of coconut oil.
- MSG (optional) - ½ teaspoon of MSG.
- Pork Butt - 1½ pounds of pork butt.
- Corn Starch - 3 tablespoons of corn starch.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Moo Ping
It's amazing how easy it is to make moo ping at home! All you will need is a mortar and pestle (or a food processor), a knife, a cutting board, a large bowl, some skewers, and your grill.
This recipe will make about 4 servings of delicious Thai BBQ pork skewers.
Make The Marinade
- Grind. In a mortar, pound 1½ tablespoons of garlic, 3 tablespoons of cilantro roots, ¼ teaspoon of ground white pepper, and ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper until fine. Add the 3 tablespoons of palm sugar and continue to pound until it is completely dissolved.
- Mix. Add the ¼ cup of coconut milk, 2 tablespoons each of oyster sauce, soy sauce, and dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, and the optional ½ teaspoon of MSG and stir well.
Prepare The Pork
- Slice. Cut 1½ pounds of pork butt into bite-sized chunks that are about 2 inches long, 1 inch wide, and ⅛-inch thick. Remove any silver skin, if necessary.
- Marinate. Pour the marinade over the meat and toss until everything is well coated. Cover and let marinate for a minimum of 2-3 hours, but ideally overnight (with a maximum of 36 hours).
Assemble & Grill
- Assemble. Once the pork is done marinating, sprinkle 3 tablespoons of cornstarch over the top and mix well. Place the strips of pork onto skewers and lay them flat onto a tray, packing them neatly on top of one another. If possible, you can place the tray into the fridge for a few hours in order to help set the shape of the skewers.
- Grill. Preheat your grill to medium to medium-high heat and place the skewers directly over the flame. Grill for 1½-2 minutes per side or until the meat is cooked all the way through.
- Serve. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Serve your moo ping skewers with some Instant Pot white rice and fresh veggies. For some spice, dip it in some homemade Sambal Oelek! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Soak bamboo skewers in water overnight before using them to prevent burning.
- Freeze the whole pork butt for 20-30 minutes before slicing to make portioning the strips of meat easier.
- If you don't have access to a mortar and pestle, a food processor can also be used to make the marinade.
- If you can't find cilantro root, you can use 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro stems or 1-2 tablespoons of ground coriander.
- For best results, marinate the pork for at least 2-3 hours, but overnight is ideal to allow the flavors to fully penetrate the meat.
- You can make your marinade up to 3 days in advance, keeping it stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
These skewers are best enjoyed immediately. However, you can remove the meat from the skewers and store it in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
Reheating Moo Ping
Reheat the meat using small increments in the microwave.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
Pork shoulder or pork butt is often used for Moo Ping because of its fat content, which keeps the pork juicy and flavorful during grilling. Since it only spends a short amount of time on the grill, you want to use a cut that is tender and won't dry out.
Yes, you can freeze the marinated pork on or off of the skewers for a maximum of 3 months. Just be sure to thaw them fully in the refrigerator (probably overnight) before grilling as directed.
If the pork is burning, your grill may be too hot. You should be grilling at medium to medium-high heat (325-450°F / 163-232°C). Try moving the skewers to a cooler part of the grill or reducing the heat if possible. Check out my grill temperature guide for more information.
🐷 Easy Pork Recipes
- Ranch Pork Chops - Pork chops are coated in ranch seasoning mix before being baked to perfection.
- Pork Picnic Roast - With only 5 minutes of prep work, the oven does all of the work for this tender roast.
- Moo Shu Pork - A simple Chinese recipe that features strips of pork and flavorful vegetables.
- Asian Roasted Pork Belly - Pork belly that is wonderfully crisp on the outside while remaining tender and juicy on the inside.
- Pork Belly Ramen - Flavorful broth, noodles, and savory pork belly make up this amazing ramen bowl.
- Sweet & Sour Pork - Fried pieces of pork are tossed with bell peppers, onions, and pineapple.
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📖 Recipe Card
Moo Ping (Thai BBQ Pork Skewers)
Ingredients
- 1½ tablespoon garlic (minced)
- 3 tablespoon cilantro roots (or use 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro stems or 1-2 tablespoons ground coriander)
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoon palm sugar
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon MSG (optional)
- 1½ lb pork butt
- 3 tablespoon corn starch
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
Make The Marinade
- In a mortar, pound 1½ tablespoon garlic, 3 tablespoon cilantro roots, ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper, and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper until fine. Add the 3 tablespoon palm sugar and continue to pound until it is completely dissolved.
- Add the ¼ cup coconut milk, 2 tablespoon oyster sauce, 2 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon coconut oil, and optional ½ teaspoon MSG and stir well.
Prepare the Pork
- Cut 1½ lb pork butt into bite-sized chunks that are about 2 inches long, 1 inch wide, and ⅛-inch thick. Remove any silver skin, if necessary.
- Pour the marinade over the meat and toss until everything is well coated. Cover and let marinate for a minimum of 2-3 hours, but ideally overnight (with a maximum of 36 hours).
Assemble & Grill
- Once the pork is done marinating, sprinkle 3 tablespoon corn starch over the top and mix well. Place the strips of pork onto skewers and lay them flat onto a tray, packing them neatly ontop of one another. If possible, you can place the tray into the fridge for a few hours in order to help set the shape of the skewers.
- Preheat your grill to medium to medium-high heat and place the skewers directly over the flame. Grill for 1½-2 minutes per side, or until the meat is cooked all the way through.
- Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Notes
- Soak bamboo skewers in water overnight before using them to prevent burning.
- Freeze the whole pork butt for 20-30 minutes before slicing to make portioning the strips of meat easier.
- If you don't have access to a mortar and pestle, a food processor can also be used to make the marinade.
- If you can't find cilantro root, you can use 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro stems or 1-2 tablespoons of ground coriander.
- For best results, marinate the pork for at least 2-3 hours, but overnight is ideal to allow the flavors to fully penetrate the meat.
- You can make your marinade up to 3 days in advance, keeping it stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- To store: These skewers are best enjoyed immediately. However, you can remove the meat from the skewers and store it in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
- To reheat: Reheat the meat using small increments in the microwave.
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