Moo Ping (หมูปิ้ง) are among Thailand’s most iconic street food dishes. These grilled pork skewers are made with a well-marbled cut of pork to keep the meat tender, then marinated in a slightly sweet and savoury mixture of garlic, coriander, soy sauces, oyster sauce, palm sugar and coconut milk.
The skewers are traditionally grilled until lightly caramelised and served with sticky rice. In Thailand, Moo Ping is particularly popular for breakfast but can also be enjoyed throughout the day.
At the table with Portail Asie
Traditional Moo Ping
Make traditional Moo Ping, Thai grilled pork skewers marinated with coconut milk, palm sugar, garlic and soy sauces, then served with sticky rice. Allow at least 3 hours for marinating, ideally overnight.
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cooking time
- 40 min
- Total time
- 60 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice level
- 0/5
- Cuisine
- Thailand
- Dish type
- Main dish
Last checked: September 25, 2026
About this recipe
Version: Traditional
Moo Ping are grilled pork skewers found throughout Thailand’s street food scene. The pork is traditionally marinated in a sweet and savoury mixture containing aromatics, soy sauces and coconut milk, then grilled and usually served with sticky rice.
Do not substitute: Avoid using only very lean pork, as a little fat is important for keeping the skewers juicy. Do not shorten the marinating time excessively, and watch the skewers carefully while grilling because the sugar can burn quickly.
Ingredients
Adjust servings to suit your needs.
For the pork skewers
- 24 Bamboo skewerssoaked in water for at least 1 hour
- 680 g Pork neck or shoulderwell-marbled, thinly sliced against the grain
- 5 cloves Garlic
- 3 roots Coriander rootsor 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander stems
- 2 tbsp Oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Thai black soy saucefor colour
- 35 g Palm sugarchopped
- 1 tbsp Neutral oil
- 60 ml Coconut milk
- 45 ml Water
- ¼ tsp White peppercorns
- ¼ tsp Black peppercorns
- 3 tbsp Cornflour (cornstarch)
To serve
- 400 g Cooked sticky riceto serve alongside the skewers
Preparation steps
Soak the bamboo skewers in water for at least 1 hour to help prevent them from burning during grilling.
Using a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic, coriander roots or stems, white peppercorns and black peppercorns into a paste. Add the palm sugar and continue pounding until incorporated.
Add the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, Thai black soy sauce, oil, coconut milk and water. Mix until you have a smooth, evenly combined marinade.
Slice the pork thinly, about 5 mm thick, against the grain, removing any tough membranes if necessary.
Pour the marinade over the pork and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight.
After marinating, sprinkle the cornflour over the pork and mix until it is evenly distributed.
Thread the pork slices onto the bamboo skewers, overlapping them slightly and packing them closely together.
Grill over medium to medium-high heat for approximately 1 minute 30 seconds to 2 minutes per side, working in batches if necessary, until the pork is cooked through and lightly caramelised.
Serve the Moo Ping immediately with warm sticky rice.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
The pork is dry
Probable cause: The pork cut was too lean or the skewers were cooked for too long.
Solution: Choose a more marbled cut of pork and remove the skewers as soon as the meat is cooked through and lightly caramelised.
The skewers burn before the pork is cooked
Probable cause: The heat is too high or the bamboo skewers were not soaked for long enough.
Solution: Reduce the heat slightly and protect the exposed wooden ends with a strip of aluminium foil if necessary.
The pork lacks flavour
Probable cause: The marinating time was too short.
Solution: Marinate for at least 3 hours or, for a deeper flavour, overnight in the refrigerator.
The pork pieces slip or rotate on the skewers
Probable cause: The slices were threaded too loosely.
Solution: Overlap the pork slices slightly and pack them closely together on each skewer.
The surface blackens too quickly
Probable cause: The palm sugar caramelises on a grill that is too hot.
Solution: Cook over medium to medium-high heat and turn the skewers regularly to achieve even caramelisation.
Portail Asie tips
Choose a slightly fatty, well-marbled cut of pork and slice it thinly against the grain to keep the skewers tender. Marinate for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight. Pack the pork slices closely together on the skewers to help them stay juicy, then grill over medium heat without allowing them to burn, as the palm sugar can caramelise quickly.
Substitutions and alternatives
- Pork neck or shoulder
- Use another well-marbled cut of pork. Avoid very lean cuts, which are more likely to dry out on the grill.
- Coriander roots
- Replace them with finely chopped coriander stems, which are easier to find outside Thailand.
- Palm sugar
- Use coconut sugar or, if unavailable, light brown sugar.
- Thai black soy sauce
- Chinese dark soy sauce can be used, but it is generally saltier. If using it, slightly reduce the quantity of light soy sauce.
Watch the preparation
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Order this dish in Thailand
Thai name:หมูปิ้ง
Say it simply:Moo Ping
Show this:ขอหมูปิ้งหนึ่งชุดครับ/ค่ะ
Meaning:One serving of Moo Ping, please.
Where to find the ingredients
Palm sugar, Thai soy sauces, oyster sauce, coconut milk and sticky rice are available in most Asian grocery stores. For the pork, choose neck or shoulder with some fat marbling. Coriander roots can be difficult to find outside Thailand, but coriander stems are a good alternative.
