What Is Twice-Cooked Pork? 回锅肉 Explained

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Sichuan · Main dish

Twice-Cooked Pork

回锅肉

huí guō ròu

Slices of pork belly cooked twice with fermented bean paste, leeks and peppers.

Twice-cooked pork with peppers and leeks
Photo: AI-generated for Chinese Food Atlas · No reuse license granted
FromSichuan
Eating occasionLunch or dinner
Dish typeMain dish
FlavorSavory · Spicy · Fermented

01

What is Twice-Cooked Pork?

Slices of pork belly cooked twice with fermented bean paste, leeks and peppers.

02

Flavor profile

Savory · Spicy · Fermented

Slices of pork belly cooked twice with fermented bean paste, leeks and peppers.

03

Key ingredients

Pork belly, Pixian broad bean paste, fermented black beans, garlic leaves or leeks, peppers and aromatics.

This is a food guide, not a recipe. Ingredients and preparation vary between cooks, shops and cities.

04

How it is usually made

The pork is first simmered, then sliced and returned to a hot wok with fermented seasonings and vegetables.

05

Origin and food culture

Twice-cooked pork is a canonical Sichuan home-style dish. Its Chinese name, huíguōròu, literally describes pork that “returns to the wok” after first being simmered.

The second cooking renders and browns the sliced pork with fermented bean paste and aromatic vegetables; garlic shoots are especially characteristic when in season.