Garlic Ginger Pork Stir Fry

Change up your weeknight meal routine with this quick and easy garlic ginger pork stir fry! It’s a great use for pork chops and on the table in 20 minutes!

Tired of the same old chicken every weeknight?  Give this pork stir fry a try!  Savory, spicy (if you want – it’s customizeable), and perfectly saucy with crisp tender veggies and velvety strips of pork chops or pork tenderloin!

This post sponsored by Ohio Pork, but as always, all opinions are my own.

I’ve always had a sweet spot for takeout food.  Lo mein, dumplings, crab rangoons, wonton soup, you name it, I love it!  But lately I’ve been making more and more takeout-style food at home, and we’re loving the results!  Better quality ingredients, no msg, we control the salt amount, and bonus, no one has to drive anywhere to pick it up or pay for delivery!

My newest, and possible favorite stir fry recipe to date, is this garlic ginger pork stir fry.  It’s savory, spicy, a little sweet, and so velvety!

WHAT CAN YOU PUT IN A STIR FRY?

Just about anything you want!  The basics of a stir fry are as follows:

• Protein – beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, tofu, etc.
• Vegetables – snow peas, mushrooms, carrots, bell peppers, onions, broccoli, water chestnuts, etc.
• Sauce – broth, soy sauce, sometimes vinegar, sugar, and oil.  Play around with added flavor by adding garlic, ginger, green onions, etc.

The beauty of stir fry recipes is that they’re really a guideline, not a hard and fast recipe.  You can play around with additional flavors, new veggies, a different protein (or even a mix of proteins!).

WHAT FOOD GOES WITH A STIR FRY

Usually a stir fry is served with rice or noodles.  But if you’re watching what you’re eating, two great healthy options are lettuce cups and cauliflower rice!  For this particular pork stir fry recipe, I chose some hokkien stir fry noodles that add amazing texture and soak up just the right amount of sauce.

WHAT KIND OF PORK DO YOU USE FOR A STIR FRY

Because a stir fry is so quick-cooking, you want a cut of pork that’s already lean and tender.  I nearly always use boneless pork chops, since my grocery store always has them at a great price, but pork tenderloin works well too.  For a non-traditional, but yummy option, you can use ground pork as well.

HOW TO MAKE A PORK STIR FRY:

Making a stir fry is a very simple process.

First, you’ll need to slice your pork thinly, and across the grain if possible.  If you look closely at your pork chops, you’ll see they have faint lines running in one direction, like the grain on a piece of wood.  For the most tender pieces, you’ll want to slice ACROSS that grain, not with it.

Next you’ll be cooking the pork in a bit of oil over a high heat.  Don’t cook it too long, or it’ll be tough.  After you remove the pork slices from the pan, add a bit more oil.

Cook your aromatics (like the garlic and ginger) for just a few seconds, then add the veggies until they’re tender, but still retaining their color and some crispness.

Add your sauce to the pan and cook until it thickens a bit, then add your pork back in the skillet.  If you’re using noodles, add them during this step and toss it all together.

Garnish and serve!

PRO TIPS FOR MAKING THE PERFECT STIR FRY:

1. Slice the pork when it’s still partially frozen.  This lets you get the slices super thin, with minimal effort!
2. Prepping ahead is key for a stir fry.  Stir fry’s cook SO quickly, the best thing you can do to stay stress-free is to have all the veggies chopped and sauces whisked.
3. Use an oil with a high smoke point.  Vegetable, canola, or peanut oil are my top choices.  You need to have the heat cranked up in a stir fry recipe, and you don’t want to use an oil like olive oil, as it will burn.
4. Pork and veggies can be sliced ahead of time and kept separate in airtight containers in the refrigerator.  The stir fry sauce can be made ahead of time too, just don’t add the cornstarch until right before you’re ready to cook.

OTHER GREAT TAKEOUT-STYLE RECIPES:

• Ginger Glazed Chicken Ramen
• Crockpot Chicken Lo Mein
• Chinese Beef and Broccoli
• Sesame Garlic Beef Stir Fry
• Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef
• Copycat Spicy Cashew Chicken
• Sesame Noodles
• Crab Rangoons

SHOP THE RECIPE:

• Large skillet – if you don’t want a wok, this is a great alternative!
• Sharp knife – for the money, this is the best knife if you’re not wanting to spend hundreds of dollars!  Just keep it sharpened, and it’ll last for a very long time!
• Hokkien Noodles – seriously one of my favorite noodles to add to any stir fry!
• Light Soy Sauce – the flavor of this soy sauce is SO much better than soy sauces from large grocery stores.
• Dark Soy Sauce – amazingly rich and powerful, this dark soy sauce brings recipes one step closer to being authentic.
• Sesame Oil – my favorite sesame oil!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

Garlic Ginger Pork Stir Fry

4.89 from 71 votes

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Calories: 315

Servings: 4 servings

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Change up your weeknight meal routine with this quick and easy garlic ginger pork stir fry!

Ingredients

STIR FRY SAUCE

• ▢ 1 cup beef broth (reduced sodium is best)
• ▢ 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• ▢ 3 Tbsp light soy sauce
• ▢ 2 tsp dark soy sauce (optional but recommended)
• ▢ 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
• ▢ 1/2 - 1 tsp sambal oelek chili paste
• ▢ 1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger grated
• ▢ 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (reduce amount or omit for a much milder dish)

STIR FRY

• ▢ 1 lb. boneless pork chops, sliced into thin strips against the grain (about 1/4" thick)
• ▢ 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 1 1/2 tsp finely minced fresh ginger
• ▢ 1 cup snow peas
• ▢ 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• ▢ 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• ▢ drizzle of toasted sesame oil
• ▢ minced fresh cilantro, for garnish
• ▢ chopped green onions, for garnish
• ▢ crushed peanuts, for garnish
• ▢ 8 - 12 oz hokkein stir fry noodles (udon or other stir fry noodles will work as well) (optional)

Instructions

MAKE THE SAUCE

• In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and broth until smooth. Stir in the soy sauces, brown sugar, sambal oelek, ginger, and red pepper flakes; set aside.

MAKE THE STIR FRY

• In a wok or large skillet, stir-fry pork in 1 Tbsp oil over MED HIGH heat for 2-3 minutes, until browned. Remove to a plate. 
• In the same pan, add remaining 1 Tbsp oil, garlic and ginger, cooking for 30 seconds, then add stir-fry vegetables and cook until crisp tender.
  
• Stir broth mixture and add to the vegetables. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. 
  
• Add stir fry noodles and pork; heat through. Drizzle with sesame oil, then top with garnishes and serve.
  

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Chef Tips

Pork tenderloin can be substituted for the pork chops if desired.

I like to add a sprinkle of black pepper before serving, but it's completely optional.

Video

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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