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?ย Give this pork stir fry a try!ย 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 byย Ohio Pork, but as always, all opinions are my own.
I’ve always had a sweet spot for takeout food.ย Lo mein, dumplings, crab rangoons, wonton soup, you name it, I love it!ย But lately I’ve been making more and more takeout-style food at home, and we’re loving the results!ย 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.ย It’s savory, spicy, a little sweet, and so velvety!
WHAT CAN YOU PUT IN A STIR FRY?
Just about anything you want! ย The basics of a stir fry are as follows:
- Proteinย โ beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, tofu, etc.
- Vegetablesย โ snow peas, mushrooms, carrots, bell peppers, onions, broccoli, water chestnuts, etc.
- Sauceย โ broth, soy sauce, sometimes vinegar, sugar, and oil. ย 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.ย 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. ย But if you’re watching what you’re eating, two great healthy options are lettuce cups and cauliflower rice! ย 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 thatโs already lean and tender. ย I nearly always use boneless pork chops, since my grocery store always has them at a great price, but pork tenderloin works well too.ย 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.ย 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.ย 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.ย Don’t cook it too long, or it’ll be tough.ย 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.ย 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:
- Slice the pork when itโs still partially frozen. ย This lets you get the slices super thin, with minimal effort!
- Prepping ahead is key for a stir fry. ย Stir fryโs cook SO quickly, the best thing you can do to stay stress-free is to have all the veggies chopped and sauces whisked.
- Use an oil with a high smoke point.ย Vegetable, canola, or peanut oil are my top choices.ย 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.
- Pork and veggies can be sliced ahead of time and kept separate in airtight containers in the refrigerator.ย 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 skilletย โ if you donโt want a wok, this is a great alternative!
- Sharp knifeย โ for the money, this is the best knife if youโre not wanting to spend hundreds of dollars!ย Just keep it sharpened, and itโll last for a very long time!
- Hokkien Noodles – seriously one of my favorite noodles to add to any stir fry!
- Light Soy Sauceย โ the flavor of this soy sauce is SO much better than soy sauces from large grocery stores.
- Dark Soy Sauceย โ amazingly rich and powerful, this dark soy sauce brings recipes one step closer to being authentic.
- Sesame Oilย โ 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!
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
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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.
Emma says
If I could attach a screen shot of how this recipe appears on my screen I would.
How is anyone suppose to be able to cook and read this recipe when 60% of the screen it covered.
Goodness, I even had to adjust Mt screen to see what I was typing in this comment box.
The Chunky Chef says
I’m sorry you had that experience, that is definitely NOT supposed to happen! Would you mind telling me what device and browser you’re using, so I can forward this along to my team to look into and fix?
Lisa Macera says
excellent recipe. I have tried multiple of these, and this one was tops (and pretty easy)! nice job chef Amanda!
Courtney says
I had to use some substitutes for what I had on hand. Mine did not turn out as beautiful as yours. However, you know when a feeling of bliss sweeps over your brain after you eat something good and healthy? It definitely did that! Bliss food. Thank you!
โค๏ธ
Laura says
Fantastic recipe, thank you! Thereโs a ton of flexibility on the veggies, I used what I had on hand and am SO happy!!
Paula says
I followed this recipe to the Tโฆ
My husband is on his 2nd helpingโค๏ธโค๏ธ
A must recipe to keep!!
Thank you
Anthony Cole says
Great recipe
Lee Rankin says
Loved this recipe. I used more veggies though & found it didn’t need all the sauce
Cheryl Townsley says
I have made this recipe loads! Love it, thanks!
Jenny says
I made this last night and it was fantastic. The whole family loved it except my very picky daughter, and she doesn’t count because she hates everything ;). I went heavy on the sambal oelek and red pepper flakes in the sauce, and probably at least doubled the ginger in the stir fry. Also added some bell peppers I needed to use up. Forgot the peanuts, but they would have been good.
Sally P. says
Made this tonight and loved it. Couldnโt get the chili paste so I substituted garlic chili sauce. Also added water chestnuts, broccoli, and red bell pepper. Used pork tenderloin and lo mein noodles. At the very end added a little oyster sauce because it needed a little more sauce. It was delicious and very simple! Will definitely make it again and change up the proteins and vegetables!
MikeQ says
Very good. I used a bit of Sesame oil and modified the veggies to what I had. Served with rice. Tasty, and I liked the bit of heat from the chilies. Iโll be upping them a bit the next time I make this.
JillyB says
It was not as good as I had hoped. Meat definitely needs some marinating ahead of time, and I would suggest more veges. I used least amount of noodles suggested and felt it was heavy on the noodles, and I love rice noodles, but soaked up too much of the flavor.
Sandra Lee says
Delicious, however it does not take 20 minutes. Probably takes close to an hour to just prep.
Michael R says
What took an hour?
The prep might take 15 minutes or maybe even 20 if it’s done while standing on one leg.
But an hour? ๐
Nina says
This was really good but I marinated the sliced meat for 20 mins first in light soy sauce, garlic, and ginger.
Julie says
Soooo delicious!!
Tara Watson says
I used chilies, tasted great
Michelle B says
I substituted chili paste (didn’t have any) for extra hot sauce. Absolutely delicious. This is a new favourite! Thanks for sharing ๐
Connie Huff says
I have made this many times and love, love, love it!! Thank you!!
Helena says
A really delicious stir fry recipes. I really loved that it was something totally different to make with pork! Some of my family ate it with rice instead of the noodles and also really enjoyed it. A crowd pleaser for the entire family. Full of flavor and a straightforward recipe to follow.
Paula says
This is so good! The noodles are a nice change from rice. I always double the recipe. I made it as written. Love the rich sauce. Thank you!