A deliciously savory pork tenderloin stir fry is the perfect meal for a busy weeknight. Tender pieces of pork are cooked quickly in a flavorful blend of soy sauce, garlic, and ginger, before being stir-fried with fresh vegetables. Better than your favorite takeout and ready in just 30 minutes.
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Easy Asian Recipes
Making Asian recipes at home is incredibly easy after you learn some of the most common ingredients and flavor combinations. All you need is some sugar, umami from the soy sauce, and your favorite spice (like red pepper flakes). You can make things sweeter or bolder with the addition of other Chinese ingredients too.
When you're craving Chinese takeout, make some Stir Fry Chicken with Plum Sauce and Honey Garlic Chicken. They are our family's favorites!
Why You'll Love This Pork Stir-Fry Recipe
This recipe is perfect for a quick meal, especially if you cook up the rice or quinoa ahead of time and store it in the fridge.
You can get chopped onions, carrots, and cabbage in the produce section of your grocery store and cut-up pork made for stir-fries in the meat department.
Of course, it is pretty easy to buy whole onions, carrots, and cabbage and cut them up on the weekend, and store them in resealable plastic bags for the week's use. In fact, the onions are great to use in omelets and both are perfect for soups and stews.
Ingredients
For the pork and vegetable stir-fry:
- Pork tenderloin
- Toasted sesame oil
- Onion
- Carrots
- Fresh ginger
- Fresh garlic
For the pork stir fry sauce:
- Chicken stock
- Brown sugar
- Fish sauce
- Soy sauce
- Cornstarch
- Rice vinegar
- Crushed red pepper
Serving and garnishing ideas:
- Rice
- Napa cabbage
- Unsalted peanuts
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime
Best Pork for Stir Fry
Because it's lean and tender, pork tenderloin is a great pork cut for stir fry.
Pork Tenderloin Versus Pork Loin
Pork tenderloin is a long, thin, and cylindrical cut that comes from the muscle that runs along the backbone of the pig. It is lean and tender and is often considered the most tender cut of pork. Pork tenderloin is typically sold in smaller portions and is great for quick cooking methods like grilling, roasting, pan-searing, and stir-frying.
Pork loin is a larger, thicker, and wider cut that comes from the back of the pig, near the shoulder. It is a bit fattier than pork tenderloin and is considered a more flavorful cut of pork. Pork loin is typically sold as a roast or chops and is great for slow cooking methods like roasting or braising.
How to Make Pork Tenderloin Stir Fry
PRO TIP: Before you begin, have all of the ingredients ready and waiting. Once you start the stir fry it goes together very quickly.
- Heat sesame oil in skillet and add pork.
- Stir fry the pork over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes to brown it. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add the onions, carrots, ginger and garlic to the skillet.
- Stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, combine chicken stock, brown sugar, fish sauce, and crushed pepper. Add soy sauce.
- Pour in rice wine vinegar.
- Sprinkle in cornstarch.
- Whisk to blend.
- Pour sauce over vegetables i skillet.
- Lower heat and simmer to thicken the sauce, about 5 minutes.
- Add pork back into stir fry.
- Heat for 2 more minutes to reheat the pork.
Plate this Asian pork stir fry over rice then top with cabbage, peanuts, and cilantro. Serve with a slice of lime.
When busy weeknights have you stressing about dinner, you'll love how easy this pork stir fry is to get on the table. Not to mention how delicious the leftovers are for lunch the next day. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Stir fry is a quick process so it's important to prep everything first. Slice the pork, cut the vegetables, and mix the sauce so they're all ready to go.
- You can prep everything a day in advance, except for adding the cornstarch to the sauce. You'll want to add the cornstarch just before stir-frying.
Recipe Variations
The great thing about stir fry is there are so many possibilities for what goes into it. Here are some add-ins for this recipe:
- Fruit - Add some chopped pineapple.
- Sauce - Add some extra heat with a dash of sriracha.
- Vegetables - Asparagus, bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, bell peppers, green beans, green onions, mushrooms, snap peas, snow peas, or zucchini.
What to Serve with Pork Stir Fry
The recipe includes serving this pork stir fry with rice and topped with Napa cabbage, peanuts, cilantro, and a lime wedge. You can serve it over noodles instead of rice.
Some great Chinese pork stir fry side dishes are egg rolls and either egg drop soup or wonton soup.
How to Store and Reheat
Allow the leftovers to cool then place them in an airtight container. Refrigerate them for up to 4 days.
Reheat stir-fry pork in the microwave at 50% power for 1 minute then in 30-second intervals until heated through. You can also reheat it on the stovetop in a covered pan over medium heat.
More Asian Pork Recipes
- Grilled Asian Pork Tenderloin
- Instant Pot Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin
- Korean BBQ Pork Kabobs
- Korean Pork Tacos
- Thai Pork Salad
Find more delicious pork recipes on 2CM!
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Pork Tenderloin Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked rice, jasmine, brown rice or quinoa
- 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 lb. pork tenderloin, cut in 1" pieces
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 1 cup carrots, chopped
- 1 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger
- 5 cloves garlic, sliced thin
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce (sub Tamari for gluten-free diets)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper or to taste
- 1 cup Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
- ¼-1/3 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Garnish: 4 lime wedges
Instructions
- Prepare rice or quinoa according to package directions. Set aside and keep warm.
- Heat sesame oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and stir fry for 6-8 minutes or until browned on all sides. Remove from pan.
- Add next 4 ingredients to pan and stir fry 2-3 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together stock, brown sugar, fish sauce, Tamari soy sauce, cornstarch, vinegar and crushed red pepper.
- Add to skillet and bring to boil. Lower heat to medium and let simmer so sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.
- Add pork back to pan and stir to coat. Cook about 2 minutes to reheat pork.
- To serve: Divide rice into 4 bowls. Top each with pork-vegetable mixture. Add ¼ cup cabbage to each and sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro. Garnish with a slice of lime.
Notes
Nutrition
This post has been updated with new photos, step-by-step instructions, and more useful information. It was first published April 29, 2015.
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