Pork Stir Fry

So simple yet so tasty, Pork Stir Fry features fresh zucchini, green beans, garlic, and ginger tossed in a spicy stir fry sauce. This easy 30-minute stir fry is the perfect choice for a simple weeknight meal.

Pork Stir Fry has quickly become a family favorite. It’s easy to adapt with whatever veggies you need to clear out of your fridge, and it’ll be ready on the table in 30 minutes (or less!).

If you’ve got some fresh garden veggies, this dish is the perfect way to use those up! As written, I would rate this dish as mild– mild enough that my little boys inhale this meal — it’s one of their favorites. That said, I typically like a bit more spice (the spice adds so much flavor!) so I’ll usually add more chili garlic sauce to my individual portion. If you are making this dish for people that enjoy spice, feel free to increase the chili garlic addition to a tablespoon or more (just taste and adjust until the spice levels suit you!)

What to serve with Pork Stir Fry

The great thing about stir fries is that they are typically pretty balanced meals. They’re loaded with protein and veggies, which means there’s not a big need for many side dishes. 

That said, this cool and crisp Asian Cucumber Salad would make a great side dish and complement the flavors nicely.

You’ll also likely want to whip up some white or brown rice or even quinoa for the base of the stir fry (how to cook quinoa guide here!).

My favorite base for Pork Stir Fry is ginger basmati rice. Here’s how to prepare it.

Variations

• Swap the ground meat. While I personally haven’t tried any meat substitutions for the ground pork in this stir fry, I would imagine ground chicken or ground turkey would work well. Here are some considerations when using ground chicken, such as being more aggressive with seasonings.
• Switch out the veggies. Use all zucchini or all green beans instead of the combo, swap out asparagus for the beans, or maybe use summer squash instead of zucchini. 
• Try additional garnishes. Add toasted sesame seeds and your favorite fresh herbs (we like scallions/green onions) to top off this dish.
• Use more spice. Serve sriracha sauce on the side or increase the chili garlic sauce in the stir fry recipe.

QUICK TIP

Why do you see cornstarch used in just about every stir fry recipe? It’s the thickener for whatever sauce the recipe includes. Mixing cornstarch with a bit of liquid creates a thick mixture called a slurry. When it’s stirred into the pan, it blends with the liquids already in there and thickens rapidly (less than a minute, most times) to create a velvety sauce. Now you know!

More 30-minute dinner ideas

• Chicken Ramen with a quick sauce
• Chicken Stir Fry with the best stir fry sauce
• Chow Mein loaded with veggies
• Taco Lettuce Wraps taco-seasoned meat in lettuce wraps
• Margherita Pizza pizza crust “shortcut”

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Pork Stir Fry

5 from 5 votes

- Review this recipe

So simple yet so tasty, Pork Stir Fry features fresh zucchini, green beans, garlic, and ginger tossed in a spicy stir fry sauce. This easy 30-minute stir fry is the perfect choice for a simple weeknight meal.

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

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Pork Stir Fry

5 from 5 votes

- Review this recipe

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

So simple yet so tasty, Pork Stir Fry features fresh zucchini, green beans, garlic, and ginger tossed in a spicy stir fry sauce. This easy 30-minute stir fry is the perfect choice for a simple weeknight meal.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword pork stir fry

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 420kcal

Author Chelsea Lords

Cost $6.12

Ingredients

Sauce

• ▢ 1 teaspoon corn starch
• ▢ 2 tablespoons EACH: regular (not lite) soy sauce, rice vinegar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
• ▢ 2 teaspoons finely minced fresh garlic
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Asian chili garlic sauce like Sambal Oelek (See Note 1)
• ▢ 1/4 cup chicken broth
• ▢ 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, (not packed)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• ▢ fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

Stir Fry

• ▢ 1/2 pound (8 ounces) zucchini, cut into half moons (~1 medium)
• ▢ 1/2 pound (8 ounces) green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• ▢ 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• ▢ 1 pound ground pork
• ▢ 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• ▢ Serve with: cooked rice, toasted sesame seeds, and fresh lime.

US - Metric

USMetric

Instructions

• SAUCE: In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce and cornstarch together with a fork until smooth. Add in the rice vinegar, finely minced ginger, finely minced garlic, chili sauce (See Note 1), chicken broth, brown sugar, and sesame oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I add 1/4 teaspoon of each). Whisk to combine and set aside.
• PREP VEGGIES: Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and then cut into half moons about 1/2-inch thick. Trim green beans and cut into 1-inch pieces. Set aside. Line a large shallow bowl with paper towel and set aside.
• COOK PORK: Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Once hot, drizzle 1 tablespoon of the oil around the pan, add the pork, and season with salt and pepper to taste (I add a pinch of each). Let cook without touching for 30 seconds, and then break the pork into small, bite-sized pieces and continue cooking until golden brown, about 6-9 minutes. Transfer pork to paper-towel-lined bowl and set aside.
• COOK VEGGIES: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan and increase heat to high. Add beans and zucchini when the pan is very hot, spreading out to cover the base of the pan. Leave for 1 minute and then quickly stir, spread them out again, and cook for 30 more seconds. Repeat that process once more (for a total of 2 and 1/2 minutes cook time) until veggies are charred but still tender crisp (not soggy). Reduce the heat to low. Add pork back in and stir to combine. Pour in the stir fry sauce.
• FINISH: Stir until the sauce is incorporated and the veggies look glossy, about 30 seconds more. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding additional salt or pepper as needed until the flavors sing. You may want to add some additional chili sauce if you want more heat (this chili garlic sauce adds a lot flavor wise as well!). Garnish with the green onions and sesame seeds and serve over cooked rice. Serve fresh lime wedges by the side of the plates or drizzle fresh lime on the finished dish.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Sweet chili sauce: We use 2 teaspoons of chili garlic sauce so it's not too spicy for the kiddos, but I usually add more to my plate. Scale this sauce up to heat preference -- it adds a lot of flavor overall to the dish. Here's the chili garlic sauce I use. In a pinch, sriracha can be used.

Nutrition information is for the stir fry only--not the rice that goes with this dish.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings | Calories: 420kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 251mg | Potassium: 631mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 575IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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