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.
The Best Pork Stir Fry
Pork Stir Fry has quickly become a family favorite. It’s easy to adapt with any veggies you need to clear out of your fridge, and you can have it ready on the table in 30 minutes or less.
If you’ve got fresh garden veggies, this dish is a perfect way to use them! As it stands, I would rate this dish as mild—mild enough that my little boys devour it, making it one of their favorites. However, I usually prefer a bit more spice (it adds so much flavor!) so I often add extra chili garlic sauce to my portion. If you’re cooking for those who enjoy spice, feel free to increase the chili garlic sauce to a tablespoon or more. Just taste and adjust until you achieve the desired spice level!
Ingredients In Pork Stir Fry
Stir Fry Ingredients:
- Zucchini & Green Beans: These vegetables add texture, color, and nutritional value to the dish.
- Vegetable Oil: Used for cooking, it helps in frying and sautéing the pork and vegetables, ensuring they are cooked evenly without sticking.
- Ground Pork: The main protein of the dish, providing a rich and savory taste.
- Green Onions: Used as a garnish, they add a mild, oniony flavor and a pop of color to your Pork Stir Fry.
Sauce:
- Cornstarch: Makes the sauce thick so it sticks to the food.
- Soy Sauce & Rice Vinegar: Give the sauce a tasty mix of salty and tangy flavors.
- Fresh Ginger, Garlic, and Chili Garlic Sauce: These add a strong and spicy taste to the sauce.
- Chicken Broth, Brown Sugar, and Sesame Oil: The broth makes the sauce smooth, the sugar adds a little sweetness, and the oil gives a rich, nutty flavor.
How to make Pork Stir Fry
- Prepare Sauce: Mix soy sauce and cornstarch, then add rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, chili sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar, and sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Prep Veggies: Cut zucchini and green beans, set aside.
- Cook Pork: In a pan with some oil, cook the pork until brown, then set aside.
- Cook Veggies: In the same pan, cook zucchini and green beans until slightly charred.
- Combine: Lower heat, add pork back, pour in sauce, and stir until everything is coated and glossy.
- Serve: Over rice, garnished with green onions, sesame seeds, and a squeeze of lime. Enjoy your Pork Stir Fry.
Variations
- Change the Meat: Try ground chicken or turkey instead of pork. Remember to season well, especially with chicken.
- Vary the Veggies: Use either all zucchini or green beans, replace beans with asparagus, or use summer squash instead of zucchini.
- Additional Garnishes: Top with toasted sesame seeds and fresh herbs like scallions.
- Spice It Up: Serve with sriracha sauce or add more chili garlic sauce for extra heat in your Pork Stir Fry.
Quick Tip
Cornstarch is used in almost every stir fry recipe as a thickener. When mixed with a bit of liquid, it forms a slurry. Added to the pan, it quickly thickens the existing liquids, usually in less than a minute, creating a velvety sauce.
More 30-Minute Dinner Ideas
Pork Stir Fry
Pork Stir Fry with fresh zucchini, green beans, garlic, and ginger in a spicy sauce—ready in 30 minutes for an easy, tasty weeknight meal!
Equipment
- Large pan or wok
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce not lite
- 2 tablespoons 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
- Salt and 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
- Serving suggestions see note 2
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk soy sauce and cornstarch together with a fork until smooth. Add 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.
- Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and 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 towels and set aside.
- 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 a pinch of salt and pepper. Let cook without touching for 30 seconds, then break the pork into bite-sized pieces and continue cooking until golden brown, about 6–9 minutes. Transfer pork to paper-towel-lined bowl and set aside.
- 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, 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 heat to low. Add pork back in and stir to combine. Pour in stir fry sauce.
- 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 of flavor 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: I 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 to heat preference—it adds a lot of flavor to the dish. Here’s the chili garlic sauce I use. In a pinch, sriracha can be used.
Note 2: Serving suggestions: cooked rice, toasted sesame seeds, and fresh lime.
Nutrition Note: Nutrition information is for the stir fry only—not the rice that goes with this dish.
Storage: Let the stir fry cool, then transfer it to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet or microwave until warmed through.
Nutrition
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So good. Didn’t do zucchini but added carrots, instead. Served with rice and lime on the side. Going into the rotation.
Delish! So thrilled this was a hit! Thanks Kathy!
Hi Chelsea! I use so many of your recipes for meal prep. I was just wondering, is the sodium really 1820 mg for a serving?
We halved the chili sauce, used honey instead of brown sugar and loved this recipe. Thank you!
You’re so welcome! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Another hit in our house! Delicious and healthy. Got the kiddos to eat veggies.
It’s always the best when you can get your kids eating veggies! Thanks so much for your comment Holly! 🙂
So much better with just a package of frozen Stir-Fry vegetables!!! Would make this recipe a ***** Star for sure!!!