Ground Pork Stir Fry

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Reader Rating
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 3

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Switch up your normal stir fry routine with this easy Ground Pork Stir Fry recipe! Made with ground pork, cabbage and bok choy, and coated in a simple soy sauce marinade, this dish is delicious and ready in under 20 minutes!

stir fry with pork and vegetables in a skillet

Why you’ll love this recipe:

Veggie-filled: Made with pork, but also loaded with veggies like bok choy, cabbage and carrots

Diet-friendly: Can be served over rice or cauliflower rice to keep it Paleo-friendly

Flavorful: Coated in a savory-sweet marinade that brings the whole dish together quite nicely

Quick: The recipe comes together in just 20 minutes!

Customizable: Very easy to substitute with ingredients you have in your refrigerator or pantry 

Everyone loves a good stir fry, and this one’s made even better by using ground pork as the main ingredient. 

If you’re a fan of my honey garlic shrimp stir fry or my chicken stir fry, you’re going to love this ground pork stir fry! It’s similar but different, and oh so delicious.

Speaking of pork, if you’re looking for more ground pork recipes, be sure to check out my teriyaki pork meatballs and rigatoni bolognese — both are staples in our household! 

a bowl of white rice topped with pork stir fry beside a small bowl of red pepper flakes

Ingredients

  • Pork – Since this is a ground pork stir fry, I do recommend using ground pork.
  • Veggies – I used a combination of green onion, baby bok choy, cabbage, and carrots — I tried to incorporate some vegetables that I don’t eat quite as often. But, feel free to use whatever veggies you have on hand (think: broccoli, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, etc.). 
  • Soy sauce – Soy sauce provides a bit of saltiness to this dish, and pairs well with the honey. But if you’re looking for a substitution, try coconut aminos or tamari instead. 
  • Honey – You could also use maple syrup if you prefer
  • Toasted sesame oil – Make sure to use toasted sesame oil; it has significantly more flavor than plain sesame oil
  • Cornstarch – Or, sub arrowroot to keep it Paleo

How to Make Ground Pork Stir Fry

Step 1: Cook the pork. Add the pork to a large skillet or wok and cook it until it’s no longer pink, using a wooden spoon or spatula to break it up. Once it’s cooked, allow it to sit in the skillet undisturbed for 3 minutes so it gets crispy on the bottom. Then, remove it with a slotted spoon.

raw ground pork in a skillet on the left and cooked ground pork on the right

Step 2: Make the sauce. In a bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk all of the sauce ingredients together. 

Step 3: Sauté the veggies. Next, add the green onions and cabbage to that skillet and sauté for about 2 minutes before adding in the bok choy and carrots and cooking for an additional 3 minutes. Last, add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

cooked vegetables in a skillet on the left and with ground pork and sauce on the right

Step 4: Serve. Add the pork back into the skillet, then pour the sauce overtop, stirring so that the pork and vegetables are coated. Serve the stir fry over rice or cauliflower rice, garnish with additional green onions and red pepper flakes and enjoy! 

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Erin’s Expert Tips

  • This recipe is made with bok choy, cabbage and carrots, but would be very delicious with broccoli, spinach, brussels sprouts, snow peas, or even green beans. It would also pair well with this spicy cucumber salad.
  • If the sauce doesn’t seem to be thickening once you pour it into the skillet, turn the heat back to up to medium.
  • Half a head of cabbage may seem like a lot once you add it to the skillet, but it cooks down significantly (kind of like spinach), so trust me when I say it’s the perfect amount.
  • I mentioned this earlier in the blog post, but once the pork is cooked, let it sit undisturbed in the skillet for a few minutes, which allows the pork to get nice and crispy on the bottom (hello FLAVOR!)

My Pro Tip

Recipe Tip

I recommend garnishing with green onions and red pepper flakes, but sesame seeds and a drizzle of sriracha would be delicious as well

Ground Pork Stir Fry FAQs

Do I have to use ground pork in stir fry? 

Well, this is a ground pork recipe, but no, you can substitute ground turkey or ground beef if you prefer. If you’re concerned about the fat (pork is a fatty meat), transfer the cooked pork to a paper towel-lined plate and blot some of the grease off before adding it back to the skillet. 

Alternatively, you could use half pork and half turkey or beef! 

What sides go well with stir fry?

Honestly, this recipe is a whole meat in itself. But if you’re looking for a few sides to make this meal last a few days, try my Instant Pot broccoli, honey sriracha brussels sprouts or Kung Pao cauliflower

Dietary modifications

Paleo – Use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, and arrowroot instead of cornstarch

Whole30 – Same as Paleo, but omit the honey 

Vegetarian – Keep the recipe as-is, but use your favorite meat substitute in place of pork

ground pork stir fry in a skillet with a wooden spoon

Storage

Refrigerator: Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Freezer: Wait for the food to cool, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container and store it for up to 3 months. 

To reheat: Reheat leftovers in the microwave or in a skillet with a lid on top until warmed through.

More easy dinner recipes

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!

4.94 from 15 votes

Ground Pork Stir Fry

Servings: 3
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Switch up your normal stir fry routine with this easy Ground Pork Stir Fry recipe! Made with ground pork, cabbage and bok choy, and coated in a simple soy sauce marinade, this dish is delicious and ready in under 20 minutes!

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Ingredients 

  • 1 lb. ground pork
  • 2 green onions, greens and whites, chopped
  • 4 cups cabbage, chopped (about 1/2 head)
  • 2 heads baby bok choy, ends trimmed
  • 1 carrot, shredded/grated
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

for the sauce:

  • 1/3 cup soy sauce, or coconut aminos
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tsp cornstarch, or arrowroot
  • pinch of red pepper flakes

Instructions 

  • Start by cooking the pork: add the pork to a large skillet or wok (no need to add any oil!) and cook it over medium heat, using a wooden spoon or spatula to break it up. Continue cooking until it's no longer pink, then let it sit undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, which will allow the bottom to crisp up nicely, which enhances the flavor. Remove the pork with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  • Next, make the sauce: whisk all of the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
  • To the skillet, add the green onions and cabbage and sauté for 2 minutes. Then, add the bok choy and carrots and cook until the bok choy is wilted, 2-3 minutes. Last, add the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute.
  • Add the pork back into the skillet and reduce the heat to low. Pour the sauce into the skillet, using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to stir so that the pork and veggies are coated in the sauce. If the sauce doesn't seem to be thickening, turn the heat back to up to medium.
  • Serve pork stir fry over rice or cauliflower rice, and garnish with green onions, red pepper flakes and/or sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Notes

*Calories are per serving and are an estimation; serving size is between 2-4 depending on if you serve it with rice eat it by itself
*Don’t LOVE pork? Try using 1/2 lb. pork and 1/2 lb. ground turkey or beef instead.
*Substitutions: 
  • Paleo – use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce and arrowroot instead of cornstarch
  • Whole30 – same as above, and omit honey
  • Vegetarian – keep the recipe as-is, but use your favorite meat substitute in place of pork 
*Storage: store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freezer for up to 3 months; to reheat: microwave leftovers or reheat in a skillet with a lid until warmed through 

Nutrition

Calories: 509kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 1559mg | Potassium: 754mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 3609IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 3mg
Did you make this?Leave a comment and star rating below!
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Welcome! I’m Erin, author of the Almond Eater.

Here, you'll find recipes for all diet types, because I believe that healthy food should be delicious without being complicated.

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4.94 from 15 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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18 Comments

  1. Kay says:

    5 stars
    The sauce is delicious. Just what i needed to use for my leftover vegetables in the fridge for a quick stir fry. Definitely saved it for next time.

    1. Erin says:

      Thanks Kay! Glad you enjoyed the stir fry!

  2. Denise Piercey says:

    5 stars
    Delicious! Will be adding it to the rotation!

    1. Erin says:

      I’m so glad you liked the stir fry, Denise!

  3. Michelle says:

    5 stars
    HUGE HIT! Writing my review as my husband is on his third helping! I’m always looking for new recipes to use ground pork. My only substitution was with the veggies that I had in the frig. Definitely a keeper!!

    1. Erin says:

      Thanks so much Michelle! Glad you and your husband loved the stir fry so much!

  4. Ronald says:

    5 stars
    Erin I would like to suggest that you install “Cook Mode” to prevent the screen from going dark. It is a big help. Also, I could not get the pork to get brown and crispy at all because of all the moisture that it releases. So I left a little bit of it in the pan to let it cook more and get crispy and added that back into the mixture when it was all done. I think it helped!

    1. Erin says:

      Thank you for the suggestion!! Seriously — I’d been meaning to install cook mode for awhile. I’m glad you liked the stir fry!

  5. Melissa Carr says:

    5 stars
    I don’t always know what to do with bok choy and ground pork and this was perfect! Thank you! Made exactly including the green onions, green only. So so good!

    1. Erin says:

      Happy you liked the stir fry, Melissa!

  6. Tanya says:

    5 stars
    I felt like it was missing something. Then I realized I forgot to add the garlic! What a dumb dumb 🤣 Even wthout the garlic it was delicious, my 5 year old loved it! I used what I had on hand and substituted the bok choy for broccoli. Definitely adding this to our regular rotation.

    1. Erin says:

      Ha! Yes, garlic is a must. I’m so glad everyone enjoyed the stir fry!

  7. Simone says:

    5 stars
    I just found your site today and made this tonight. Wow, it is super easy and super tasty. Will definitely be making this again! New subscriber here. Thank you.

    1. Erin says:

      Thanks Simone — I’m happy you liked the stir fry!

  8. Carolyn Sohn says:

    5 stars
    So so good! Putting it in the rotation.

    1. Erin says:

      Woohooo — love to hear it!

  9. KCM says:

    4 stars
    Delicious – just what I was looking for! I did add a teaspoon of fish sauce, and 1/2 tsp of grated fresh ginger after I tasted. Next time I’m going to use edamame instead of ground pork!!

    1. Erin says:

      Thanks for the review — glad you enjoyed the stir fry!