Try this easy pork stir-fry with sugar snap peas and cashews for a delicious Asian inspired meal. The meat is tossed with a savory soy and honey sauce.
After a long day, it would be so easy to stop and grab takeout on the way home, but resist the temptation! This easy pork stir-fry is ready in minutes and with minimal prep! I bet you even have most of these Asian-inspired ingredients already in your pantry.
Stir-fry recipes are the best because they are super quick when you’re in a pinch for time. There is no measuring needed except for the sauce, just a few chop-chop! chops!… on your cutting board and you’re ready to go. One wok, minimal mess, and dinner is ready to be inhaled quicker than you can finish catching up on the days Facebook happenings, umm hmm.
If you are looking for a Chinese inspired meal, this pork stir-fry with veggies will be a sure-fire hit. Here is some helpful info to get you started!
ESSENTIAL PORK STIR-FRY TIPS
Quick Marinade: Marinating the protein in a soy sauce mixture infuses a lot of flavor into the surface of the meat. Do this first thing when beginning your prep, even a few minutes goes a long way for flavor!
Size Matters: When preparing your ingredients for the stir-fry, make each piece as close as possible in size. You want the strips of protein to have a similar thickness (I recommend about 1/4-inch thick and 1.5-2-inches long strips). For vegetables slice about 1/4-inch thick as well. This ensures quick and even cooking.
Dry Vegetables: To ensure the proper sauteing of the vegetables, dry your produce before placing in a hot pan. This reduces the chance for the vegetables to steam and keeps a crisp texture. You can dry them with a towel or in a salad spinner.
Keep it Hot: Whether you use a large pan or wok, you want to turn your burner up high and heat for about 30 seconds. Add a few drops of water to test. When it evaporates within seconds, then it’s ready to go! Don’t overheat or the ingredients will brown too quickly.
When I’m looking for a leaner protein, slicing up some boneless pork chops or tenderloin are a tasty and affordable option. Some vegetables that I like to throw into the mix are sweet bell peppers, sugar snap peas, and onions. I often clean out my refrigerator by tossing all of the extra vegetables I have, no waste, just a satisfying and yummy meal.
Chinese cooking is all about using delicious savory sauces to flavor the freshest green vegetables and tender pieces of meat or fish. The sauce I used for this pork stir-fry recipe is only three ingredients; soy sauce, honey, and dried red pepper flakes. I always stock these ingredients in my pantry, so this sauce was easy to pull together.
To thicken the sauce, I use a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch combined with a small amount of water) at the very end of cooking. I simmer over medium heat until you can see the sauce become more viscous. Don’t take your eyes off this process because it happens within a few minutes!
INGREDIENTS
Pork-
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin , or boneless chop, trimmed, cut into 1 ½ by 1/4-inch strip
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 cloves garlic , , minced
1 teaspoon ginger , , minced
1/4 teaspoon serrano chili , , minced (add more to increase spiciness plus some for garnish)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil , (for frying)
1 teaspoon sesame oil , (for frying)
Sauce-
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Stir-Fry-
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic , , crushed
1/4 inch ginger , , fresh sliced
1/2 cup yellow onion , , ¼ inch slices
2 bell peppers , , cut into ¼- inch strips (red and orange)
2 cups sugar snap peas , string removed
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup cashews
INSTRUCTIONS
Pork-
In a medium-sized bowl, combine sliced pork, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, minced garlic, ginger, serrano chili, and freshly ground pepper. Set aside.
Sauce-
Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl, set aside.
Stir-Fry-
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat.
When pan becomes scorching, add pork mixture; stir-fry 4-5 minutes until pork is no longer pink.
Transfer pork to a bowl and set aside.
Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to wok; add crushed garlic and ginger slice, cook for 1 minute and then remove the ginger slice and discard.
Add onion and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Add red bell pepper and stir-fry 1 minute.
Add peas and stir-fry 1 minute.
Add soy sauce mixture to the pan and turn heat down to medium.
In a small bowl mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch and two tablespoons water.
Add the cornstarch slurry to the pan, stir to combine and heat until the sauce is thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Return pork to pan, stir until cooked through, about 1 minute.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more red pepper flakes if you would like your stir-fry spicier.
Transfer stir-fry to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with cashews and serve with rice.