Ground Pork Stir-Fry

Looking for a quick, flavorful dinner that comes together in no time at all? This ground pork stir-fry is a total weeknight winner! Made with juicy ground pork, tender veggies, and a simple stir-fry sauce, everything cooks up in one dish for a dinner that’s ready in less than 30 minutes and better than takeout!

From a nutrition standpoint, this meal delivers everything I’m looking for – protein, produce, energy (carbs), and flavor. It’s one of the many reasons that stir-fries have a regular spot in our dinner rotation. The veggies here are very mild as mushrooms and spinach take well to the stir-fry sauce, but you could also switch them up if you want. My kids love both mushrooms and spinach (maybe because we’ve been eating this for so long, though we’ll never know), but broccoli, snow peas, or bok choy would also all be delicious.

When I originally shared this recipe (way back in 2018!) it was a slightly different version, with the spinach and mushrooms cooked in a more simple sauce and then everything was topped with a quick peanut sauce. While that version was delicious, I wanted to streamline it a bit. So we bumped up the flavor of the stir-fry sauce, making the peanut sauce not necessary. (If you love it, I’ve included it in the recipe card below!)

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

Ingredients

• Garlic – Use fresh garlic for the best flavor or frozen garlic cubes for an easy shortcut.
• Ginger – Use fresh ginger for the best flavor or frozen garlic cubes for an easy shortcut.
• Soy sauce – Use your favorite soy sauce. You can use low-sodium soy sauce, but you may need to adjust the seasonings a bit. You can also use tamari or coconut aminos for gluten-free options.
• Brown sugar – This gives the steak stir-fry sauce a nice sweet flavor. You could use any granulated sugar like coconut sugar or a sugar alternative if you prefer. Honey or maple syrup are other options that work well.
• Cornstarch – The cornstarch helps to thicken the sauce and give it that classic glossy texture. You can omit it if you prefer, but you’ll need to cook for a bit longer to help the sauce thicken. You could also use
• Rice vinegar – The rice wine vinegar helps to balance out the flavors of the sauce and add some acidity. You could also use white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white balsamic vinegar.
• Sesame oil – Use a high-quality toasted sesame oil for best flavor.
• Vegetable oil – Use your favorite vegetable oil for high-heat cooking. Canola oil, avocado oil, or peanut oil all work well.
• Ground pork – Ground pork is deliciously savory and flavorful but you could also use any ground meat with this combination. Ground turkey, ground beef, or ground turkey, just be sure to choose versions that have a bit of fat in them and that aren’t super-lean.
• Mushrooms – You can really use any type of mushroom you like. I stuck with basic varieties like white mushrooms and baby bella mushrooms, but you could also use a shiitake or other variety if you prefer. You’ll want to remove the stems and roughly chop them. We tend to add a lot as they cook down a bit and my family loves mushrooms, but you could also use a little less.
• Spinach – Look for baby spinach that is in a clamshell or bag and ready to use to keep it quick and easy. The amount you use is flexible, spinach cooks down really quickly (and a lot!) so you may need to add in batches if you use the full amount.
• Sea salt
• For serving – Rice, green onion, sesame seeds, peanut sauce

How to Make Stir-Fry With Ground Pork

This is an overview, the detailed instructions can be found below in the recipe card.

1. Prep ingredients. Prepare rice, roughly chop mushrooms, mince garlic and ginger.
2. Mix stir-fry sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, rice vinegar, and sesame oil.

3. Cook ground pork. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat and add ground pork to pan. Cook, breaking up with a spatula or back of a wooden spoon.
4. Cook mushrooms. Add mushrooms to skillet and season with sea salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until pork is cooked through.

5. Finish stir-fry. Add stir-fry sauce and spinach to pan, tossing and cooking until spinach has wilted and the sauce is thick and glossy.
6. Serve. Serve stir-fried pork over rice. Garnish with green onions, sesame seeds, or chili garlic sauce if desired.

Storage

Store leftover stir-fry in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

How to reheat

Reheat in a hot skillet or the microwave, just until heated through.

How to prep ahead

If you want to prep this meal ahead, I would recommend mixing up the stir-fry sauce up to a day in advance. Shake or stir before using as the cornstarch will settle. You could also cut up your mushrooms (though that does go quick!) and make your rice.

More Stir-Fry Recipes

At this point, it’s starting to feel like this site is turning into a stir-fry site…I’m not mad about it! It’s a kid-friendly, fast, nutritious meal that can be used with so many different proteins and vegetables. Just be sure to buy a ricemaker if you make them as much as we do, it’s so worth it!

• Orange Chicken Stir-Fry
• Ground Turkey Stir-Fry
• Beef and Broccoli
• Vegetable Udon Noodle Stir-Fry

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Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.

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