This Mongolian pork recipe takes an old favorite but uses thinly sliced pork instead of beef that is tossed in a sweet soy garlic ginger sauce. It doesn't hurt that it can be prepared in under 30 minutes.
While I love Chinese take-out, you can make so many delicious dishes at home - from chicken and vegetable stir fry to gluten free orange chicken to vegetarian cauliflower fried rice.
But one of the most popular dishes is Mongolian beef. However I felt like changing it up and wanted to use pork instead.
While you quickly cook pork in some cornstarch which gets it crispy but juicy, it is the sauce which is the star. Comprising a ton of garlic and ginger and then getting saltiness from soy sauce and sweetness from the dark brown sugar, it is both sweet and salty.
By using a dark brown sugar, you get a dark, almost molasses-like sauce. There really isn't much better or easier to make than this Mongolian pork recipe.
Ingredient Notes
- Pork - I like using pork tenderloin as you can get 1 lb and it is fairly easy to slice. It works great for other recipes like this rosemary pork tenderloin as well.
- Cornstarch - helps crisp up the pork but also thickens the sauce as it is heated through.
- Garlic and ginger - the two prominent flavors of the sauce which adds a warm/nutty flavor.
- Soy sauce - where the saltiness comes from.
- Dark brown sugar - offsets the saltiness with an equal amount of sweetness.
Ingredient Swaps
Like any recipe you can mix up the ingredients. Some variations include:
- It is called Mongolian pork for a reason, but you can use flank steak or chicken.
- Chinese recipes usually calls for cornstarch to fry and thicken sauces, but all-purpose flour is a good substitute.
- I like dark brown sugar for the sauce, but light brown or even granulated sugar works too.
Step-by-Step Photos
Toss the thinly sliced pork with some cornstarch before cooking in a skillet with some oil over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes, or until the pork is cooked and slightly charred. Remove from the skillet.
Cook the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds before adding the soy sauce, sugar and water. Let it come to a boil before adding the pork back in, tossing to coat.
FAQs
I personally like to use pork tenderloin as you can easily find it in 1 lb packages but pork loin or even pork shoulder would work just as well. Loin has a similar amount of muscle, while shoulder has more so it works better over a long period of cooking to break it down.
The key is to have a good knife. You want it sliced as thin as possible. A cheat way to make it easier is to throw in the freezer for 10-30 minutes which firms it up and makes it easier to slice.
Like beef, pork has different temperatures, depending on your tastes. The minimum is 145°F, but it can go as high as 165°F. This pork is so thinly sliced, it will be cooked very quickly but will remain tender.
Like most stir fry recipes, serving over some steamed or baked white rice is always a good choice. If you want some vegetables, add some stir fry veggies.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can also freeze for up to 3 months.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Place pork in the freezer for 10-30 minutes so it is easier to slice thinly.
- Be consistent with the size you slice the pork so it cooks evenly.
- Cook the pork in batches so you don’t overload the skillet or wok and cool it down. You want to cook the pork quickly and adding too much at a time will slow the cooking process.
- While not traditional, if you like some heat, add crushed red pepper flakes ¼ teaspoon at a time.
If you’ve tried this Mongolian pork recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Mongolian Pork
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork tenderloin
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Place tenderloin in freezer for 10 minutes so you can thinly slice. You want to slice it about ⅛ inch thickness if possible.
- Toss the pork in a bowl with the cornstarch, making sure everything is coated. Add oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Shake off any excess cornstarch from the pork and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the pork is charred. When it is done, remove from the skillet.
- Add the garlic and ginger to the skillet, cooking for 30 seconds. Add the soy sauce, water and dark brown sugar and let it come to a boil. Add the pork back in and cook for 30 seconds. Add the green onions and serve over some rice.
Notes
- Place pork in the freezer for 10-30 minutes so it is easier to slice thinly.
- Be consistent with the size you slice the pork so it cooks evenly.
- Cook the pork in batches so you don’t overload the skillet or wok and cool it down. You want to cook the pork quickly and adding too much at a time will slow the cooking process.
- While not traditional, if you like some heat, add crushed red pepper flakes ¼ teaspoon at a time.
Eva says
This recipe was so easy and was very, very good. I will be making it again and again.
Ryan says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Natalie M. says
My husband and I really enjoyed this dish. I omitted the sesame seeds, used light brown sugar instead of dark, and I did use powdered ginger, as that’s all I had on hand(I know - it’s much better with fresh), but it was still very good! I will be making this again.
Ryan says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Monica Van Rickley says
Thank you, for sharing this recipe - I love Mongolian Beef and I happened to have pork thawed, so this was right up my alley. I subbed the brown sugar for some orange 🍊 marmalade infused with jalepeno that I had made earlier today. I used 1/4 cup and added all other ingredients as the recipe states. It came out perfectly!
Ryan says
Glad you enjoyed it.
Hes says
This was easy to make and delicious!
Ryan says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Julie Childers says
I made this tonight to help get rid of a pork loin. It came together so easily! This was also amazingly easy and so delicious. I added mushrooms and it was great. This definitely makes it into the rotation.
Ryan says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Ericka says
Incredibly easy! And so so yummy!
Ryan says
Glad you liked it!
Marcie says
Perfect. Pork is so much cheaper than beef right now so I'm always looking for new recipes. Thanks
David says
Excellent recipe. Any hints on how best to reheat this?
Ryan says
I would heat in a skillet over medium-low heat until warmed through. Add a dash of water if needed.
Rebecca Tilinski says
Can I freeze leftovers?
Ryan says
Yep it should last 3 months in the freezer.
Greg w says
Came out delicious! I added green beans and mushrooms
Ryan says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Mary says
This was so easy and so very good. I had 2 pork steaks I needed to use up because I couldn't refreeze them so I cut in chunks and followed recipe. I did add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and a tsp of sesame oil because I didn't have sesame seeds. Served over rice. It came out delicious. Will be making again.
Ryan says
Glad you enjoyed it!