Easy Mongolian Pork Stir Fry

I’m excited to share this recipe for my easy Mongolian pork stir fry! If you’ve ever ordered Mongolian beef in a Chinese restaurant, you’ll be familiar with the crispy, sticky-sweet and spicy flavors of this dish. Instead of using beef, I substituted pork tenderloin and the results were amazing!

Many recipes have you roasting pork tenderloin, and I have to be honest, I am totally not a fan. Pork tenderloin is incredibly lean and nutritious, but roasting it or putting it in a slow cooker really dries out this cut of meat. Instead, I love to slice thinly and pan-sear (like in my easy skillet pork chops with dijon mustard sauce recipe) or cut into cubes for a quick stir fry like in this Mongolian pork recipe.

I also marinate the pork in a few tasty ingredients to really bring out the flavor. You’ll love how quickly this dish comes together, even on a busy weeknight. We love to serve this pork stir fry over steamed rice, but it would also be delicious over cauliflower rice, or noodles. Don’t forget to add in your favorite steamed veggie, and you’re all set!

Crispy Mongolian Pork Ingredients

The dish comes together with just a few basic ingredients – most of which you probably already have on hand.

Pork Tenderloin

I love to use lean pork tenderloin in stir fries as this protein cooks up quickly and has such a delicious flavor, especially in Asian-inspired dishes.

Soy Sauce and Sesame Oil

I mix a bit of soy and sesame oil and marinate the pork for about 30 minutes to an hour.

Brown Sugar

Brown sugar adds a delicious sweetness to this dish and balances out the spice perfectly. My recipe doesn’t call for much sugar, but if you’re trying to avoid sugar, you can substitute a sugar-free brown sugar.

Red Pepper Flakes

A bit of red pepper adds a nice level of spice to this dish. If you aren’t into spicy food, feel free to leave out.

Ginger and Garlic

I love adding these aromatics to any Asian-inspired dish! My preference is to mince the garlic and grate the ginger. I use this microplane to grate my ginger.

Cornstarch

I use cornstarch on the pork to give it that classic crispy exterior, and then also in the sauce to help it thicken and coat the pork cubes.

Scallions

Scallions, or green onions, add some nice color and flavor to this Mongolian pork recipe.

Step-by-Step Instructions

You’ll start but cutting your pork tenderloin into bite-size cubes, and placing in a medium bowl. Add in your soy sauce and sesame oil and give it a good stir to coat. Marinate for at least 30 minutes. (I prefer to marinate for an hour if you have the time).

After the pork has marinated, you’ll add in HALF your cornstarch.

Gently toss to coat each cube in cornstarch. The sesame oil and soy sauce will help the cornstarch stick to the pork.

Make sure to reserve the other half of your cornstarch – we’ll be using this later on in the recipe.

Then, you’ll heat a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add in your oil, and the pork cubes in a single layer.

Cook your pork for 3 minutes, without moving or stirring. After 3 minutes, use a spatula to flip meat and cook for another 3 minutes. Stir and cook for an additional minute or until all sides are nicely browned and caramelized. At this point, this Mongolian pork will ALREADY start to smell incredible, and we haven’t even added anything yet!

Next we’ll remove the pork from the pan and set aside. Add another teaspoon of oil, add your garlic and ginger. You’ll have some browned bits still left in the pan (see photo below) and this is a good thing! Once the ginger and garlic is browned, we’ll be deglazing and scraping up all these delicious browned bits of flavor!

Once you’ve set aside the pork and added the ginger and garlic to the same pan, cook for about a minute or until garlic starts to brown and becomes fragrant.

In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of water, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Add to the pan with the garlic and ginger and stir, while scraping up the browned bits.

Add in your pork cubes, scallions, and chili flakes and bring the mixture to a simmer.

While bringing this mixture to a simmer, take your remaining cornstarch and add in about 1/3 cup of water. Stir to make a slurry, and pour this into your pan. Stir gently and cook for another 2 minutes or until sauce is thickened.

Optional – if desired, top with additional scallions and sesame seeds.

Serve my Mongolian pork stir fry with steamed rice and your favorite steamed vegetable!