Kung Pao Pork is savory, spicy and tender pork with stir fried broccoli slaw and carrots that add a nice crunch. And the delicious sauce is easily customized to your heat preference and is perfect over rice or noodles.
If you like recipes similar to General Tso Beef, then you will also enjoy the Kung Pao Pork. It is only a little bit spicier and you can adjust that with more or less chili peppers. Pork Tenderloin stir fry and Mongolian Pork are less spicy but also very flavorful.
This version does not have peanuts, so there's no allergy concerns and you can use as many or as little chili peppers in the sauce as you like.
Ingredients
Ingredients for marinade/sauce
Remaining ingredients
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Pork - In my experience, pork tenderloin is the best cut of pork to use in a stir fry. It is incredibly tender and very flavorful. You can use boneless pork loin, which is not as tender. I suggest freezing it for about 30 minutes, then slicing very thin. You should also remove the "silver skin" on top of the tenderloin. It is very tough and doesn't taste very good..
Vinegar - You can use rice wine vinegar or white vinegar. I think red wine or balsamic would be too strong.
Stir fry vegetables - Choose string beans instead of carrots. You can use a bag of coleslaw cabbage instead of broccoli slaw.
Dried Chili Peppers - If you cut these open, you will see the dried red pepper flakes and that is where most of the heat comes from. So if you don't like very spicy sauces, only cut open 1 or 2. And if you love heat, open them all. I tend to like less spice and my husband doesn't mind a bit of watery eyes. So compromise is key, I taste the sauce first and decide from there.
How to Make Kung Pao Pork
Step 1: Make marinade/sauce. Taste for spice, sweetness. Use half for marinade, save half for the sauce.
Step 2: Place pork in a large bowl and pour half of the marinade over top, Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Drain pork and pat dry with paper towels.
Step 3: Add half of the oil to large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add peppers and carrots, stir fry for 3 minutes. Add broccoli slaw and cook for 2 minutes. Remove to a platter
Step 4: Add remaining oil to skillet and brown the pork for 2-3 minutes.
Step 5: Place chili peppers in skillet and stir for 1 minute. Stir cornstarch into the remaining sauce and add to the pork, cooking for 1 minute. (Taste cooked sauce and decide if you want to cut open more chili peppers).
Step 6: Add the vegetables back into the skillet and continue cooking for another minute or so until heated through. Remove whole chili peppers before serving over rice or noodles.
Recipe Testing Notes
- Don't skip the marinating step. The vinegar in the marinade helps break down the fibers in the pork and makes it extra tender. It only needs about 30 minutes. Although I have seen recipes that say you can marinate the meat 24 hours, my experience has shown that is too long and the meat gets mushy and loses some texture. I believe 8 hours is the maximum for this recipe. And drain the pork well, pat dry before placing in skillet.
- Make sure the pan is very hot, (be careful of spattering oil). And don't crowd the pork. Both of these tips will help the pork to brown and not steam.
- If you like a thinner, more savory sauce, add ½ cup chicken or beef broth.
If you tried this recipe and enjoyed it, I'd love if you gave it a 5 star rating. This tells me what you like and want to see more of. Thank you!
And if you'd like to try some other delicious stir fries, I highly recommend these:
Kung Pao Pork
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Marinate: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Asian/American
Description
Kung Pao Pork is savory, spicy and tender pork tenderloin with stir fried broccoli slaw and carrots that add a nice crunch. And the delicious sauce is easily customized to your heat preference and is perfect over rice or noodles.
Ingredients
Marinade/Sauce
- 2 teaspoons garlic paste or powder
- 2 teaspoons ginger paste or 1 teaspoon powder
- ¼ cup sherry vinegar or rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ cup soy sauce, low sodium
- 3 tablespoons Hoisen, Oyster or stir fry sauce
- 2 pounds Pork tenderloin, silver skin removed, slice thin
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 1 small red pepper, finely chopped
- 2 cups broccoli slaw
- 10 dried red chili peppers*
Instructions
- Make marinade/sauce. Taste for spice, sweetness. Use half for marinade, save half for the sauce.
- Place pork in a large bowl and pour half of the marinade over top, Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
- Drain pork and pat dry with paper towels.
- Add half of the oil to large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add peppers and carrots, stir fry for 3 minutes. Add broccoli slaw and cook for 2 minutes. Remove to a platter
- Add remaining oil to skillet and brown the pork for 2-3 minutes. Place chili peppers in skillet and stir for 1 minute.
- Stir cornstarch into the remaining sauce and add to the pork, cooking for 1 minute.
- Add the vegetables back into the skillet and continue cooking for another minute or so until heated through.
- Remove whole chili peppers before serving over rice or noodles.
Notes
* For best results, don't marinate longer than 8 hours, drain well and pat dry before placing pork in skillet.
*The amount of dried peppers and how many you cut open to expose the seeds will determine how spicy your sauce will be.
*Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet on low medium until hot. The vegetables will be softer but the flavor of the sauce will be even more delicious as leftovers.
*Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat as above.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 1383mg
- Fat: 11g
- Carbohydrates: 11g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 98mg
Deb Belsha says
When I made this recipe, I doubled the sauce amount because I knew we would have leftovers. It was so delicious and flavored the rice really well too.