Easy Pork Tenderloin Stir Fry (Ready in 25 minutes)

This Pork Tenderloin Stir Fry is one of the easiest and most flavorful weeknight dinners you can make in under 30 minutes. It uses pork tenderloin which is the most tender cut of pork. The pork is quickly seared in a hot skillet until lightly browned, then tossed with crisp tri-color bell peppers and a savory Asian-inspired sauce. No wok is needed and no marinating is required. This is a one-pan dinner the whole family will love and request on repeat.

Stir fries are my favorite quick meals to make. And I love using pork tenderloin; it is the best ingredient to guarantee tender meat. If you know me, the homemade sauce is my favorite part and I love that you can customize it to your taste.

If you love a quick dinner with an incredible sauce, stir fries are my top choice! Some reader favorites on the blog include Mongolian Pork, Pan Fried Pork Tenderloin, Kung Pao Pork and Thai Basil Pork. They are all ready in under 30 minutes. They are so good you will want to make them all!

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

• Pork tenderloin - This is the best cut of pork for stir fry. It is a lean, boneless, dark meat cut that is incredibly soft and tender. When sliced thinly and seared quickly over high heat it barely needs a knife to cut. If you are wondering about pork tenderloin vs pork loin for stir fry, pork loin can work if sliced very thinly, but it is a firmer cut and will not be as tender.
• Unlike tougher cuts, pork tenderloin has very little fat aside from the silver skin which I recommend removing. This makes it ideal for high heat stir frying without the need for velveting or marinating.
• Bell peppers -Tri-color bell peppers add color, sweetness and crunch. You can use any color you prefer or swap in other vegetables such as snow peas, snap peas, broccoli or green beans. Since these are softer vegetables they will cook more quickly than peppers so reduce the cook time by a minute.
• Rice and sherry vinegar- These give the homemade stir fry sauce its depth and slight tang. Both can be substituted with white vinegar - just add a few extra teaspoons of brown sugar to balance the flavor.
• Beef broth -Adds a rich, savory base to the sauce. Chicken or vegetable broth both work well, just choose low sodium so the sauce doesn't get too salty.
• For a low carb, low sugar option -Substitute brown sugar with a brown sugar replacement like Swerve or Lakanto. Use arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch to thicken the sauce.

Notes about the Stir Fry Sauce

The goal of this homemade Asian stir fry sauce is the umami flavor; that rich, savory, mouth-watering something special taste. You just know the dish is going to be delicious! It has soy sauce for saltiness, beef broth for depth, rice wine vinegar and sherry vinegar for a light tang, and brown sugar to balance with a touch of sweetness.

The cornstarch slurry, cornstarch mixed directly into the liquid ingredients, thickens the sauce as it simmers. Always taste and adjust; a little more sugar, more red pepper flakes or an extra splash of soy sauce all work beautifully.

How to make Pork Tenderloin Stir Fry

Step 1: Combine salt, pepper and ground garlic.  Coat pork strips with mixture.

Step 2: Heat a large skillet or wok over medium high heat.  Add 1 tablespoon oil. Stir fry the pork for 3 minutes until pork is slightly browned.  Remove from pan and add the remaining oil.

Step 3: Fry the peppers for about 3 minutes to crisp-tender.  If you like them softer, cook a minute longer.  Remove peppers from pan.

Step 4: Stir together the sauce ingredients, pressing out any lumps from the cornstarch.  Taste the sauce for sweetness or spiciness.  Add more sugar or red pepper flakes as desired.

Step 5: Add to skillet and stir over medium heat, bring to a low boil, about 1 minute. Add pork and peppers to skillet.

Step 6: Simmer with sauce for 2 minutes to heat through.

Recipe Tips

• Take the pork out of the refrigerator about 15 minutes before you fry it. Cold meat may tend to stick to the pan more.
• Carefully slice off the "silver skin" off the top of the tenderloin horizontally. It is very tough and chewy and best to be removed.
• Make sure your skillet is fully preheated at medium-high or high heat before adding any oil or meat. A cast iron skillet or heavy stainless steel pan retains heat best and gets closest to the high temperatures a traditional wok achieves. If the oil starts to splatter, turn down to medium heat.
• Fry the meat in smaller batches. The meat will lose some of its crispy edges if you crowd the meat as it will create too much steam.
• Some stir fry recipes call for velveting the pork which is a Chinese cooking technique where the meat is briefly marinated in cornstarch and egg white before cooking to create a soft texture. This recipe skips that step to keep things simple. But you will not notice the difference; the meat is super tender.
• Fresh vegetables are recommended. Frozen will steam in the pan.
• I suggest tasting the sauce before it is added to the skillet. You can add more sugar, soy sauce, seasonings etc. as you prefer.

What to serve with Pork Tenderloin stir fry

We serve all of our stir fry recipes over either jasmine, basmati or brown rice for my husband. And I will serve mine over cauliflower rice. I buy a frozen package of cauliflower rice, cook according to the package and then stir fry it over medium-high heat to dry it out and crisp it up, adding some garlic and pepper to spice it up. Delicious!

If you'd like more vegetables in addition to the bell peppers, you can make a either add some green beans, mushrooms or thinly sliced carrots to the stir fry or try my Blackened Green Beans or Charred Broccoli recipes.

If you tried this recipe and enjoyed it, I'd love if you gave it a comment and a rating. This tells me what you like and want to see more of. Thank you.

Here are MORE stir fry recipes for you to try:

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Pork Tenderloin Stir Fry

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Deb Belsha
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stove Top
• Cuisine: Asian/American

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Description

This Chinese-American, easy version of pork tenderloin stir fry is made with tender slices of pork and tri-color bell peppers.  They are quickly sautéed and then a flavorful, savory sauce is added to the skillet.  Dinner is ready under 30 minutes!

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 18 ounce pork tenderloin, sliced into 2" long pieces
• 1 teaspoon ground garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large or 5 medium bell peppers
• Optional garnish: sliced green onion, toasted sesame seeds

Sauce

• 1 teaspoon garlic paste or powder *
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste or powder
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• ½ cup beef broth
• 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch or flour

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Instructions

1. Combine salt, pepper and ground garlic.  Coat pork strips with mixture.
2. Heat a large skillet or wok over medium high heat.  Add 1 tablespoon oil.
3. Stir fry the pork for 3 minutes until pork is slightly browned.  Remove from pan and add the remaining oil.
4. Fry the peppers for about 3 minutes to crisp-tender.  If you like them softer, cook a minute longer.  Remove peppers from pan.
5. Stir together the sauce ingredients, pressing out any lumps from the cornstarch.  Taste the sauce for sweetness or spiciness.  Add more sugar or red pepper flakes as desired.
6. Add to skillet and stir over medium heat, bring to a low boil, about 1 minute.
7. Add pork and peppers to sauce and simmer with sauce for 2 minutes to heat through.
8. Serve over rice or noodles.  Garnish with optional sesame seeds, chopped green onion. 

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Notes

*You can find the ginger and garlic paste in the refrigerator section of your grocery store by the produce.

*Taste the sauce and add a bit more sugar or red pepper flakes as desired.

*If the sauce is too thin, let it simmer another minute to thicken.  If it is too thick, add a few more tablespoons of broth or water.

Leftover stir fry will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat the pork and peppers with the sauce in a skillet over low heat, or in the microwave until warmed through, about 1-2 minutes. The sauce will have thickened as it got cold so you may add a bit more broth or water to thin it out.

Freeze for up to 3 months.  Defrost overnight in the refrigerator or on the defrost cycle in the microwave. The peppers will be much softer after defrosting them. Heat leftovers as directed above until heated through, being careful not to over cook it.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1
• Calories: 200
• Sugar: 1.9g
• Sodium: 640mg
• Fat: 8.3g
• Carbohydrates: 4.8g
• Protein: 26g
• Cholesterol: 119mg