Recipe: $5.35 | Per Serving: $1.34 | Yield: 4
This delicious, flavorful, and super easy ground pork stir fry is sure to become an instant favorite at your dinner table! There aren’t a lot of ground pork recipes on the Internet, but I LOVE using it, especially in stir-fries like this.
Ground meat is probably my favorite go-to easy meat for the following reasons:
- You don’t have to touch ground pork if you don’t want to.
- It’s super cheap
- It’s already prepped for you.
- It cooks super fast.
- You almost can’t overcook it.
- You can get high quality pastured ground pork from Moink! (Affiliate link for $20 off your first order!)
- You can find grass-fed ground beef for a great price (try Costco, Trader Joe’s, or Sprout’s)
- It makes some of my favorite foods: miso meatballs, homemade bolognese, breakfast sausage, burgers, American-style tacos…and this! Gingery, easy, cheap, ground pork (or beef) stir fry!
Here in Japan they sell mixed ground meat – pork and beef – and that’s usually what I use for this recipe (and for most) because it’s so good! If you can manage to get ground pork and beef, I highly recommend you do so, then just mix it together before starting this recipe. You could also use turkey or chicken, but you’ll probably need to add a bit of oil to cook it.
Pin this recipe here!
How to Make Stir Fry with Ground Pork
It’s so easy! I love regular ginger pork stir-fry dishes as much as the next ginger-lover, but I’ve always struggled to find that perfect balance where the pork is cooked all the way, but still tender. Plus, meat is really expensive in Japan, so I’ve gotten very used to using ground pork and ground beef. And this recipe is so so easy! One large pan (or wok) is basically all you need.
In most stir-fry recipes you cook the meat, remove it from the pan, cook the vegetables, then add sauce and return the meat to the pan. With ground pork, you don’t have to remove the meat. Just brown it, then add the seasonings and vegetables.
With the higher marbling of ground pork, you can just keep it in the pan to continue cooking while you add and quickly cook the vegetables. Easy!
How Do You Make Lean Ground Pork?
Pork is fatty – and that’s one of the reasons why so many of us love it! If you’ve got poor quality pork, or you just aren’t interested in the fat, you can definitely cook the pork and strain off some of the fat before adding the sauce and vegetables.
Be sure to drain it into a paper-towel lined bowl or some other vessel. If you dump it straight into the trash it will likely burn a hole through your bag or at the very least, get everything else super greasy, which is awful if the bag does split at some point in its journey! You can also get grease bags, or use a grease saver or an old jar to save grease in the fridge. When it’s full – just toss it!
Tips for Making Healthy Ground Pork Stir Fry:
If you want to make this dish even healthier, here are a few tips!
- Buy the best pork you can afford! Fewer toxins in the fat and the meat = healthier ground pork! Again, I have found the best pork from Moink, but you can ask at your local farmer’s market or just go for higher-quality brands.
- Use half ground pork and half ground turkey or chicken. As I mentioned, they often sell pork and beef mixed together in Japan, so I know this recipe works great with other meats. It’s relatively easy to find organic ground turkey and chicken these days so feel free to mix it up.
- Add more vegetables. You know I’m all about easy ways to eat more vegetables, and this is a great opportunity to add in some cauliflower rice or other riced vegetables.
When I first came to Japan, I ate this every week. I’d just buy meat and mushrooms and whatever vegetables were cheapest, so the price will vary based on your available vegetables. If you want to make it Paleo, swap out the rice for cauliflower rice, roasted kabocha squash or baked sweet potatoes, and trade in the soy sauce for coconut aminos.
Enjoy!
Paleo: Not as written, but you can swap the soy sauce for coconut aminos and fish sauce, and then use some other starch or base besides brown rice.Vegetarian: No, but I’m sure you could omit the pork and try some other protein source! Print

Easy Ground Pork Stir Fry
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This delicious Asian ground pork stir fry is packed with flavor and is perfect for busy weeknights!
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice
- 8–12 oz (1/2–3/4 lb) ground pork or beef (or turkey, or chicken – any ground meat will do!)
- 1.5 cups mushrooms, cut into chunks or slices (fancy mushrooms like shiitake are great here, but any will do.)
- 1/2 medium onion, sliced into wedges
- 1 cup carrots, julienned, or cut into match sticks
- 3 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 4 cups chopped leafy greens – bok choy, spinach, kale, collards, etc. (I usually use half bok choy and half spinach)
- 3 Tablespoons tamari or soy sauce, divided (or for Paleo, use 2 T coconut aminos and 1 T fish sauce)
- 1/2 Tablespoon vinegar (rice wine vinegar, white, or apple cider)
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder or red pepper flakes
- garnish: sesame seeds and green onions
Instructions
- Cook rice according to instructions. (I use a rice cooker!)
- Heat a large pan or wok over high heat. Dump in the ground pork/beef and let cook, undisturbed for a few minutes until it is dark brown on the bottom. Flip and repeat on the other side. When both sides are dark, add 1 Tablespoon soy sauce and break up the meat, cooking until it is browned on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium-high. Drain off most of the oil, leaving enough to cook the vegetables (about a tablespoon or so). If you have lean meat, you might need to add a Tablespoon of butter or coconut oil. Add the onions and mushrooms and sauté until the mushrooms are a little brown. Add the carrots and cook for about 5 minutes more. Add the ginger, garlic, chili powder, rice vinegar, 1 Tablespoon soy sauce, and the leafy greens. Cook until wilted, then mix in the meat.
- Taste, add remaining 1 Tablespoon soy sauce if needed, and adjust seasoning as desired. Serve over rice and enjoy!
Notes
- You can use basically any vegetables for this, including bell peppers, green beans, and broccoli. Stir fries and rice bowls are great for using up any old vegetables in your fridge!
- I’ve also served this with both soy-sauce roasted kabocha squash and sweet potatoes instead of the rice, so feel free to keep it grain-free with some delicious roasted starches!
- Nutrition Label is for 12 oz ground pork
- Category: Stir Fry, Weeknight Recipe, Dinner
- Cuisine: Asian, Healthy
This looks excellent, but your title says pork and the ingredient list says beef..
Thank you so much Jennifer! You can use really any ground meat in this recipe – I’ve made it with pork, beef, and turkey! I’ve updated the recipe to reflect that though. Thanks for catching it and letting me know!
looks great – and easy prep :-) looking forward to trying it!
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Thanks, Anne! I hope you do!
When do you add the rice vinegar and chili powder? Or did I totally overlook this from your recipe?
The vinegar and chili powder should be added in step 4 when you add the other seasonings! Thanks for catching that – I’ve updated the recipe. :)
What are the calorie counts per serving???
Hi Mil! I don’t include calorie counts for my posts; however, you can use Calorie Count’s Recipe Analyzer to find the calorie counts per serving.
Thank you for including Paleo options in your recipes!
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You’re welcome! I try to do it when I can/remember!
Why are the calories not included in any of these recipes?
Hi Julie! Thanks for the question. Personally, I actually don’t believe in counting calories as the best solution for health, so I’ve decided (for now) not to include them in my recipes. It’s just a personal preference right now, but if you would like to check, I recommend using Calorie Count’s Recipe Analyzer.
Yum! I made this last night and it was delicious! Even my hubby (who isn’t known for diving into a plate full of vegetables) liked it so much we’re having it again tonight, and he requested it be added to our normal rotation. I made it exactly as written, and added broccoli which is my fave. Can’t wait to try more! Thanks!
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LOVE your comment, Mary. Thanks so much! I’m glad you & your husband enjoyed it! And I’m with you on the broccoli – it’s great.
Wow, this recipe was super easy to follow and very tasty! I had some bok choy that I need to use before it went had… and I’m so glad that I found this recipe. Definitely, I’m going to use this one again. Thanks!
Thanks Rob! I love how easy ground meat is – glad you enjoyed it. :)
I cooked t but it taste a little bit bitter.. i didnt over cooked the vagetables and garlic… is it how it reallly taste?
Hi Rox – I’m not sure why yours tasted bitter. I do think sometimes garlic tastes a little bitter when overcooked, but if that wasn’t your problem, perhaps it was the greens? Sometimes I use extra ginger when sautéed greens are a bit bitter. Sorry yours was bitter!
It says in your story that you use a mix of pork and beef. So in the recipe, is it a 1/2 pound each, or a 1/2 pound total meat?
Thanks! :)
Hi Michelle – I use 1/2 a pound of meat total for this recipe. I often bought such small amounts of meat in Japan because my fridge was TINY, but you can easily double the recipe!
I just made it & it was super fast and easy! It taste great!
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Thanks Jenine! I’m so glad. :)
Can I use cabbage with in this? It looks amazingly good and I really like Asian foods that have cabbage in them. Just my weird taste haha ????
Hi Sara – that sounds like a great idea! I love cabbage too, so let me know if you give it a shot!
This was excellent. My husband could not stop raving about it! I used shredded cabbage as my greens because I had half a head I wanted to use up. It was so good!I will be making this again and trying some other vegetables too! This recipe is a keeper! Great use for ground pork which is healthier than beef and there are not a lot of good recipes for that! Thanks
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Thanks Karen! I’m glad you enjoyed it – it’s one of my favorites. :)
I’ve made this several times and my husband and I love it! It’s so delicious:)
Thanks for the recipe!
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That’s great to hear Michele, thanks!
We have vegetarians and Meat lovers in the family,..how do you suggest I cook this to please both? Separate batches?
Hi Caitlyn, I would probably just follow the directions as is, but I wouldn’t mix the meat in with the vegetables. Instead, everyone can get rice & vegetables, and those who want meat can add the meat to their individual dishes. Thanks for the comment!
Just came across your recipe while searching for healthy uses of ground pork as I have an abundance from buying a box of locally raised pork. It is fabulous! The only variation I made was adding in a little bit of cabbage coleslaw mix that was on the verge in my fridge. Will definitely make again! Thank you <3
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Thanks for your comment, Sophia – I love the addition of cabbage. And I love that you bought a box of locally raised pork – such a hard thing to find in my area these days! :)