Chinese Garlic Pork

This authentic Chinese garlic pork delivers bold, savory-sweet flavors with tender strips of pork in a glossy sauce packed with garlic and ginger. Ready in under 30 minutes, it's the perfect weeknight dinner that tastes like your favorite Chinese takeout but made fresh in your own kitchen.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: Pork

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 8

Total Time: 33

Servings:

Calories: 245kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Marinade:

10 oz pork tenderloin sliced into thin strips
2 tsp light soy sauce
2 tsp Shaoxing rice wine
1 tbsp cornstarch

For the Sauce:

2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp water
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch

For Stir-Frying:

2 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
3 cloves garlic minced
1- inch piece fresh ginger minced
1 tbsp doubanjiang chili bean paste

Optional Vegetables:

Wood ear mushrooms soaked and sliced
Celtuce or celery julienned
Carrots julienned
Bell peppers julienned

Instructions

Combine pork strips with soy sauce, rice wine, and cornstarch in a bowl. Marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature.
Whisk together rice vinegar, sugar, water, soy sauce, and cornstarch in a small bowl to create the sauce. Set aside.
Heat wok or large skillet over high heat until smoking. Add oil and swirl to coat.
Add minced garlic, ginger, and doubanjiang to the hot oil. Stir-fry for 15-20 seconds until fragrant.
Add marinated pork to the wok and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until pork is opaque and nearly cooked through.
If using vegetables, add them now and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until crisp-tender.
Give the sauce mixture a quick stir and pour into the wok. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens and coats the pork.
Remove from heat and serve immediately over steamed rice.

Notes

Slice pork against the grain for maximum tenderness and freeze for 15 minutes before slicing for easier cutting

Adjust sauce sweetness by adding more sugar or increase tang with extra rice vinegar to suit your taste preferences

High heat is vital for proper wok hei (breath of the wok) - preheat your wok until smoking to prevent sticking

Doubanjiang can be substituted with 1 tbsp hoisin sauce mixed with 1/2 tsp chili garlic sauce if unavailable

Recipe can be doubled easily but cook in batches to avoid overcrowding the wok

Marinated pork can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerated until ready to cook

For a gluten-free version, use tamari instead of soy sauce and guarantee your doubanjiang is gluten-free

Nutrition