A super simple stir-fry recipe with thinly sliced pork tenderloin, sriracha, soy sauce and other common ingredients perfect over rice or in lettuce wraps.
JUMP TO RECIPEThere used to be a funky little Asian fusion restaurant downtown just on the outskirts of the university campus that had one dish that I absolutely LOVED… Korean Spicy Pork!
It was made with thin slivers of pork, sauteed or fried with a spicy sauce that just skirted the border of being too hot. It was spicy enough to make your scalp a little tingly but not so much that it distracted from the flavor.
When it closed I was devastated because I couldn’t imagine never having that spicey stir-fry again! So I HAD to figure out how to make it.
I’ve tweaked this recipe here and there over the years and finally nailed it down to what I think is THE BEST version of Korean Spicy Pork.
I’m sure the restaurant used a more authentic recipe but I wanted to create something I could make with common ingredients so that’s what you’ll find here.
We typically have this with white rice and steamed broccoli but it's also DECICIOUS in lettuce wraps. I use bibb lettuce when I can find it otherwise, I use romaine (cutting each long piece into two "tacos").
Don't pass over this recipe if you:
- Don’t usually cook Asian food because of the typical 947 ingredients required
- Have never heard of this so you’re not sure if you’ll like it
- Have never tried Korean food, or
- You think you can’t recreate amazing takeout favorites
Erase ALL of those thoughts from your mind because:
- This only has a handful of ingredients, most of which you probably already have
- YOU WILL LOVE THIS
- YOU WILL LOVE THIS, and
- Oh, yes you can! If I can, so can you!
NOTES ON COOKING SPICY PORK
- As the name implies, this is spicy. My kids have never batted an eye at the heat but if you’d like to make this milder, reduce the sriracha to 3 tablespoons and omit the black pepper.
- This cooks quickly so make sure your rice is done or almost done before you start cooking the pork (if, that is, you're serving rice).
- Consider doubling the sauce recipe if you like a lot of sauce or plan on having this over rice.
- This is amazing in lettuce wraps!
- You can use other cuts of pork but tenderloin is definitely my favorite.
Recipe for Korean Spicy Pork
Recipe Updated February 2024: I updated the recipe from one tenderloin to two because they're usually packaged that way (more or less doubling the sauce). I also removed the wet ingredients (soy sauce and sriracha) from the initial seasoning of the pork because the added moisture made it harder to get a crispy sear on the meat. If you're looking for the old version, the "marinade" ingredients for ONE tenderloin were: 1 Tbsp each sriracha and soy sauce, 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper.
Spicy Pork
Ingredients
- 2 pork tenderloins (2.5 - 3 lbs total)
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 5-6 green onions
- Vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup sriracha
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons barbeque sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
- Cut each tenderloin in half lengthwise. Cut each long strip as thinly as you can so that you end up with thin little medallions of pork. Add pork to a medium bowl; set aside.
- Toss pork pieces with sesame oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder until thoroughly combined.
- Chop green onions into 2-inch pieces, reserving ends to be chopped as garnish later.
- Combine sauce ingredients then stir well; set aside.
- Add just enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom of a very large skillet or wok then heat over high heat.
- Once skillet is very hot, add 1/4 of the pork in a single layer (cook in batches to ensure the pork cooks correctly). Cook for 2 minutes without disturbing (to get a good sear), then stir and continue cooking until pork is nicely browned.
- Remove to a bowl or plate then continue cooking the rest of the pork, adding more vegetable oil as needed.
- Once all the pork is browned, add onion pieces to the skillet then sauté for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low then add the sauce. Cook sauce with onions for 3 minutes then add the seared pork and stir to coat.
- Serve with white rice and garnish with fresh chopped green onions.
- RECIPE UPDATE: I made a few changes to the original recipe in 2024. I updated the recipe from one tenderloin to two because they're usually packaged that way (more or less doubling the sauce). I also removed the wet ingredients (soy sauce and sriracha) from the initial seasoning of the pork because the added moisture made it harder to get a crispy sear on the meat. If you're looking for the old version, the "marinade" ingredients for ONE tenderloin were: 1 Tbsp each sriracha and soy sauce, 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper.
Notes
- As the name implies, this is spicy. My kids have never batted an eye at the heat but if you’d like to make this milder, reduce the sriracha to 3 tablespoons and omit the black pepper.
- This cooks quickly so make sure your rice is done or almost done before you start cooking the pork (if, that is, you're serving rice).
- Consider doubling the sauce recipe if you like a lot of sauce or plan on having this over rice.
- This is amazing in lettuce wraps!
- You can use other cuts of pork but tenderloin is definitely my favorite.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
208.15Fat
8.89 gSat. Fat
1.92 gCarbs
6.53 gFiber
0.51 gNet carbs
6.38 gProtein
94.85 gSodium
1366 mgIron
4.85 mgCalcium
18.55 mg
Okay, that's it. I'm totally making this very soon! I'm always looking for more pork recipes. Plus, my husband is majorly in love with Korean food and wants to move into the little Korean Taco place that's down the street. Pinning!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to try this! I love me some spicy pork AND I love making my own Asian takeout!! :)
ReplyDeleteWe are going to try this recipe coz my daughter-in-law loves Korean food and my son has this strong attraction to anything with siracha in it. I on the other hand do not care for real spicy food but this one sounds to good to pass up. So wish me luck and pray people coz I really want to like it....lol
ReplyDeleteI made this last night and it was SO GOOD!! A tad hotter than I thought it would be, so next time I think I'll cut back on the sriracha a tad, but I will definitely be making it again!! Hub loved it too!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for another great recipe!!
Really yummy! Hubby didn't think it ha any spice at all but he still thought it was good!! He just added more sriracha at the end. I added shredded cabbage to it and that was good!!! Added some bulk to it (and veggies!!)
ReplyDeleteMy 5th time making this, we love it
ReplyDeleteWhat BBQ sauce do you recommend using?
ReplyDeleteI'm partial to Kansas City red sauces but have used honey bbq as well. I can't say that I have a favorite brand, though. Any red sauce will work.
DeleteThanks for sharing. I love pork and I love spicy, so I had to try this. I made it 3/6/2015 and it was absolutely delicious. I will also be trying this with chicken and shrimp when I want to switch it up some. Thanks again, Netta- Nashville, TN
ReplyDeleteAn excellent recipe, thank you! We loved it!
ReplyDeletehow many servings does this make?
ReplyDelete3-4
DeleteSounds delicious
DeleteYUM!!! I just made this dish today, and it was amazing!!! I also added some pieces of pineapple to give a sweet/ sour taste. My family loved it!
ReplyDeleteTried this for dinner tonight and it was DELISH!!! So spicy!!
ReplyDeleteMy family LOVES this. We have it with pineapple rice - delicious!
ReplyDeleteI really liked your story and spicy pork sounds so good. I made it with the addition of bell peppers and petit pois peas. I can honestly say i have never enjoyed a meal so much, thank you so much for the recipe :)
ReplyDeleteI cooked this tonight and the whole family thoroughly enjoyed it - fantastic .... thank you
ReplyDeleteI made this and oh my! It's delicious! This is definitely going to be a regular recipe for my family!
ReplyDeleteI make this monthly for my son who loves it. We make it into lettace wraps with rice, sliced cabbage, carrots and green onions. My son even adds chili paste to his which increases the heat. It's wonderful! Thank you so much for the recipe.
ReplyDeleteI made this last night and it was the best recipe I've found on Pinterest. I made a couple of changes though. First, for the sauce i added 1 tbsp of asian chili sauce and reduced the sriracha amount accordingly. Secondly, I added and entire sliced Napa Cabbage. I added the sliced cabbage to my empty wok just after I finished stir frying the pork. I stir fried it for a couple of minutes before I added the sauce and the beef.
ReplyDeleteCant wait to make this again.
It would taste more like the Korean restaurant if you used Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste which Walmart carries) instead of Sriracha!
ReplyDeleteHi, I like your recipe until u subsisted sriracha for gochjang paste that's the real deal it's not that hot but it's the real ingredient that is used in this dish look for it at Asian stores
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I and our 11 year old grandson loved this recipe. I cut back a little bit on the sriracha and it was perfectly spicy for us. Made roasted broccoli on the side and served the pork over rice. Sooooo good!! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteReally great recipe, only marinated for about 25 min. and still full of flavour. A little heavy on salt for us though so won't be adding in the mentioned salt and probably less soya sauce.
ReplyDeleteDoes anybody else find this confusing? Cut the tenderloin in half, lengthwise, and then make the strips as thin as possible?? If you are cutting in half, the strips will be...half a tenderloin..??
ReplyDeleteDuh
DeleteNot difficult to understand. After you halve the tenderloin lengthwise, then slice each half into thin slices.
DeleteThis was fantastic!!! I was in a rush so I only marinated for about 1.5 hours but it worked out just fine. The spice level on this was perfect - definitely has kick but not so much that you’re guzzling milk. I doubled the sauce and it was the perfect amount. I will make this again - thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteCan you make this with ground pork?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure but if you try it, let us know how it turns out!
DeleteMandy!!!! Girl!!! OMG!!!! This recipe was AMAZEBALLS!!!! I love Asian food so much and I make fried rice for my kids often! This will be my go to from now to go with my rice!!!! I have followed your page for awhile and have loved all your recipes but this by far is my favorite! Will be making this again and again!!!! Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy to hear that! I make this at least once a month myself because we looooove it too!
DeleteI tried this today. Even my I don't like pork hubby loved it. Nice & easy to put together totally delicious. Not to spicy. Will be in regular rotation in my house.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing
Made this the other night and it was amazing! Pretty sure I over did the sriracha, so cutting it back next time! I did add fresh broccoli near the end and it was perfect. The Hubster ended up taking a drink of water after every bite, but didn't stop eating it!
ReplyDeleteThis was really awesome. Like another reviewer, I chopped cabbage, stir fried it separately and then added it with the pork at the end. It was deliciously crispy and caramelized along the edges.
ReplyDeleteLike many Asian dishes, a very hot pan is best for a a stir fry (so that you are not steaming your food). Be sure to use an exhaust fan that vents outside or open your windows.
I might try this with pressed crispy fried tofu. Just coat the marinated pressed tofu with cornstarch right before the stir fry.
Ok I never comment on recipes but thank you! Made this in the uk after looking for a store cupboard ingredient spicy pork recipe due to a random craving and it was banging! (EVEN though I had no time to do the marinade, and had to sub BBQ for ketchup. I did put fresh ginger in though. The real thing must be ridiculous).
ReplyDeleteI saved this recipe awhile ago and just made it today. Delicious! Very flavourful and tender meat after marinating for about 4 hours. I did cut back on the heat so my husband would enjoy it too. I doubled the sauce ingredients and added sno Peas, sweet red peppers and pineapple (about a cup of each) to the stir fry. Served with rice. Thanks for the recipe!
ReplyDeleteAmazing recipe. Made it this evening and it surpassed my expectations.
ReplyDeleteWill be making it again.
I just started cooking Korean food. I have mastered Chinese, Thai and Indian.
I've made this several times, it's a mainstay in our menu. It's simple and very flavorful. I have a hard family to please, I usually use a little less sriracha as it's a bit too spicy for a few of us. I always double this, super easy to do too. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWhy did you change the recipe? The previous version was excellent. Just spicy (flavorful) enough for part of the family without the sauce, sauce on the side for the adventurous.
ReplyDeleteIs the old version available elsewhere?
It's the same recipe, just more sauce. I found that I ALWAYS doubled the recipe so I rewrote it to make more. The ratios are the same.
DeleteOh, I see what you mean now. The original recipe had sriracha and a few things on the meat before cooking. I'll update the post to include the old version and why I changed it. In the meantime, the mixture for the meat was 1 Tbsp each sriracha and soy sauce, 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper for one tenderloin.
Delete