Recently, I made this one-pan orange pork stir fry again with my little ones, letting them help whisk the sauce and add veggies to the pan. It was a fun way to get my kids involved in the kitchen for a takeout-inspired meal that’s full of nutrients and ready to eat in just 30 minutes.
This recipe was created in partnership with the Minnesota Pork Board.
Recipe Highlights
There are so many reasons I love this pork stir fry recipe:
- With quick-chop veggies and a simple sauce, it has minimal prep time and the cook time is so quick (my start-to-finish total time is just 40 minutes).
- It’s loaded with veggies that get a nice tender-crisp texture
- The orange juice and coconut aminos provides plenty of sweetness, so you don’t need to use brown sugar, honey, hoisin sauce, or any other added sugars
- We get all the flavor of our favorite takeout meal with better-for-us ingredients
- I make it all in one pan so the preparation is simple and the cleanup is quick, too
- This recipe is a great one for lunch meal prep
4 Steps To Prep Ahead
It takes me just 20 minutes to complete these four prep ahead steps. Sometimes I do a few of these steps as part of my weekend meal prep and sometimes I tackle them the morning of or day before I add this easy pork stir fry recipe to my menu.
- Mix the stir-fry sauce (do not simmer it), and store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to cook. I sometimes do these up to 3 days in advance.
- Pre-slice the pork tenderloin. This can be done 1-2 days in advance. Tip: It makes it even easy to slice the pork tenderloin when it’s still partially frozen.
- Pre-chop all of the veggies, and store them in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to cook. This can be done 2-3 days in advance, and I like to get the chopping done during my kiddos nap times so our dinner comes together even faster.
- If I’m serving this stir fry with jasmine rice (a great match), I cook the rice and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. This can be done 2-3 days in advance. Then all I have to do is reheat the rice in the microwave as the stir fry is cooking. I’m also a big fan of the 90 second rice packets when I’m really in a pinch.
Ingredients You’ll Need + Swaps We Love
For the sauce:
- Coconut aminos – here’s why I love to use coconut aminos in recipes; you may sub wheat-free tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
- Orange juice and zest
- Toasted sesame oil
- Garlic – may sub garlic powder
- Fresh ginger – may sub ground ginger
- Cornstarch – this helps thicken the sauce, you can sub arrowroot powder
For the stir-fry:
- Pork tenderloin – I love this lean cut (not to be confused with pork loin) because it’s tender and cooks quickly in this stir fry
- Olive oil – may sub avocado oil
- Broccoli
- Zucchini
- Red onion – yellow or white onion works well
- Sweet bell pepper – I tend to use red but you can use any color you have on hand
- Carrots
- Garnishes – sesame seeds, sliced green onions, cilantro, and crushed red pepper flakes
Find the ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.
Ingredient Highlight: Pork
I want to take a minute to thank the Minnesota Pork Board for teaming up with us to make this pork recipe possible. Pork is a meat that we all use regularly in our recipes and meal plans, and that we have available in our freezers. Some of my favorite pork recipes are crock pot pork roast, grilled pork tenderloin, and this pork stir fry.
Pig farming across the U.S., and particularly in Minnesota, has made great progress in terms of sustainability. According to the MN Pork Board, over the past 50 years, U.S. pig farmers are now using 25.1% less water, 7.7% less carbon, 7% less energy, and 75.9% less land than they were just a few decades ago.
Pork often gets a bad rep for being high in saturated fat, but many cuts are actually quite lean. For instance, 3 ounces of cooked pork tenderloin provides 25 grams of protein and just 6 grams of fat.
One-Pan Recipes For The Win!
One-pan recipes are my go-to on busy weeknights. And takeout-inspired options like one-pan teriyaki chicken and this pork stir-fry never disappoint. I love to use a large wide skillet, but if you own a wok, this would be an excellent recipe to use it. The ingredients cook separately, like in most stir-fry recipes where you cook the protein first, then the veggies, before combining it all. With that said, I do recommend having everything prepped and ready to go before any cooking starts.
How To Make Easy Orange Pork Stir Fry
- Combine the sauce ingredients: In a small bowl, stir together the orange zest, orange juice, garlic, sesame oil, coconut aminos, and ginger. Add the cornstarch to the sauce mixture and stir well. Set aside.
- Cook the pork: Cut the pork into thin strips and cook them in oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side or until the pork is no longer pink. Remove pork to a clean plate and set aside.
- Stir-fry the veggies: To the same skillet over medium-high heat, add the zucchini, carrots, broccoli, and onion; cook for 7-9 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
- Add everything together: Add the cooked pork back to the skillet along with the sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens, stirring constantly. Top with sesame seeds and serve.
For serving size and the complete directions and ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below. All of our recipes include the nutrition information, listing calories (kcals), protein, carbohydrates/carb, fiber, sugar, sodium, cholesterol, and more per serving.
Use The Veggies You Have On Hand
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it can be made with any veggies I have on hand and it always ends up tasting great! A few good stir-fry veggies are:
- Mushrooms
- Cauliflower
- Green beans
- Snow peas
- Baby corn
- Snap peas
- Bok choy
- Water Chestnuts
How to Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Thaw leftovers in the fridge overnight. Then, reheat in a skillet over medium heat, or warm individual portions in a small bowl in the microwave.
What We Serve This Dish With
You can easily serve this orange pork fry recipe on its own, but I love to pair it with cooked jasmine rice, tender brown rice, fried rice, or cauliflower rice to help round out the meal. And if my family is especially hungry, I’ll add a side dish, too. Some of my favorites are our Asian-inspired cucumber “noodle” salad and spicy Asian zucchini noodles.
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Orange Pork Stir-Fry Recipe
When I need a healthy dinner fast, this quick stir-fry is my go-to recipe. My family loves it because the sauce is sweet, savory, salty, and garlicky all in one. I love it because I know everyone is getting lots of veggies plus a healthy balance of protein, energizing carbohydrates, fiber, and healthy fats.
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- ¾ cup coconut aminos
- 2 teaspoons orange zest (from 1 medium orange)
- ½ cup fresh orange juice (from 2 large oranges)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 ½ – 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
For the Stir-Fry:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil, divided
- 1 ¼ lb. pork tenderloin, cut into ¼-inch strips (or thinner)
- Fine salt and pepper (for seasoning pork)
- 1 small head broccoli, cut into florets (3-4 cups)
- 1 medium zucchini, sliced into ¼-inch thick half moons (2 cups)
- 2 medium carrots, thinly sliced (1½ cups)
- 1 medium red bell pepper (1½ cups)
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced (1 cup)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the orange zest, orange juice, garlic, sesame oil, coconut aminos, and ginger. Add the cornstarch to the sauce mixture and stir well. Set aside.
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet and swirl to coat.
- Add the pork to the skillet in a single layer, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until the pork is no longer pink. Remove pork to a clean plate and set aside.
- To the same skillet over medium-high heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet and swirl to coat.
- Add the zucchini, carrots, broccoli, bell pepper, and onion to the skillet and cook for 7-9 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
- Add the cooked pork back to the skillet along with the sauce (stir the sauce one more time to ensure that the cornstarch is mixed in well). Cook for 2-4 minutes or until the sauce thickens, stirring constantly.
- Top with sesame seeds and serve.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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Notes
May prepare the stir-fry sauce up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate until ready to use.
May prep the tenderloin and veggies up to 2 days in advance, which helps make it even faster to make this stir-fry dinner.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 421
- Fat: 13 g
- (Sat Fat: 2 g)
- Sodium: 975 mg
- Carbohydrate: 38 g
- (Fiber: 5 g
- Sugar: 20 g)
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 79 mg
Dietary
Frequently Asked Questions
We prefer to use pork tenderloin, because it’s lean and mild. I find that it absorbs the flavor of the sauce nicely and cooks quickly. You could also use thinly sliced boneless pork chops.
Taste the sauce as you go! You could add a tad more orange juice for more sweetness. Alternatively, you can add an extra splash of coconut aminos for more salty-savoriness, more cloves garlic, or a dash of red pepper flakes or sriracha for more heat. Experiment to find what you like best.
No, pork loin and pork tenderloin are different cuts of meat. For instance, a pork tenderloin comes from the muscles that run along the backbone of a pig. It’s long, narrow, and boneless. Meanwhile, a pork loin comes from the back of the pig. It’s wider and flatter and can be boneless or bone-in. Pork tenderloin is slightly leaner than pork loin and tends to be a little pricier.
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I doubled the recipe, and used low sodium soy sauce instead of the coconut aminos (because I often find those too salty) and I still found the sauce to be very salty. Also, it was a bit too citrus forward. I really think this could be great, but the ratios were off. Sometimes that happens when doubling, so next time I’ll taste and adjust as I go.