This honey pepper pork stir fry features often in our house. Tender, juicy pork with a little sweetness from honey and spice from pepper, in an easy one pan dinner. What could be better?!

If you’ve been around the blog long, you know I love Asian flavours with everything from the Japanese Karaage Chicken to Korean Spicy Chicken Tacos  and Thai Panang Curry, we eat this kind of food often.

While stir fries can be daunting because they move so quickly, it’s that speed that makes them a great weeknight dinner option. They’re also wonderful for using up vegetables before the weeks out.

Looking for more pork? Try these honey garlic ribs.

A black pan filled with pork stir fry.

Table of contents

Ingredients

All you need for this stir fry pork and vegetables is 9 simple ingredients. The veggies are totally customisable too, so use up what you have on hand.

The sauce in this pork stir fry has loads of flavour and good kick of pepper – it’s in the name after all. With honey, soy, ginger, garlic and pepper, you know this is rich and flavoursome but still healthy.

Ingredients for honey pepper pork stir fry on a marble background.

Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

  • Pork tenderloin: This the best cut for stir fries as it cooks quickly and remains tender. You can use other cuts too, but make sure to choose something lean.
  • Vegetables: For me, I love capsicum (bell pepper) and broccoli but this works great with carrot, asparagus, cauliflower, green beans, baby corn and even shredded cabbage. So many veggies work. 
  • Aromats: Garlic and ginger provide lovely aroma and flavour in this dish. Both go wonderfully with honey and stir fries and add intense flavour without needing too much. Fresh is best though.
  • Honey: Adding a little natural sweetness and unmistakable flavour, the honey will also help to add crispy caramelised edges on the pork.
  • Soy sauce: Synonymous with Asian cuisines, soy sauce has an intense umami flavour – rich, super savoury and it’s all the salt you need in this dish.
  • Pepper: Don’t be shy. I use up to 3 teaspoons when I cook this – 2 in the recipe and often more sprinkled over right at the end. But you can absolutely customise to your own taste. Start by adding 1 teaspoon and taste before adding more, if you’re worried.
  • Cornflour (cornstarch): This is used for two reasons – it locks the juices in the meat and it helps to thicken the sauce at the end.

To serve, grab some spring onions (green onions / scallions) and rice or even tortillas to turn them into summer pork wraps.

Pork stir fry on rice in a cream coloured bowl.

The pork stir fry marinade

The marinade is made up of just 5 ingredients – cornflour, honey, soy, garlic and ginger and it’s so simple to create. Just mix it all in a bowl and marinate the meat for 15 minutes or up to an hour for supremely tasty and succulent pork.

How to make honey pepper pork stir fry

Images showing the cooking of pork stir fry in a black pan.

Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

  1. First you’ll cut your pork into thin strips, then mix it well with the cornflour. Now add the remaining marinade ingredients (photo 1). Mix well and chill for 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
  2. Cook the pork in two batches in a good frying pan (photo 2) or wok. Make sure to keep moving the meat regularly.
  3. Once the moisture has evaporated and parts of the pork are beginning to caramelise (photo 3), set aside and do the second batch.  
  4. Cook the veggies for just a few minutes until they begin to soften.
  5. Add the pork back to the pan along with the remaining marinade (photo 4) and cook until hot and the sauce has thickened.

Why coat the pork in cornflour / cornstarch?

Based on the Chinese method called “velveting” the pork is coated in cornflour / cornstarch first. The cornflour coating not only locks in the moisture, keeping the meat juicy when cooked, it also helps to thicken the sauce at the end.

Pork stir fry in a tortilla on a grey plate.
Honey pepper pork stir fry served in a tortilla (pork wraps).

We often serve this stir fried pork as pork wraps just like above. Add to a tortilla, honey pepper pork wraps are a light and easy dinner. It’s also fantastic in these bao buns!

Tips and tricks

  • Prepare ingredients first: Get everything ready before you start cooking as it happens fairly quickly.
  • Cut thicker vegetables, like broccoli, quite small so they cook quickly.
  • Let the marinade drain off a little before adding the meat to the pan. This will leave you plenty of sauce at the end to coat the stir fry.
  • If the sauce is too thick add a little water to thin it.
  • If serving with rice, make sure to start the rice cooking before the stir fry.

Handy tools to have

  • I like to use a non-stick wok for simplicity in my kitchen. If you want that magical wok hei, use a traditional wok and make sure to keep it super hot.
  • A wok spatula if you want to stir fry like a pro but if you’re using a non stick pan, like I do, stick to a wooden spatula or even plastic. Not silicone as it tends to leave behind a silicone flavour in very hot cooking.
A black pan filled with pork stir fry.

More Asian recipes you’ll love

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A black pan filled with pork stir fry.

Honey Pepper Pork Stir Fry

Yield: 4 serves
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Marinating time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
4.8 from 50 ratings
Spice up your weeknight dinner rotation with this 30 minute Honey Pepper Pork Stir Fry. Serve this easy stir fry pork and vegetables with rice or in tortillas (it makes the most delicious pork wraps).
Print Rate Pin

Ingredients

  • 500 g pork tenderloin (or lean pork), cut into thin strips (1.1lb)
  • 3 teaspoons cornflour (US cornstarch)
  • ¼ cup light soy sauce (60ml)
  • ¼ cup honey (60ml)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger (note 1)
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
  • 1 large head broccoli, cut into small florets
  • 1 medium red capsicum (red bell pepper), thinly sliced
  • 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup water
  • Rice and sliced spring onions, to serve

For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided

Instructions
 

  • In a medium bowl, mix the pork strips and cornflour well. Add the soy sauce, honey, ginger and garlic and mix. Allow to marinate for 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
  • Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a wok or large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add half the pork (allowing some of the marinade to drip off before adding it to the wok) Cook, stirring regularly, until the juice has almost all evaporated and it starts to caramelise (4-5 minutes).
  • Transfer to a clean plate. Repeat with the remaining half of pork.
  • Wipe the pan out with paper towel (to remove any burnt bits) then add the final teaspoon of oil over medium heat.
  • Add the capsicum and broccoli. Cook, stirring often, until tender (4-5 minutes)
  • Add the pork back to the pan and stir to combine.
  • Mix together the ¼ cup of water and remaining marinade, then pour it into the pan. Mix everything well and cook for a further minute or so. If you'd like a thinner sauce, just add a little more water.
  • Stir in the pepper to taste.
  • Please take a minute to rate this recipe. I truly appreciate it and it helps me create more recipes.

Notes

  1. I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (= 4 teaspoons worldwide).
  2. Get everything ready before you start cooking as it happens fairly quickly.
  3. Cut thicker vegetables, like broccoli, quite small so they cook quickly.
  4. If serving with rice, make sure to start the rice cooking before the stir fry.
  5. If serving with tortillas, you can try these 3 ingredient flatbreads.
MORE ASIAN INSPIRED RECIPES!
Calories: 320kcal
Author: Marie Roffey
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese, Healthy
Have you tried this recipe?Don’t forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.
Nutrition Facts
Honey Pepper Pork Stir Fry
Amount Per Serving (384 g)
Calories 320 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Trans Fat 0.04g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 4g
Cholesterol 81mg27%
Sodium 929mg40%
Potassium 1100mg31%
Carbohydrates 33g11%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 22g24%
Protein 32g64%
Vitamin A 1886IU38%
Vitamin C 174mg211%
Calcium 92mg9%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.