An authenticย simpleย Korean marinade is the star of this spicy, sticky Korean pork stir fryย that will leave you wanting more long after you licked your bowl clean! This requires just 30 minutes marinating time โ which can be skipped if youโre in a hurry!
Korean Pork Stir Fry
If you like BIG flavours โ and I mean BIG, HUGE flavours, then this stir fry is for you. The flavours are much more intense than usual stir fries โ itโs spicier, stickier and stronger. The jammy sauce is the type that will have you smacking your lips and licking your fingers, wanting to marinadeย everythingย in this.
And actually, you could. For those who have sampled Korean Fried Chicken (the โotherโ KFC), the flavour of the sauce will be familiar because the sticky coating for KFC has similar ingredients to this marinade.
A technique that is not used widely but is fantastic for getting incredible flavour into marinades and sauces isย grated onions and pears / apples. I first learnt about this technique from my Korean hairdresser who dictates recipes to me while she does my roots!!!
The reason that grating is such a fantastic technique is that juice is created which forms part of the marinade. Fruit juices simply donโt compare โ far less flavour, even when theyโre cold pressed fresh juice. And as for grated onions โ to my knowledge, you canโt buy that!!!
I made this with pork shoulder (boneless) which is a really great value cut of meat because it is typically considered to be a tougher cut suited to slow cooking. But actually, if you slice it thinly against the grain,ย it is wonderful to use for quick cooking purposes like in a stir fry.
The one ingredient in this recipe that you might not be able to find easily is Gochujang which is a Korean spice paste. It comes in a bright red tub and the paste is a deep red colour. Itโs spicy, savoury with a touch of sweet, and itโs a secret weapon in Korean cooking because itโs go so many layers of flavour. It is used in a lot of Korean dishes, like Bibimbap, Kimchi Fried Rice and even the dipping sauce for the Momofuku Bossam (slow cooked pork).
It can be purchased at Korean grocery stores and most Asian grocery stores for a few dollars.ย But donโt worry if you canโt find it, I have provided a substitute that yields a very similar result โ my taste testers actually couldnโt tell the difference!
Gochujang aside, this is a seriously quick midweek meal. Iย think youโll be quite surprised at how short the ingredient list is โ thanks toย Gochujang which provides much of the flavour base โ and just 30 minutes of marinating time.
In fact, Iโve made thisย without marinating and it still worked out great because the flavour of the glaze is so strong.
I served this with plain white rice and lightly pickled vegetables (I popped the recipe in the notes below). Typically I would have served this withย kimchi which is the spicyย Korean pickled cabbageย that is served with practically every dish for every meal in Korea, but I didnโt have any on hand.
This is a MUST TRY for anyone who loves food with big bold flavours!!! The sticky/sweet/spicy/savory flavours remind me ofย Mongolian Beef. It is quite spicy, but not โblow your head offโ spicy.
Ugh. Writing this up just reminds me how lip smackingly delicious this is and now Iโm craving it!!! Iโm going to make this for dinner tonight.ย Using chicken. YUM! โ Nagi x
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Spicy Korean Pork Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 lb / 500g boneless pork shoulder (excess fat trimmed) (Note 1)
Marinade
- 1 small pear , grated (1/2 cup) (or nashi pear OR apple) (Note 2)
- 1/2 medium onion , grated (1/4 cup) (brown, white or yellow)
- 1/2 tsp fresh ginger , minced or finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove , crushed
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (all purpose or light soy sauce)
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsp gochujang (Korean Hot Pepper Paste) OR see Note 3 for substitution
Stir Fry
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 garlic , minced
- 1 onion , halved and sliced (brown, white or yellow)
To Serve
- 1 scallion/shallot stalk , sliced
- Sesame seeds
- Rice
Instructions
- Cut pork into thin slices. If using pork shoulder, as I did, halve it lengthwise to form two long pieces, then slice the pieces. See photo below.
- Combine Marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add pork. Marinate for 30 minutes, or overnight.
- To cook, heat oil in a large non stick skillet (Note 4) over high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 2 minutes until translucent. Add pork and cook for 5 minutes or until dark golden and caramelised, and just cooked through.
- Serve immediately with rice โ or for a low carb, low cal option, try Cauliflower Rice! Garnish with sliced shallots and sesame seeds.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
The Spicy Side of Life: Korean recipes
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LIFE OF DOZER
He secretly loves his robe. I know it. Thatโs a glimmerย of contentment in his eyes. Not embarrassment / resentment / shame.
Hi, thank you for the great recipe, itโs super easy (but I need to get new grater since mine take FOREVER). Just like others, mine donโt blacken and caramelized. I marinade it overnight and using gochujang and apple and toss all the marinades in. I wonder whatโs wrong hmmmโฆ.
Iโm so glad you enjoyed the flavour Lys!! And thank you for reminding me I MUST make this asap to recheck the colour of the stir fry! It doesnโt blacken as such, it is the colour of the marinade becoming darker as it cooks. N x
I made this for the second time tonight. The first time I had trouble with it not caramalising even though I used the proper sauce. Tonight I was in a rush so I mixed up the marinade and put that on the stove to caramalise while I cut up the pork. It thickened really well, and then I thought it looked like it needed a bit more liquid and zing so I added 1/2 a cup of pineapple juice and 2tbsp of apple cider vinegar (nothing Korean about these things!) and further reduced. I cooked the pork in 2 batches. It was freaking delicious. My partners comment: โif we werenโt already engaged, I would have proposed after this meal tonight โ it was that goodโ.
Iโm so glad you enjoy the flavour of this Liz! Iโm so perplexed about the pork not caramelising though, I will make it again this week some time to double check to see if thereโs something I do differently. I LOVE your additions to the marinade!!! N x
Hi Nagi! Finally made thisโฆOMG! I did use less gochujang than you, just to โtest the watersโ. One could live on this stuff! I am so happy with a bowl of rice topped with a fantastic stir fry or tortillas and beans! Iโm a very simple person food wise. Not that I donโt enjoy an elaborate dish, but the most simple seem to be the most satisfying! ๐
WOO HOO!!! I am SO GLAD you enjoyed it Dorothy!!! I feel validated now! N x
I made spicy Korean pork stir fry tonight for tea but I found it was to hot for me but my hubby loved it and he made your fried rice to go with it and last night we had the cheese and garlic crack bread and it was lovely thank you for all these recipes every one I have made we have loved.
Cathy
This, fried rice AND crack bread??? Youโre on a roll!!! So glad you enjoyed it, thanks for coming back to let me know! N x
Made this tonight. Was nice. Had same problem as others of not caramelising even though I used authentic Korean paste, but I noticed it was stewing not stir frying. Are you supposed to take meat out the marinade and then stir fry? I drained my meat, put it back in pan and then it started changing colours.
Hi Tiff! Iโm glad you enjoyed the flavour!! Did you have the heat on high? I just dump all the meat and marinade in, on high heat it caramelises just fine. I must try this recipe again this week and double check it. The other commenters did not use the authentic paste so the colour comes out different. But if you used gochujang it should definitely caramelise. N x
Hi Nagi
Just wondering whether the marinated meat can be frozen for later on ?
Yup! It sure can! I do that for beef, pork and chicken! ๐ Donโt even need to marinade โ just pop it in a freezer, and it will marinade while freezing then defrosting time ๐ Efficient!
Hi Nagi,
Another great recipe and incredibly simple to make. The gochujang made the difference. The only thing I changed was to add 1/2 cup chicken broth as my son likes more sauce with his rice. We love your web site and big fans here in Toronto. Keep the recipes coming.
Thatโs so wonderful that you and your son enjoyed this Brian! Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know! N x
Hi Nagi! I just made this and it was great- my husband in particular looooooved it! However, like many others my dish also did not become black and caramelised. It turned out the exact colour of butter chicken! I used dark soy sauce but I did have to use the sriracha hack as I couldnโt find the Korean paste in the shops, even so I thought it would have turned out a bit darker. Strange.
Hi Fiona! Iโm so glad you enjoyed the flavour!! Thank you for reminding me โ I did not say in the notes that the sriracha hack will taste similar but the colour will be lighter ๐ Just as you described โ it is kind of more like buffalo sauce colour. So glad you enjoyed the flavour though! Isnโt it delish? Have a FAB weekend Fiona!
Hi Nagi
Cooked and loved Korean Potk Stir Fry?Had all correct ingredients but I couldnโt get that black sticky colour and texture.Where did I go wrong
Hi Terry! The dark colour comes from soy sauce, brown sugar and the Gochujang paste. ๐ Did you use normal soy sauce rather than light soy sauce? Light soy sauce would produce a lighter colour, but the same flavour.
Just made this tonight! Very delicious but didnโt get the black sticky color. Should I have used dark soy sauce
Hi Afua! Iโm so glad you enjoyed the flavour!! Itโs so strange about the colour โ another reader said the same thing. Did you use light soy sauce? The good news is that with this recipe, it doesnโt matter what soy sauce you use, the flavour is very similar either way, it would just be the colour that is affected. N x
Saw this in the morning, marinated today and made it tonight. A hit with all in the house! I used pork neck โsteaksโ, which I sliced thinly cross grain and this was beautifully tender. For anyone interested I used the Senpo brand of gochujang (in Australia) and it was just a perfect amount of heat with Nagiโs excellent recipe.
Nagi, Iโve made quite a few of your recipes now and all have been keepers! Thanks so much for the hard work and inspiration when it comes to the โwhatโs for dinnerโ moments ?
Awwww, LIZ! You just made my DAY!!! Iโm so glad you enjoyed this โ you ROCK!!! N x
Hi Nagi
Just finished tour Korean spicy pork stir fry.definetily yum.I had the correct ingredients but just could not that black sticky colour to dish pan easy to clean.Where did I go wrong?
So glad you enjoyed the flavour Terry!! Sorry โ I canโt quite catch the 2nd part of your message ๐ Cleaning problem? Or yours didnt come out the same dark colour?? I am probably just misunderstanding! N x
I still havenโt made any cKorean food, so this seems like the perfect recipe to start with! Love how sticky and caramelised the pork is, and adding grated pear to the marinade is so interesting!! I can imagine it would work to tenderise the meat as well. Definitely saving!
Very unique to Korean cooking โ and itโs a brilliant tip!
Ooh Nagi, I want to eat a big bowl full of this right NOW, and Iโm propped up in bed just about to switch the light out! I KNOW this would be SO full of flavour โ it looks it, and Iโm really intrigued by that little fruity trick. Iโd never heard of it but must try it!
Hope youโre getting over your jet lag, by the way. ๐
Easy recovering from US > Aus than Aus > UK!!! Howโs progress on your visa??? Iโm WAITING to MEET YOU!!!
I love Korean food, but never think to make it at home! This looks perfect for a tasty weeknight meal. ๐
Hope you do try it!! It really is super tasty! ๐
Nagi,
He totally loves the robe!
What do you do to place photos in your recipe app?
Hi Aida! I think he secretly loves it tooโฆ..! ๐ For the photos, do you mean photos you take yourself of food?? N x
Sorry for the confusion, I meant the recipe plugin. I can put in the recipe itself, but I havenโt been able to also put the photos of food prep right into the recipe plugin. How do you do it?
Btw, Iโve been following this and the other blog of yours for food bloggers. So much useful information. Thank you for taking the time to put it all together for us!
Gotcha! ๐ You need the premium version to do that. Then youโll get a button option in the recipe field to add an image, then you just select an image from the media library like with your usual photos.
Love everything gochujang. So this is a recipe I will definitely be trying outโฆ.just brilliant.
Isnโt it the best?? Itโs like Koreaโs secret weapon! ๐
Oh my! I have a similar but much more complicated recipe that I often cook. Looks like I will have a lot more time on my hands. I canโt wait to try this!!
Really?? Iโm curious now, Iโve never seen overly complicated Korean marinades!! ๐
Sticky goodness with this one Nagi! Iโm definitely a โblow your head offโ spicy kinda guy so Iโd dig right into this with a pinch of red pepper flakes to kick it up. ๐
This is right up your alley. Iโll make this for you when you come visit!
This looks like the goods, my challenge for the week will be to source he gochujang.
Nope I think Dozers look says โ She went away and left me AGAIN, I am going to pretend
I just donโt care.โ
BA HA HA! No feeling sorry for him, he lives life like every day is his birthday!!! ๐ I do hope you can find it, but if you canโt, the substation is pretty close! I was really surprised how tasty it is!
Yes! Yes! Yes! To bold flavors! We simply love having something that says โIโve arrived!โ My oldest son just got back from S. Korea and he really enjoyed the spicy dishes. This will be one that Iโll be making for him.
Woah โ wait โ your son was in SK??
So excited to try this. Iโll probably use tenderloin. The size works for me.
Youโre so lucky, tenderloin is super expensive here which is why Iโm quite selective what I use it for. I spent last week gawking at how cheap things are in the US!
I just looked at the pork in my neighborhood grocery store. Pork shoulder is $3.49 lb and tenderloin is $3.99 lb. Soโฆnot a huge difference and I love tenderloin in a stir fry. My favorite butcher was there (the real deal guy, not just a meat dept person) and we talked about stir frying pork shoulder. He, like me, always cooks it low and slow in a braise or carnitas fashion. So, now I have to try it. I bought boneless pork ribs which are actually from the shoulder forโฆ.wait for itโฆ$1.99 lb. Shazaam!! I will make it on Friday and will definitely report back. ๐
Thatโs NUTS!!!! Pork tenderloin is triple to quadruple the price here in Australia!! Pork shoulder is definitely great for long and slow when cooked whole. But itโs also used for fast stir fries in Asian cooking. It works really well because itโs sliced so thin against the grain and the meat is marbled with fat, and actually it has more flavour than tenderloin! ๐ Ooohโฆ.boneless pork ribs โ YUM!!! The prices you pay in the US for produce KILLS ME! It is SO CHEAP!
Is it more expensive there because like Hawaii and Ireland, lots has to be imported? The pork I get is locally raised very humanely. We are lucky here as far as foods go.
The boneless ribs arenโt really ribs. Just portions of the shoulder. Close to the ribs, but not really ribs. I recently learned about cooking baby backs or spare ribs over high heat on my bbq grill and LOVE them, so it does make sense that it would work for stir fry dishes too. Canโt wait!!!
Didnโt know that about boneless ribs! ๐ Australia is generally just more expensive than the US for most things. Real estate and most produce!