Easy and delicious Chinese pork recipes that are better than takeout! (With Gluten-free options too.)
Chinese cuisine is known for its bold flavors and diverse range of ingredients. (Think chicken feet soup and bird spit dessert!) Pork is 1 of the more mainstream ingredients that is super popular in Chinese cooking.
Whether it's stir-fried, deep-fried, braised, or roasted, this collection of Chinese pork dishes encompasses a range of delicious flavors and textures sure to satisfy your taste buds.
A Chinese Meal usually has ไธ่ไธๆฑค san cai yi tang i.e. a meal is not complete without 3 dishes and a Chinese soup. A pork dish is often 1 of the 3 dishes. You can serve with a vegetable (Dish 2) and a Carb (Dish 3: e.g. fried rice or stir-fried noodles.)
Stir Fried
Lettuce Wraps
Ground meat is cooked with Shaoxing, Oyster Sauce, Sesame Oil and more before being wrapped in crunchy lettuce leaves.
Note: if you don't have a wok, you can use a large skillet.
Hunan Pork
This easy Hunan stir-fry uses both pork tenderloin and pork belly. It's a simple stir fry dish that goes perfectly with white rice and can be on the table in under 30 minutes!
Leftovers can be stuffed into bao buns for breakfast!
Braised
Taiwanese Rou Zao Fan
FINGERLICKING Good Chinese Braised Pork
This is my all-time favorite Asian pork recipe as it's so easy to make but still super savory, juicy and flavorful! You only need Chinese rice wine, dark soy sauce, vinegar and sugar to make it.
Soy Sauce Pork
This was traditionally made with pork belly meat but I find that cut a bit too fat, so I use pork shoulder or pork butt instead. You will need both dark and light soy sauce for this Singaporean Chinese recipe. If you don't have 5-spice powder, you can add star anise, peppercorns and cinnamon instead.
To bulk up the dish, you can add shiitake mushrooms and hard boiled eggs- it's very similar to Vietnamese Thit Kho!
Tip: Usually served with sambal chili and rice, but you can also stuff mantou buns with this pork and lettuce to make a Chinese hamburger.
Ma Po Tofu
Despite having tofu in its name, ground pork and a spicy chili bean sauce (Doubanjiang- a key Chinese condiment) are actually important ingredients in this Sichuan-style dish
Note: remember to use silken tofu, not firm tofu! (The right texture is important in authentic Chinese food? (See Expert Tips below.))
Hong Shao Rou
This slow-cooked pork recipe is one of the most popular Chinese dishes! It consists of tender sticky pork belly meat coated in a deliciously savory sauce!
Boiled
Meatballs
Water chestnuts give Pork Lettuce Wraps and Pork Meatballs the characteristic crunch of authentic Chinese food, but you can omit it if you can't get it.
Twice Cooked
Also known as ๅ้ ่ Hui Guo Rou (literally return wok meat), this dish is made by boiling slices of pork belly, then stir-frying them with garlic in a spicy bean paste sauce. You can also add leeks and more vegetables if you like!
Note: the recipe calls for Tianmianjiang which can be hard to find outside Asia- you can use Doubanjiang as a substitute.
Roasted
Char Siew
This Chinese barbecue pork is marinated in a sweet and savory sauce. Char siu sauce is usually made with hoisin sauce, honey, soy sauce, and Chinese five-spice powder (which is really easy to make at home, by the way!))
Some traditional recipes use red bean curd but you can also use red food coloring or beetroot powder (if you want a natural color) if you can't get it.
It's 1 of the most popular Cantonese recipes, often served with Soy Sauce Chicken and goes really well with plain white rice or congee, as well as these Chinese BBQ pork sides.
What to do with Leftovers: You can add extra Chinese barbecue pork to fried rice and stir-fried noodles, such as in this Shrimp Chow Mein!
Fried
Spam Fries
This is a modern recipe that is very popular in Asia. Remember to use Maling luncheon meat, not SPAM or Tulip Brand, if you want authentic Cantonese flavor!
Serve with homemade Sambal Aioli or Kimchi Mayo on the side.
Salt and Pepper
Salt and Pepper Pork (ๆค็็ชๆ) is one of my favorite pork chop recipes. There's also a gluten-free adaptation in the recipe!
Sweet and Sour
One of the most popular dishes at Chinese restaurants is Sweet & Sour Pork.
This Cantonese pork dish is traditionally made with crispy deep-fried pork that is then stir-fried with bell peppers and a sweet and sour sauce. The sauce is made from classic Asian sauces such as soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and ketchup. (Some recipes use tomato paste as a healthier option.)
Takeout, fakeout!
Gluten Free Sweet and Sour
If you have celiac disease, Chinese cooking may be a struggle due to the copious usage of soy sauce. Luckily, you can always substitute with coconut aminos or tamari.
Moo Shu
This pork dish is a classic Chinese restaurant dish.
Moo Shu Pork consists of tender pork, crunchy vegetables, and savory hoisin sauce, all wrapped in a thin pancake. (You can use tortillas as a quick substitute!)
Lion's Head Meatball
Mince your own pork for the best texture for these Chinese meatballs ็บข็ง็ฎๅญๅคด but, to be honest, on a weekday night, I just use regular shopmarket ground pork! The chopped up water chestnuts gives the meat a delicious crunch!
Other
Bak Kwa
Bak kwa/ Chinese pork jerky used to be a luxury item but is now eaten all year round, though never more than during Chinese New Year!
In fact, people buy and gift these pork pieces so much during the lunar new year that it's common to have leftovers. (Here are some delicious ideas on how to use up extra bak kwa!)
However, it's really simple to DIY: you just need to mix the minced pork with the sauces, marinate and bake in the oven till dry!
Slow Cooked
This Asian Pork Tenderloin is super easy to make in a slow cooker! (You'll need some 5 spice powder, which is easily blended at home.)
Baked
General Tso Meatballs
General Tso Meatballs are sweet and spicy. Best of all, they can be made in advance and kept in a crockpot to keep warm for your next gathering!
Carbs
Congee
Char Siu Chow Mein
Fried Rice
This classic Chinese takeaway dish can be with diced pork, minced pork or even char siu! The pork is then stir-fried with rice, vegetables, and soy sauce.
Tip: fried rice is best made with leftover rice! (Freshly cooked rice is too wet and will result in a mushy dish.)
Expert Tips
Tip #1: Use authentic Chinese ingredients to get the right flavor. Chinese cooking often uses specific seasonings, such as soy sauce, oyster sauce, and five-spice powder. Using real Chinese ingredients makes your dishes taste more authentic. (For example, did you know there is Chinese soy sauce, Japanese soy sauce and Korean soy sauce, all of which have a subtle differences in taste?)
Tip #2: Texture. Many Chinese pork dishes have a crispy, crunchy texture or a smooth, tender mouthfeel. To achieve the crisp, you need to coat the pork in cornstarch or potato starch before cooking to create a crunchy crust. (As shown in this spam fries recipe, regular white flour just isn't as crisp!) For the juicy, smooth texture, you need to use a technique called velveting. This involves blanching the pork in hot water or oil before stir-frying.
Tip #3: Garnish before serving. In Chinese food culture, we always talk about ่ฒ้ฆๅณๅ ทๅ จ "Se Xiang Wei Ju Quan." In other words, the dishes must have color, aroma and flavor. Colorful garnishes such as chopped spring onions, cilantro, or lightly toasted sesame seeds add both flavor and visual appeal!
Tip #4: Pork must be cooked up to an internal temperature of 145 ยบF, measured with a food thermometer at the thickest part, before removing from the heat.
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