Easy Garlic Ginger Glazed Sticky Pork is one of my most popular recipes here on Foodie with Family. Read on to see why!
It’s no secret that food is my forever friend. It’s pretty easy to get me to hold forth on the subject in general, obviously.
I am especially passionate about that sub-category of food made of simple recipes using basic ingredients that deliver major flavours with minimal effort. Easy Garlic Ginger Glazed Sticky Pork is all of those things.
I want to clarify for a minute. There are two schools of thought on describing a food as ‘easy’.
Some folks think it’s gauche because using it perpetuates the false notion that somehow good food has to be complicated. I get it, I really do.
At the same time, I think that reminding people that a dish is “easy” is a kindness and a comfort. It’s like having a favourite pair of jeans that you put on when you need to have a good day.
The word “easy” is a reassuring one. It tells you you won’t be chained to the counter for hours upon hours or employing complex techniques that are more suited to angry French chefs who are prone to throwing pots.
For that reason, I’m unapologetic about calling recipes ‘Easy”. Easy, easy, easy, easy, E-A-S-Y. Easy Garlic Ginger Glazed Pork is a perfect example of what I mean.
If I called it sweet and spicy lacquered pork, I’d technically be correct, but I’d also be intimidating the heck out of starter cooks.
And the truth of the matter is that Easy Garlic Ginger Glazed Pork is nuanced enough to keep a sophisticated eater and cook happy, but simple enough that even the most rookie cook can make it happen for a fast dinner. THAT is my happy place.
Tender strips of pork glazed with a sticky, sweet, spicy, garlicky, gingery sauce that is as easy as stirring a few things together in a pan, it’s hard to beat this for a fast, soul-satisfying meal.
What Kind of Honey Should I Use for Sticky Pork?
This is a pretty common question with a very simple answer: use a mild honey.Whichever light coloured honey you like best will serve here.
Whether you choose the stuff in the squeeze bottle shaped like a bear, or a bottle of light amber or golden coloured stuff from your favourite farmer’s market vendor, just go light as a rule of thumb. In other words, put the bamboo honey aside for this dish.
While strong flavoured honeys are delicious on their own or to finish a dish, you’re going to be concentrating the flavour of the honey when you reduce the sauce. A strong, robust honey like bamboo will bring too much of its own flavour to the party.
Which Cut of Pork Should I use for Stir Fry?
Again, this is a matter of personal preference, but I love boneless center cut loin or boneless sirloin steaks for our Easy Garlic Ginger Glazed Sticky Pork. Of the two, I usually reach for boneless center cut loin, because I love the leaner cut.
I don’t advise using a super marbled cut like shoulder because that will require far longer to cook than this recipe provides.
Pork Recipes
While Easy Garlic Ginger Glazed Sticky Pork is one of my favourites, I have many other easy pork recipes for your table, too.
Whether you’re using ground pork in Easy Garlic Ginger Crispy Pork Noodles or Egg Roll in a Bowl or making slow-cooker apple cider pulled pork, we’ve got you covered. If you want to know how to cook pork and which cuts to use, that’s here, too.
If you need help on learning how to cook pork shoulder, it’s all right there for you. Check out all of our pork recipes in our recipe index at your leisure!
Easy Garlic Ginger Glazed Sticky Pork
-As with many stir-fries -and this could be considered one- Easy Garlic Ginger Glazed Sticky Pork relies on the cook having everything prepared and set out before any flame or heat source comes anywhere near the pan. The bulk of the work comes before you ever put one molecule of anything in the pan.
-The goal with cooking the pork is to take it to being 2/3 done. This means that if you cut one strip of pork in half, you’ll be able to see the outer layer is lightly browned, the next 1/3 of it will be pink but opaque and the center should be slightly shimmery and darker pink.
It will continue cooking when the sauce comes into play. If you take the pork too far at this point, it’ll be overdone when the sticky, flavourful glaze is lacquering itself to the pork. See what I did there? I worked in those fancy-pants culinary terms to placate my purists. Who loves you? I do.
-Do not add the pork until you have reduced the sauce. This is the same motivation behind moving the pork to a plate and starting the sauce by itself. Sometimes it behaves a little oddly, and until it reaches a certain point (slightly thickened, bubbly, and smelling slightly caramelized), you don’t want to add the pork.
The pork strips will finish cooking in the sauce, but it’s easier to add a splash of liquid to keep it cooking longer than it is to make the sauce magically evaporate to doneness because your pork is done.
Trust me. If there was a way to abracadabra the sauce to doneness, I’d be all over it.
But this bears repeating: This sauce is meant to be reduced until it is already thick BEFORE you add the pork back in. If you do that, you won’t end up with too much sauce or a soupy mess.
When the sauce is boiled until it has evaporated down to a thick, sticky, shiny, state, you add the pork in and toss it. It’s worth the little bit of wait.
-You can serve Easy Garlic Ginger Glazed Sticky Pork any which way you wish; over rice, with green vegetables, on noodles, or with toothpicks as finger foods. My personal preference is with steamed or Spicy Asian Roasted Broccoli over rice.
Use this to make Easy Garlic Ginger Glazed Sticky Pork
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Easy Garlic Ginger Glazed Sticky Pork
Rate RecipeIngredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless center cut pork loin cut into 1/4-inch thick slabs, then 1/4-inch thick strips, about 3 inches long
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon canola or peanut oil plus extra if necessary
- 5 cloves garlic peeled and minced or pressed through a garlic press
- 2- inch knob of fresh ginger grated
- 1/2 cup mild honey
- 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup sriracha or chili garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
Instructions
- In a liquid measuring cup or a small mixing bowl, whisk together the mild honey, sriracha, and rice wine vinegar. Set aside.
- Pour the oil into a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium high heat and swirl to coat. Let it heat until it is shimmering. While the oil heats, sprinkle the pork strips with kosher salt and black pepper then toss with your hands to distribute it evenly. Carefully add the pork to the pan, working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Let the first side brown, flip the pieces with tongs or a spatula, and brown the second side. Transfer the pork to a plate.
- Return the pan to the heat and add in the garlic and ginger. Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Raise the heat to high and pour in the sauce mixture and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. When the sauce is very bubbly and thickened like warm honey, toss the pork back in and toss constantly to coat everything and reduce the sauce to a thick, sticky glaze on the pork. This can be served immediately over rice, noodles, or as finger food, or can be allowed to cool and be eaten cold.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This post was originally published July 22, 2015. Updated April 2017 with video and improved Cook’s Notes. Republished January 1, 2021.
Reader's Thoughts...
emily rowe says
How can 1 1/2 lbs. of pork feed 6 people? Are you trying to starve your guests?
Rebecca says
Hi Emily- Feel free to make more or feed fewer people. This is a recipe meant to be served over rice with a lot of vegetables on the side, so this will do a good job of feeding people in that circumstance. If you’re going to tuck into a bowl of it by itself, you may want to make more if serving 6 people. 🙂
Ann says
Terrific recipe! So delicious and so easy., I usually sauté chicken or pork in quantity, then freeze them in dinner-sized portions, and add a fresh sauce to serve.,i have made this twice now – perfect each time, and super fast! The sauce reduced very quickly in my electric fry pan. (Are those who are having problems reducing the sauce using a good quality honey?) I’ll be making this regularly! Thank you!
Rebecca says
Thank you for taking the time to rate the recipe and let me know you love it, Ann! I truly appreciate it!
Megan says
My husband went ga-ga over this. He said it was fantastic about four times. I chose the Siracha route, but reduced the amount slightly since he can’t handle much heat. Thanks!! Will use again.
Rebecca says
Thank YOU, Megan, for taking the time to rate the recipe and let me know you and your hubby love it! I’m so glad!
Chris Moody says
Blimey I only found the recipe 30 mins ago and now I’m eating this beautiful spiced glazed gorgeousness
Rebecca says
Thanks so much for taking the time to rate the recipe and let me know you love it, Chris! Much appreciated and I’m glad you love it!
Mana says
So I 100% see myself as a beginner cook. I have a few super easy staples I can make myself but generally don’t really do anything special outside of a basic stir-fry of sorts. My friend shared this recipe with me and I was honestly a bit overwhelmed, but the more I read it, the more I decided to try anyway.
I’m in awe. While it took me longer than the time you mentioned (which is on my inexperience though) and I left out the ginger for personal preference, I ended up with an amazing meal that left me in shock that I actually managed to get this right on my first try!
Thank you!!
Rebecca says
Hi Mana- Thank you so much for taking the time to rate the recipe and let me know you loved it! I’m so glad you gave it a shot and had success with it. 🙂 Have a look around here on the site for more easy recipes! (See Cheater Sesame Beef and Cheater Sesame Chicken, 15 Minute Korean Style Beef, and more! xoxo
Jan says
Love this. Added about 2 Tbspn soy sauce. Hubby loved it!
Rebecca says
Hi Jan! Thanks so much for taking the time to rate this recipe and let me know you and your hubby loved it!
Bethany Climie says
The lowest amount of garlic chili sauce (2 tablespoons) was too hot. 1 tablespoon would have been good. Otherwise it was good.
Rebecca says
Hi Bethany- My family definitely love spice but the beauty of cooking it that we can all make it exactly as we love it!
Raquel says
OMG!!! 3 words! Simple, easy, delicious!!!!
I will make it again with chicken next time.
Rebecca says
I’m so glad you loved it, Raquel! Thanks for taking the time to rate the recipe and let me know you love it!
Laura Adams says
Finally! The last three recipes I’ve tried for making a sticky Asian glaze just didn’t hit the spot. This sauce is excellent! I’m so excited to have finally found such a good one, and it only took 3 ingredients! I only used 2 tablespoons of chili garlic sauce, and it was plenty hot for us. Also, an Asian friend told me to keep my gingerroot in the freezer, and grate it, frozen, on a microplane without peeling it. Works great! THANK YOU!
Rebecca says
Thank YOU for rating the recipe and letting me know you love it!
Emily Hines says
Love this! If you had a little bit of brown sugar it makes it even better!
Rebecca says
Thanks so much for taking the time to rate the recipe and let me know you love it, Emily!
Duncan Ochiz says
I love it.
Rebecca says
Hi Duncan! Thanks so much for taking the time to rate the recipe and let me know you love it!
Christine Michael says
This tasted wonderful & thickening the glaze was easy. However the recipe was in an article about using leftover pork loin, which didn’t work. Need to use fresh pork loin. Also, video needs to show how to cut the pork.
Rebecca says
Hi Christine- What do you mean it was in an article about using leftover pork loin? I’m a little confused. 🙂 And I’m afraid it’s far too late to go back and re-edit the video with me cutting the pork, but the recipe specifies that you should cut the pork loin into 1/4-inch thick slabs, then cut crosswise into 1/4″ thick strips that are about 3 inches long. Most pork loins are about 3-ish inches across, so you’re in luck that it’s just as easy as cutting the slabs 1/4-inch thick and then cutting them crosswise into 1/4-inch strips.
As for using leftover pork, I’ve seen quite a few commenters mention doing that, but never done it myself. 🙂
Laura Adams says
Rebecca, I came upon your recipe from the same site, looking for recipes using leftover pork tenderloin. I did cut my tenderloin up & reheated it briefly in the oil, then continued with the recipe as written. It was wonderful, so yes, it does work with leftover pork!
Here’ls the link for the article that referred your recipe: https://www.brit.co/leftover-roast-pork-recipes/
Rebecca says
Thanks so much, Laura! I appreciate you taking the time to let me know that!
Nanette E says
I was trying to find something I could make using leftover pork half loin. This was DELICIOUS!! Definitely hot if you use the larger amount of sriracha. Great recipe. Thank you!!
Rebecca says
I’m so glad you love it, Nanette! Thank you for taking the time to rate the recipe and let me know!
Pil says
This was absolutely fantastic. Thank you.
Rebecca says
Thank you for taking the time to rate the recipe and let me know you love it, Pil!
Richard says
Awesome recipe
Rebecca says
Thank you, Richard!
Karinne says
I did not use salt, instead I added 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce and also added the juice of a small size lemon to the sauce. Yummy!!!! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Rebecca says
Thank you for taking the time to rate the recipe and let me know you love it, Karinne!
Anne Heath says
I added a whole red chilli, it was extremely warming, but not too over powering, as we served it on egg noodles with beansprouts. Definitely making again, as so simple and quick.
Rebecca says
Thank you for taking the time to rate the recipe and let me know you love it, Anne!
Charlene Connell says
The first time we made this, my son overcooked it.
The second time, he overcooked it less.
And even overcooked, we could taste how good it was meant to be.
Served over garlic & ginger rice and steamed broccoli, just like in the picture.
Rebecca says
Hi Charlene- I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it even if it was overcooked. 🙂
JoHoney says
Oil. Onions. Garlic. Tomatoes. Balsamic. Salt. Pepper. Done. I dislike honey, Honey.
Rebecca says
I’m not sure why you’re commenting on this recipe then, bless your heart. 🙂
Candice says
I made this tonight. I should have doubled it for leftovers. It was absolutely delicious. The kids loved it too. I’ll definitely be making this again. Thanks so much!
Rebecca says
I’m so glad you love it!!! Thanks for taking the time to rate the recipe and let me know you love it!