Mongolian Pork is one of my favorite dishes to make. It’s a quick and easy meal that you can whip up in 30 minutes. This twist on the classic Mongolian recipe uses pork for the protein. The sticky, sweet sauce is balanced with garlic, ginger and soy sauce. It’s the perfect easy weeknight meal.
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This post is sponsored by the Kansas Farm Bureau and the Kansas Soybean Commission. As always, all opinions are my own.
Recently, I was on a farm tour in Kansas and learned all about the pork industry. This Mongolian Pork recipe was inspired by that trip. My family loves pork tenderloin but we were bored with the same recipes I’ve been making.
I decided to take a recipe traditionally made with beef and swap it for pork. This Asian pork tenderloin marinade and sauce was huge hit!
MORE PORK RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE
Best Grilled Pork Tenderloin | Korean Pork Chops | Porchetta
What We Love About This Recipe
This easy family-friendly recipe takes no time at all to make and the leftovers are so versatile!
- 30 Minute Meal: This family favorite is quick and easy – perfect for busy weeknights!
- Easy Ingredients: You probably already have most of the ingredients on hand.
- Makes Great Leftovers: We used the leftovers to make Asian Tacos
Ingredient Notes
- Pork Tenderloin: Pork tenderloin usually comes in a two-pack. I used one for this recipe and froze the other one for another recipe later. I like to use a 16 ounce piece for this recipe.
- Garlic: You can mince the cloves garlic or use pre-minced garlic from a jar.
- Fresh Grated Ginger: Like the garlic, you can grate your own or use pre-grated ginger from a jar. It’s so easy!
- Soy Sauce: I like to use the low-sodium variety. This way I can cut down the amount of sodium in the recipe.
- Brown Sugar: Use dark brown sugar in this recipe. It has a deeper flavor.
Equipment Needed
How to Make Mongolian Pork
These are the basic steps for making this Chinese style Mongolian Pork. Please refer to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
STEP 1: PREPARE THE PORK
Cut the pork tenderloin into 1/2 inch pieces. The key is to make sure they are the same size so that they will cook evenly.
STEP 2: COAT THE PORK
Coat the pork pieces in cornstarch. The cornstarch gives a nice crispy coating to the pork and helps to thicken the sauce. I added the cornstarch to a bowl and tossed the pork but it would have been much easier if I added the cornstarch to a clean plastic bag (zip top bag) and used my favorite bag holder. Then all I would have to do is shake it – it’s much less messy this way.
STEP 3: BROWN THE PORK
Brown the pork in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Make sure you don’t overcrowd the pan or the pork will steam and not get crispy. If you have excess meat, work in batches. Also, if you have a wok, you could easily stir fry it that way.
STEP 4: MAKE THE SAUCE
Remove the pork and add the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, black pepper and water to the skillet and whisk it together. The sauce will be pretty thin at this point.
STEP 5: ADD THE PORK
Add the pork back to the skillet with the green onions – use about two-thirds of the green part – and allow it to simmer in the sauce. The cornstarch coating will help thicken the sauce so it clings to the pork.
Prep and Storage Tips
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE AHEAD OF TIME
This recipe only takes a few minutes to prep and about 10 minutes to cook. If you want to get a jump start on dinner, you can cut the pork up to 24 hours ahead of time and store it in the fridge.
HOW TO STORE THIS RECIPE
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
HOW TO REHEAT THIS RECIPE
I prefer to reheat this dish in a skillet. You may need to pour a few tablespoons of water to help loosen up the sauce.
More About Pork
Recently, I had the opportunity to visit a working pork farm in Kansas to learn more about the pork industry and how pigs are raised. I’ve been on numerous working farms before but I have never been on a pig farm. I learned so much about the industry.
I’ve been asked a number of questions about pork, so I’m hoping these answers help you understand more about this incredible protein. And if you want to see more of my Kansas farm tour, head over to Instagram.
Is Pork Healthy to Eat?
Pork is a high quality protein and is a good source of vitamins and nutrients. Pig farmers carefully formulate the feed given to their animals to ensure they are getting the best nutrition possible. Over the years, the pork industry has been able to lower the saturated fat content in pork by over 25%.
What Type of Meat is Pork?
It might be a bit surprising but pork is a red meat. You may have heard it branded as “the other white meat” but it is classified as red. If you’re looking for leaner cuts of pork, look for the word “loin” in the cut.
What Part of the Pig is Pork?
Pork comes five main parts of the pig – loin, side, leg, pork shoulder and picnic shoulder. These main areas are then broken down even further into the cuts you find in the meat case. You can learn more about the various cuts here.
How Clean are Pigs?
This was one of the most fascinating things I learned on the farm. Bio-security is a very big deal on pig farms. Pig farmers are have plans in place to keep their animals safe and prevent foreign animal diseases. In fact, we had to wear foot coverings while visiting the farm. You can learn more about bio-security here.
Frequently Asked Questions
I would not recommend this substitution. The powdered ginger just doesn’t have the same flavor as fresh grated. If you can’t find fresh ginger in the produce department, you can look for pre-grated ginger in a jar. It works just as well.
Absolutely! If you’re feeding a larger bunch or if you want leftovers, you can easily double the ingredients. Conversely, if you have a smaller family, you can easily cut the ingredients in half for smaller portions.
The inspiration for Mongolian Beef originated in Taiwan. Over the years, this recipe has become very Americanized and doesn’t use the processes or ingredients found in the original Asian recipe. If you’d like to try a more traditional recipe, give this one a try.
Expert Tips for Making This Recipe
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- Size Matters: Make sure you cut the pork into uniform sized pieces so they cook more evenly.
- Don’t Crowd: Don’t try to brown too much at one time. Overcrowding the pan will cause the pork to steam instead of brown.
- Spice it Up: Feel free to add crushed red pepper flakes, hot sauce or hot mustard powder to make this dish a little zippier!
- Change it Up: Don’t limit yourself to pork tenderloin. I would use this same recipe to make Mongolian Pork Chops. I like center cut pork chops but you can ask for butcher cut thinner chops for faster cooking.
- Boost the Flavor: Try substituting half of the soy sauce with 1/4 cup Hoisin sauce. I just love the flavor. You can also balance some of the sweetness by adding a tablespoon rice vinegar to the finished sauce.
What to Serve with Asian Pork Tenderloin
I like to serve this over a large bowl of rice. Any remaining marinade can soak into the rice making a super flavorful dish. You can serve any of your favorite veggies with this – bell peppers, carrots and broccoli are great. Here are some more that work too:
- Brown Rice
- Cauliflower Rice
- Garlic Roasted Carrots
Mongolian Pork
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Ingredients
- 1 lb pork tenderloin
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon canola oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 2 green onions, green parts only, sliced into 2 inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- Cut the pork tenderloin into 1/2 inch pieces.
- Add the cornstarch to a large zip top bag; Add the pork pieces to the bag and seal it, making sure to remove the excess air.
- Shake the bag to coat the pork in the cornstarch.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the pork pieces, shaking off excess cornstarch, and transfer to a plate.
- Add the canola oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering add the pork pieces in an even layer being careful not to overcrowd the pan. You can cook the pork in batches if you need to.
- Cook the pork for 4-5 minutes the flip the pork and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the internal temperature is 140°F.
- Transfer the pork to a clean plate and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the garlic and grated ginger. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the soy sauce, brown sugar and water and stir to combine.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer. Add the pork and sliced green onions to the skillet.
- Cook for 3 minutes. The sauce will thicken as it cooks.
- Serve over rice and sprinkle with sesame seeds for garnish.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided are estimates. It is recommended that you verify this information with your own trusted resource.
We love honest feedback, but to keep reviews helpful for everyone, we reserve the right to remove star ratings if it is clear the recipe has not been made, if the comment does not provide meaningful input, or if significant substitutions or alterations were made. Please note that ratings should reflect the original recipe as written to avoid confusing other readers.
This recipe is my personal adaption of an ethnic inspired recipe. It is not intended to be an authentic recipe. I’ve recreated this recipe because I enjoy the flavors and I want to encourage my readers to expand their tastes and try new flavor combinations. The recipe, ingredients and processes may have been adapted to make the recipe accessible for the average American. I have provided links to authentic versions of the recipe in the post above. I encourage you to visit these pages and learn more about the traditional version(s) of this recipe.
What a fantastic recipe! Thanks for sharing.
This was so delicious and easy to make! It’s a 10 of 10 stars from my boys! Thank you!
Made this for dinner last night and it’s certainly going on our regular family favourites list “YUM”
VERY salty. I get the recipe called for low-sodium soy sauce, but still…
Also, the recipe calls for black pepper, and yet it is absent of the instructions. The sauce also doesn’t thicken that much, despite the ton of sugar. Might have used adding extra corn starch (excluding the one already on the pork).
Still tasty, but there is way better and tastier.
Agreed. Super salty and doesn’t thicken much. I tried again and simmered for 15 minutes to give it time to reduce which made it even saltier.
As there is no salt in the recipe, I really must say that you have to use a low sodium sauce when making this dish.
Agree. Very salty and I’m a salty girl! 😁
Maybe use equal parts low sodium soy sauce and brown sugar?? It was very easy and tasty though.
Even my super picky 6 year old who almost never finishes meat loves this. She even asked for seconds!!
Trying this today as sounds yummy! Can I substitute the brown sugar for honey? Thanks
Yes, you can substitute honey for brown sugar in most recipes, but be aware that it will change the flavor and texture of the final product. Honey is sweeter and more moist than brown sugar, so you’ll need to adjust the quantity and potentially other ingredients.
in my experience if substituting with honey add a little bit Sriracha or low spice hot sauce (but Sriracha is best) just to cut the sweetness, maybe a little rice vinegar just to cut the sweetness a little bit. hope my input helps 😀
Unfortunately I didn’t have low sodium soy sauce and used regular soy sauce. Turned out a little salty. The other issue was it needed more sauce, next time will double.r
Not sure why mine came out bland. Maybe I added too much water?
It is full of flavor but of course you can always adjust to your taste.
Family fave! Serve over rice, they come back for more. thanks for the recipie!
Super good & easy. I had some pork ribs that need cooking and this made them amazing. Thank you for sharing this recipe, I’ll be making it again and again!
Do you think you could make this in a slow cooker? If so how long would you try cooking it?
Cook on low for several hours (often 4-8 hours, depending on the cut and size of the pork).
so I made this and doubled the sauce and added bell papers, hoisin sauce, chili flakes and sesame oil. served with rice and steamed veggies. So yummy 😋. Thanks.
That sounds amazing
This recipe yielded the most beautiful dish I’ve cooked in a while, although I reduced the sauce a little too far… 9.9/10
Made this last night and it was very easy and everyone loved the pork. It was super tender and a nice change from beef. I did add some thinly sliced bell pepper and onion, cooked briefly after the pork and put the aside until sauce was added. Also took one reviewer’s advice and added sesame oil and garlic chili sauce to spice it up.
That sounds great!
I made this for 15 people. Everyone loved it. even Mikey liked it( for the gen x out there) it was easy and delicious. I recommend this recipe.
Thanks for the feedback!
Great Recipe – thanks !
Two comments :
– I did not use canola oil, it is ultra processed using hexane, an industrial solvent.
– I have been a pig farmer all my life, pigs are naturally clean animals with good
habits. They originate from the forests of northern Europe, they dont much like hot weather because unlike humans and horses they can’t sweat, therefore they look for mud and water in hot weather, thats why the pig in the picture is dirty. We give our outside pigs a mud/swimming hole in the summer.
We made this tonight. We doubled the sauce and added thawed frozen stir fry veggies into the wok. Then we added 3 mm pre-softened rice noodles to the wok. It was amazing. Will do this one again!
What does that have to do with this recipe
This was a great recipe that the whole family enjoyed. We did make some changes though. We put half the sugar and added sesame oil and chili garlic to the sauce. We doubled the sauce and served with chow mein noodles with a sprinkle of sesame seeds on top, delicious. We will definitely be making this again!
This was an amazing recipe! My picky family always wants more. It tastes great even reheated. Thank you!
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Yum diddly. Whole family enjoyed. Doubled recipe for 4, incl teenagers, and pretty much all eaten. Did reduce soy sauce and garlic and added water. Added carrot, beans and broccoli with mix so coated in delightful sauce. Thanks.