By Ali Domrongchai
From TheKitchn.com
As much as I love a double-digit-step recipe with more ingredients than I can count on my two hands (looking at you, Beef Wellington), that’s not realistic for every night (let alone weekly!). Sometimes you just need a simple recipe that calls for only a few ingredients and hardly any prep. And for those nights, I turn to my three-ingredient ground pork stir-fry (which comes together even faster than deciding on your DoorDash order!)
Seriously, this stir-fry involves no prep (not even chopping onions!), takes just over 10 minutes to come together, and tastes totally delicious. It’s made with your ground meat of choice (either pork or chicken), a 14-ounce bag of coleslaw mix, and some store-bought sweet Thai chili sauce (it’s also great with chicken). The sauce is bold, and adds some sweetness, heat, salt, and a bit of sourness (it really has everything!) while the bagged coleslaw mix adds all the veggies you need (I promised no chopping!). It’s one of those dinners that tastes like it took way longer to make than it did. Once you try it, I guarantee you’ll want it on your weekly meal roster.
Why You’ll Love It
- A weeknight hero. This stir-fry has three ingredients (we consider salt, pepper, and oil to be freebies) and just two steps, coming together in less than 15 minutes.
- It’s sweet, salty, sour, and a little spicy. The sweet Thai chili sauce adds a powerful punch of flavor to this simple stir-fry that’s anything but bland.
Key Ingredients in Ground Pork Stir-Fry
- Ground pork: Ground meat is ideal for quick stir-fries because it cooks quickly and absorbs flavor well.
- Bagged coleslaw mix: Few things are as convenient as a bag of coleslaw mix. It comes with pre-chopped cabbage and carrots and gets incredibly tender in this recipe.
- Sweet Thai chili sauce: As much as I love homemade sweet Thai chili sauce, store-bought works just as great (particularly Mae Ploy brand) and adds a flavorful punch to this recipe.
Helpful Swaps
- If you’re not a fan of ground pork, any ground meat will do. I’ve made this recipe with ground turkey and ground chicken, and have even done it with Impossible Meat (it turned out great!). Either way, be sure to cook meat until it gets some browning on it; it’ll help make it not soggy in the end once the cabbage and sauce are added in.
- When shopping for coleslaw mix, try to find one that has both green and purple cabbage and carrots so that the skillet is colorful, but feel free to experiment with just shredded cabbage or even broccoli slaw.
- Using a wok will yield a crispier, well-browned final dish, but a frying pan or saucepan also works great.
Sweet Thai Chili Ground Pork Stir-Fry
Serves 4- 1 tablespoon olive or neutral oil
- 1 pound ground pork or ground chicken
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly black ground pepper
- 1 (14-ounce) bag coleslaw mix
- 1/2 cup sweet Thai chili sauce, such as Mae Ploy
- 3 medium scallions, thinly sliced (optional)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)
- Steamed jasmine rice, for serving (optional)
2. Stir in 1 (14-ounce bag) coleslaw mix and 1/2 cup sweet Thai chili sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp tender, about 3 minutes. Garnish with 3 thinly sliced medium scallions and 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds if desired. Serve with steamed rice if desired.
Recipe notes: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to four days.
Ali Domrongchai is an associate editor for TheKitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Submit any comments or questions to [email protected].
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