Who doesn’t love Chinese food? If you’re a fan, how often do you order takeout each month?
I’m guilty of ordering more than I should, especially when I was pregnant and just too tired to cook. I enjoy Chinese cuisine as much as Korean and Japanese food.
We eat Asian-inspired meals at least twice a week, and I’m lucky my family appreciates those flavors as much as I do.
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This broccoli and pork tenderloin stir-fry is incredibly simple and quick. The only time-consuming part is prepping the ingredients—which is often faster than waiting for a restaurant order.
Hot and sour soup is one of my go-to restaurant dishes. No matter how many times I make it at home, it rarely matches the restaurant version. Still, homemade versions are comforting and customizable.
I also love beef-and-pepper or broccoli-and-beef with fried rice. Craving can be powerful, and one day I wanted that dish badly but didn’t have beef on hand and wasn’t going to change out of my PJs. So I used pork tenderloin instead—works perfectly.
The key, in my opinion, is the meat marinade. Get the marinade right and you can swap proteins, adjust spice, and control the sauce thickness and saltiness to suit your taste.
Homemade meals have their charm—these photos don’t fully capture how tasty this stir-fry is. I tried to film a video once and it was a bit of a flop—reading notes on camera proved harder than expected. My kids found it hilarious, and for now I’ll stick to writing recipes.
Broccoli and Pork Tenderloin Stir-Fry
10 minutes
20 minutes
15 minutes
45 minutes
Simple, delicious and quick weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp oil (canola, vegetable, or similar)
- 1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into bite-size pieces or strips (other meats work too)
- ½ large carrot, julienned into matchstick pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger, minced
- ¼ onion, chopped or sliced
- 2 cups fresh broccoli, cut into even pieces and blanched
- 1 red pepper, sliced into strips (optional)
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- ½ Tbsp light soy sauce, to taste if needed
- Garnish: toasted sesame seeds
- Meat Marinade:
- ½ cup soy sauce (use tamari for a gluten-free option)
- 1 Tbsp Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry; gin can be an alternative—see notes)
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp chili sesame oil (or plain sesame oil for non-spicy)
- ½ Tbsp cornstarch or flour
Instructions
- Cut the meat into bite-size pieces and combine the marinade ingredients. Toss the meat in the marinade so each piece is coated and let it rest for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat a wok or large pan with oil.
- Wash and blanch the broccoli: bring a pot of water to a boil, add the broccoli for 50–60 seconds, then remove and run under cold water to stop the cooking (shocking). This preserves color and keeps the florets slightly tender-crisp.
- In the hot wok or pan, add oil and the marinated meat. Brown the pieces on both sides for a minute or two over medium heat.
- Add minced garlic and ginger and stir-fry with the meat, taking care not to burn the aromatics—keep stirring.
- Add sliced onion, red pepper (if using), and julienned carrot. Stir everything together for about a minute. Vegetables are flexible—add what you like or simply use broccoli.
- Stir in the blanched broccoli and drizzle the oyster sauce (and soy sauce if desired). Stir for about a minute to reheat the broccoli and combine flavors.
- Serve immediately over steamed rice or toss with egg noodles.
Notes
• I like using red bell pepper for a pop of color and a touch of sweetness. When peppers are on sale I wash, cut, and freeze them for quick use later.
• If you have a shellfish allergy and can’t use oyster sauce, try vegetarian oyster sauce made from mushrooms.
Rice Wine Substitute:
• Dry sherry is the most common substitute for Chinese rice wine and is widely available. It closely resembles the flavor of Shaoxing rice wine. For a non-alcoholic substitute in marinades, use apple juice or white grape juice; their acidity helps tenderize the meat.
• Do not use rice vinegar as a direct substitute in a marinade—vinegar has a different flavor profile than rice wine.
Low Carb Option: Serve with cauliflower rice or shirataki noodles.
Did you make this recipe?
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