Asian Ginger Pork Bowl

Our ground pork bowl is a delicious blend of sweet and savory flavors. Packed full of garlic, ginger, and a tasty chili garlic sauce. A perfect hearty lunch when you're craving those Asian flavors. Serve on a bed of noodles or jasmine rice, whichever you choose it will be a Whole Lotta Yum!

 

Asian Pork Noodle Bowls are so good!

A protein-rich bowl with flavorful ingredients. This bowl recipe can give you the energy you need to get through your day. Whether you're at work, at home, or on the go, this versatile dish provides a quick and healthy meal to replenish your energy. Packed with wholesome ingredients, it offers a yummy way to refuel.

The kids love getting involved in preparing their own bowls. Set up an assembly line with everyone's favorite ingredients. It's always a fun and interactive experience as we try out different flavor combinations and enjoy our amazing creations together. This is a great recipe for those who love Vietnamese food and its big flavors.

This recipe is unique as it can cater to many different tastes anyone can mix and match to create their own spin-offs of this pork bowl. Our chicken burrito bowl, BBQ chicken sweet potato bowl, or this Korean ground beef bowl are all great meal prep bowl options!

Why You'll Love This!

• Great for meal prep- When you're short on time during the week, this budget-friendly lunch is both filling and tasty.
• Super yummy- Simple to adapt by adding different vegetables, herbs, rice, or noodles.
• Quick and easy! Just a few ingredients and a few minutes bring this pork bowl together.

Ingredients you'll need

Refreshing light ingredients make up this pork bowl that's full of flavor.

• Ground pork - Using thinly sliced pork tenderloin, ground turkey, ground chicken, or even tofu will also be delicious.
• Vegetable oil - You can use any cooking oil like olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, etc.
• Garlic - Minced garlic, whether fresh or jarred works great. If you cannot get fresh garlic, use garlic powder to get that garlic flavor.
• Soy sauce - In place of regular soy sauce, try a low-sodium soy sauce, coconut aminos, or tamari sauce.
• Brown sugar - I prefer to sweeten with brown sugar for the caramelizing effect, but this can be substituted with honey or pure maple syrup. Or use monk fruit to make this low carb/sugar free.
• Rice vinegar - This adds a subtle zing to this dish, although it is not completely necessary. If this is not a regular ingredient or if it is otherwise not available, it won't hurt to leave it out.
• Chili garlic sauce - I used Lee Kum Kee brand for this recipe, although I have used Huy Fong brand too and both are great! You can also use a homemade version.
• Ginger - Where possible I always try to use fresh ginger. I use a fine cheese grate to "mince" my ginger. You can also use a ginger paste, this is usually found in the produce section.
• Cornstarch - Cornstarch and cold water will help to thicken the sauce and let it cling to your noodles.
• Uncooked rice noodles - I used thin rice noodles for this recipe, I find that the thin noodles carry more sauce with each bite more than Thai stir fry rice noodles, but either one works. Swap out rice noodles for rice or stir-fried vegetables.
• Shredded Carrots - Thin small pieces of carrots work best for this recipe to make it easier to eat. It can be shredded or sliced with a vegetable peeler, or thinly chopped.
• Mini cucumbers - 2-3 mini Persian cucumbers or one large cucumber, thinly chopped.
• Fresh cilantro, to garnish - Optional, especially if you love cilantro.
• Fresh mint, to garnish - Optional, though recommended to add a refreshing flavor, and the coolness contrasts well with the heat from the chilis.,
• Lime wedges, to garnish - Optional, though also recommended to add a sour twist.

** Please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the exact quantities **

Variations

• Lettuce Wraps: Make lettuce wraps by serving ginger chili pork with iceberg or butter lettuce leaves.
• Rice Bowls: Serve with jasmine rice, fried rice, or lo mein noodles.
• Meat Alternative: Use ground turkey, ground chicken, or tofu as another protein option.
• Additional Toppings: Give any of these other toppings a try: Lettuce, red cabbage, bell peppers, scallions, jalapenos, bok choy, sesame seeds, radish, spinach, chili peppers, and bean sprouts.

Equipment

• Large drying pan
• Vegetable peeler - to make carrot curls

🔪 How to Make Ginger Pork Bowls

Prepare your noodles and ground pork then simply top with fresh herbs and vegetables. Ready to be served in 20 minutes!

Prep Ingredients

Prepare rice noodles according to the package directions, Set aside.

In a large frying pan over medium high heat, saute garlic with vegetable oil until fragrant. (about 30 seconds).

Add ground pork and break into chunks, cook fully until no longer pink (about 5 minutes).

Reduce heat to low. Stir in the soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, chili sauce, and ginger.

To make the slurry, in a small bowl mix the cornstarch and water until blended.

Add the slurry to the pork and allow to simmer for about 1-2 minutes or until the sauce thickens.

Assemble

Top cooked rice noodles with pork, shredded carrots, cucumbers, cilantro, fresh mint, and lime wedges. Serve immediately.

🥗 Dietary Swaps

Our meal prep pork recipe is dairy free.

• Keto: Instead of rice noodles, try zucchini noodles. To thicken the sauce you'll want to use arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch. Instead of brown sugar, use a monk fruit substitute.
• Gluten free: Be sure to check the label of your chili garlic sauce to check whether it's gluten free or not. Opt for a gluten free version of soy sauce.
• Whole30: Swap out rice noodles for cauliflower rice or spiralized vegetables. Instead of cornstarch, use arrowroot powder as a thickener. Leave out the rice vinegar, this won't affect the recipe too much. Swap brown sugar for honey or maple syrup. Low sodium coconut aminos are a great soy sauce replacement.

💡 Recipe Tips

• To create carrot curls, use a vegetable peeler to slice the carrots. They will naturally have a slight curl. To encourage it, loosely wrap a curl around your finger and set it aside. Repeat for the rest of the carrot slices. You can also choose to do this with the cucumbers.

🥡 Storing and Reheating

• Storing: Store leftover pork bowls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can store the pork and the noodles together or separately. Store the toppings (carrots, cucumbers, cilantro, mint, and limes) separately.
• Freezing: Store the pork in a freezer safe airtight container for 3 months. You can also freeze the pork and noodles together in an airtight container with individual portions.
• Reheating: To reheat, move to the fridge and allow it to thaw and reheat on the stovetop. You can also reheat in the microwave on high for 2-3 minutes.

❓ FAQ's

😋 More Meal Prep Bowl Recipes

Switch up your meal prep routine with any of these delicious bowls.

• Korean Ground Beef Bowl
• Vegan Mediterranean Bowl Recipe
• Sweet Potato Chickpea Buddha Bowl (Vegan)
• 15 Min Smoked Salmon Sushi Bowl

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