This Orange Pork Tenderloin Stir Fry Recipe is the ultimate weeknight dinner dream! Ready in just 30 minutes with only one pan, it's got tender pork and tasty veggies coated in a sticky orange sauce. Want a kick? Add some peppers or chili flakes. And guess what? It's perfect for leftovers too!
Check out our full list of one pan dinners for more quick and easy meal ideas that even the pickiest of eaters will love.
One-skillet dinners over rice are a busy person's dream! We've got a crazy delicious Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry Recipe and a longtime favorite Pepper Steak in our regular rotation. Now, we're adding this bright and fresh Orange Pork Stir Fry because it's:
- Quick & Easy: Done in 30 minutes and only needs one skillet!
- Versatile: Use our favorite veggies or whatever you've got in the produce drawer-either way, it's delicious!
- Packed with Flavor: The sweet and savory sauce ties it all together.
With a big family, we've spent years figuring out how to get dinner on the table quickly. Recipes like this one, with fewer dishes and less hassle, are total winners!
Try How to Make Jasmine Rice on the Stove for the perfect pairing with your stir fry! Or try this amazing Slow Cooker Korean Beef (Sweet & Sticky Gochujang Sauce) for more Asian-inspired deliciousness!
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Orange Pork tenderloin stir fry ingredients
Ingredient quantities are in the recipe card below, but here are a few noteworthy tips.
- Pork tenderloin: The most tender cut of pork makes this an easy win.
- Onion: Yellow, sweet or red onion cut into large chunks.
- Bell pepper: Use your favorite color cut into large chunks.
- Zucchini: Cut in half and then sliced into half moons.
- Garlic & ginger: Our favorite shortcut is to use these found in the produce section already prepped.
- Oranges: This recipe uses both the juice and the zest for an added punch of flavor.
- Soy sauce: Use regular or low sodium.
- Brown sugar: The perfect complex sweetness.
- Sesame oil: A tiny amount of toasted sesame oil adds amazing flavor.
Helpful tools for making...
Cuisinart Electric SkilletAll-Clad Nonstick Fry Pan 12 Inch
Large Serving Bowls
Fiberglass Chopsticks
How to make orange pork stir fry
The best tip for making this recipe successfully is to start by prepping everything first - slice the meat and chop the veggies into large 1 inch chunks.
Sprinkle pork tenderloin with salt and pepper, then sprinkle over 1 tablespoon cornstarch and mix until evenly coated.
In a small glass measuring cup or bowl, stir together sauce ingredients. Set aside.
Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add 2 tablespoon of oil. Once rippling, add pork in a single layer. If there is too much for a single layer, cook it in two batches.
Turn it over once that side looks done. Cook for 1-2 more minutes. Remove pork and set aside. Repeat if doing two batches.
In the now empty pan, add another tablespoon of oil and once hot add in onion, bell pepper, and zucchini and cook for 3-5 minutes until tender crisp.
Scoot the veggies aside making a hole in the middle of the skillet. Add in fresh garlic and ginger to the skillet and stir for 30 seconds.
Add the pork pieces back in, including any sauce that accumulated on the plate.
Pour sauce over and simmer until thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Serve.
Hint: Make sure that the pans are really hot before adding in the meat or veggies. That way they get nice color on them.
Substitutions
- Try chicken breasts or even thinly sliced steak in place of pork.
- Cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus,
- To make it spicy add in jalapeños, seranno peppers, or even fresno chilis. Even additional red chili flakes add more spice.
- Instead of brown sugar try honey for a more natural sweetness.
Can I double this recipe?
Yes, this recipe is can be doubled. Either split it between two skillets or use a really large electric skillet. The most important tip is to not overcrowd the pan! That will steam the meat and veggies instead of brown them. Your patience will be rewarded!
FAQ
One way stir fry meat is tender due to a technique call "velveting". It is when you coat the meat in cornstarch before cooking in hot oil. The layer of cornstarch protects the proteins in the meat from getting tough.
When it comes to stir fry, pork tenderloin is the way to go-it's the most tender and juicy cut you can use. While ground pork is an option, it isn't the texture we prefer.
Tips and tricks
- I usually buy my unseasoned pork tenderloin at Sam's Club in a double package. Each side of the package contains 2 pork tenderloins. This recipe uses one of those tenderloins - so out of the 4 it uses one.
- Do not add in the meat or vegetables until the pan and oil are both ripping hot.
- For a less stressful experience, have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go. That way cooking goes seamlessly.
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Recipe
Orange Pork Tenderloin Stir Fry (Quick & Easy)
Equipment
- large skillet or large electric skillet
Ingredients
Orange Sauce
- 2 oranges, zest and juice ½ cup of juice
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Stir Fry
- 1 pork tenderloin about 1.25-1.5 lbs
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ medium onion large chunks
- ½ red bell pepper large chunks
- ½ zucchini thinly sliced in moons
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger We like the stuff found in a tube in the produce section of the store, but a knob peeled and grated with a microplane will work as well.
- 3 tablespoon oil divided
Instructions
- Slice the tenderloin in half horizontally. Then thinly slice tenderloin into ½ inch strips. It should look like fajita meat. Sprinkle top with salt and pepper, then sprinkle over 1 tablespoon cornstarch and mix until evenly coated.½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 pork tenderloin, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Mix together sauce ingredients. Set aside.2 oranges, zest and juice, ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 teaspoon sesame oil, 3 tablespoon brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add 2 tbsp of oil. Once rippling, add pork in a single layer. If there is too much for a single layer, cook it in two batches. Turn over once that side looks done. Cook for 1-2 more minutes. Remove pork and set aside. Repeat if doing two batches.3 tablespoon oil
- Add 1 tbsp of oil to the pan. Add in onion, bell pepper, and zucchini and cook for 3-5 minutes until tender crisp. Once they are done, add in fresh garlic and ginger to the skillet and stir for 30 seconds.½ medium onion, ½ red bell pepper, ½ zucchini, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- Add pork back in, including any sauce that accumulated on the plate. Pour sauce over and simmer until thickened, 3- 5 minutes. Serve.
Notes
- I usually buy my unseasoned pork tenderloin at Sam's Club in a double package. Each side of the package contains 2 pork tenderloins. This recipe uses one of those tenderloins - so out of the 4 it uses one.
- Do not add in the meat or vegetables until the pan and oil are both ripping hot.
- For a less stressful experience, have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go. That way cooking goes seamlessly.
- Try chicken breasts or even thinly sliced steak in place of pork.
- Cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus,
- To make it spicy add in jalapeños, seranno peppers, or even fresno chilis. Even additional red chili flakes add more spice.
- Instead of brown sugar try honey for a more natural sweetness.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
Shania says
Made this for my in-laws and they loved it. That’s a win in my book! So easy and delicious.
Danielle says
So happy to hear that they loved it! This kind of feedback makes our day!
Danielle says
Super delicious and great for leftovers too!