Sweet Teriyaki Pork Stir-Fry (Printable)

Tender pork and crisp vegetables glazed in a sweet-savory teriyaki sauce, cooked quickly.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pork

01 - 1 lb pork tenderloin, thinly sliced

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
03 - 1 cup snap peas, trimmed
04 - 1 medium carrot, julienned
05 - 3 green onions, sliced
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

→ Teriyaki Sauce

08 - 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
09 - 1/4 cup mirin or sweet rice wine
10 - 2 tbsp brown sugar or honey
11 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar
12 - 1 tbsp cornstarch
13 - 1/4 cup cold water
14 - 1 tsp sesame oil

→ For Stir-Frying

15 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil

→ Garnish (optional)

16 - 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
17 - Extra sliced green onions

# How-To Steps:

01 - Combine soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, rice vinegar, cornstarch, cold water, and sesame oil in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth and set aside.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork slices and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes until browned and cooked through. Remove pork from the pan and set aside.
03 - Add remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan. Stir-fry bell pepper, snap peas, and carrot for 2 to 3 minutes until crisp-tender.
04 - Incorporate garlic, ginger, and half of the green onions into the vegetables. Stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
05 - Return pork to the pan. Stir the prepared teriyaki sauce once more and pour it over the pork and vegetables. Toss everything together and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and glazes all components evenly.
06 - Remove from heat and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and remaining green onions if desired. Serve immediately over steamed rice or noodles.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The whole thing comes together in 30 minutes, which means you can make it on a Tuesday without losing your mind.
  • That glossy teriyaki glaze tastes like you spent hours reducing it, but you didn't—just a little cornstarch does the heavy lifting.
  • It's naturally dairy-free and works beautifully over rice, noodles, or even straight from the pan if you're alone in the kitchen at 7 p.m.
02 -
  • Overcrowding the pan is the enemy—cook pork in batches if you need to, or it steams instead of sears and loses all its color and character.
  • The cornstarch thickens as it cools, so if your sauce looks perfect in the pan, it'll be thicker on the plate; aim for slightly looser than you think you want.
  • Don't skip the cold water step when mixing cornstarch—it prevents lumps and keeps your sauce silky instead of pasty.
03 -
  • Have everything prepped and within arm's reach before you turn on the heat—stir-fries move too fast to stop and chop mid-cook.
  • If you don't have mirin, you can make a substitute with equal parts honey and rice vinegar, though the flavor shifts slightly and loses some depth.
  • Sesame oil burns easily, so always add it after the heat is off or at the very end of cooking—the aroma is your reward for patience.
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