Five Spice Ground Pork and Cabbage Stir Fry

Five spice has to be one of my favourite spice blends. And when combined with pork in this stir fry, you have a flavourful and easy weeknight dinner. Stir fry’s during the week are great when you don’t know what to make, short on time or have a bunch of random things in the fridge that need to be used up. And cabbage seems to be one of those veggies that are usually on hand. Mostly because they’re so big and and a little goes a long way, so there’s usually leftover cabbage hanging around. This ground pork and cabbage stir fry uses pretty basic pantry and fridge staples that you likely have in your fridge already. So, let’s get cooking!

Ingredients

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this ground pork and cabbage stir fry at home. Don’t be intimidated by the slightly longer list, most of these are pantry and fridge basics (hopefully!).

• ground pork
• green cabbage
• yellow onion
• garlic
• ginger
• serrano pepper (or other hot pepper of your choice)
• light soy sauce (or tamari)
• honey
• hoisin sauce
• oyster sauce
• shaoxing wine
• cornstarch (or arrowroot)
• five spice
• rice
• limes
• cilantro

How to Make

Cook the rice in a rice cooker, or according to package directions.

Place the pork in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper and 1 tsp of the five spice, mix gently.

In a medium bowl, combine the remaining five spice (1 1/2 tsp), hoisin, oyster, soy sauce, wine, water and cornstarch. Whisk well and set aside.

Heat a wok over medium-high heat and drizzle with a small splash of cooking oil. Once hot, add the pork, breaking it up as it cooks and browns slightly, adding the garlic, ginger and serrano during the last minute of cooking. Once cooked through (about three to five minutes), remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.

Keep the heat at medium-high and add the cabbage. Cook until just starting to wilt slightly, about two to three minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring often until the onion has softened slightly, but still has some crunch to it, about two minutes. Add a splash of oil while cooking, if needed.

Return the pork to the wok and give the sauce one more stir to incorporate the starch if needed. Pour the sauce into the wok and stir everything to incorporate. Let it cook for one to two minutes until slightly thickened.

Divide the rice onto plates or bowls and top with the stir fry. Serve with limes on the side for squeezing and top with cilantro.

Tips

• Brown the pork: browning the pork and getting it fairly crispy around the edges adds lots of flavour to this ground pork and cabbage stir fry. Working in two batches may be necessary, depending on serving size and the size of your wok. This isn’t necessary at all, but optional if you have the time!
• Don’t overcook the veggies: you want the onion and cabbage to still have some crunch to them, so once they just begin to soften somewhat, they are generally done.
• High heat cooking: when stir frying, it’s important to cook over a fairly high heat. This allows the food to cook quickly and will result in tender-crisp vegetables.
• Taste and adjust: as you cook, it’s always a good idea to taste and season your food to your preference. Before adding the full amount of any ingredient, taste and then add more as needed.

Substituions

• No serrano/less spice: Use another type of spicy pepper that you love, Thai chilies are a great substitute, although they tend to be spicier than serrano. If you prefer less spice or no spice at all, omit.
• Ground pork: although I like using ground pork here, you can substitute with ground chicken, turkey or beef.
• Green cabbage: feel free to use another type of cabbage like napa, or purple cabbage.

Ingredients & Products I Recommend:

To make this ground pork and cabbage stir fry, here are some products I love and use.

Avocado Oil:

I prefer using avocado oil for high heat cooking. I love using Chosen Foods avocado oil and their avocado oil spray.

Low Sodium Tamari (or light soy sauce):

Tamari is a great option for those needing a gluten-free soy sauce. I’m not gluten-free, but still primarily use this brand. It’s not too salty and it tastes great.

Wok:

I love my Made In carbon steel wok. In fact, we love Made In so much, we recently purchased their stainless steel skillets as well. Their products are great quality and so long as you take care of them, they’ll last forever. I love the wok because of the large design and the handle stays cool, so you can rest assured you won’t burn your hands while tossing things around in the wok. The more you use it, the better it becomes with proper seasoning and care, as it develops a nonstick surface (without the toxic nonstick coating). Be sure to follow Made In guidelines and care instructions to keep the wok in great shape.

This is not sponsored, I purchased the Made In wok (and stainless steel pans) on my own. I’ve had the wok for about 2 years now and love it, knowing it will last for a very long time. I highly recommend this brand!

Ready to make this? Let’s go!

If you make this five spice ground pork and cabbage stir fry, please let me know by tagging me on Instagram, or leave a comment and/or review below!‍

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only share products and services I have personally used and love. Disclosure here.

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