Made with simple ingredients, this Spicy Pork Stir Fry, also known as jeyuk bokkeum, is a tasty Korean recipe that you can whip up quickly on a weeknight. Thin slices of pork shoulder marinated in a spicy gochujang sauce then stir-fried, this recipe is full of flavour and beyond satisfying.
Think of this as the cousin of beef bulgogi. The ingredients are pretty much the same but we add gochujang and gochugaru to the marinade and swap beef for pork. It comes together just as quickly and easily! Full of your favourite Korean flavours, this pork bulgogi is a household staple.
Why You’ll Love This Pork Stir Fry Recipe
- This jeyuk bokkeum comes together relatively quickly. After marinating, the pork only needs a few minutes on the skillet as it’s sliced so thinly. The part that takes the longest is marinating. However, since the pork is thin, you could get away with a quick 10 to 15 minute marinade.
- All of these ingredients are kitchen staples for me. I always try to buy sliced pork whenever I visit an Asian grocer as it’s a versatile cut of meat and the marinade ingredients are pantry staples. Even the green onions! I either have frozen green onions or some regrowing in a mason jar of water.
- This stir fry pork is the perfect combination of spicy and a hint of sweetness. Feel free to adjust the gochujang to decrease the heat.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Jeyuk Bokkeum
- thinly sliced pork shoulder or butt — I buy them pre-sliced to save time.
- gochujang (고추장) — aka hot pepper paste. Can’t skip the gochujang for the gochujang sauce. Please do not substitute this ingredient. Keep in mind that gochujang come in different levels of spiciness. You can get the super spicy one or mild one depending on your preference.
- gochugaru (고추가루) — aka Korean chili/hot pepper powder.
- soy sauce — use low sodium soy sauce to keep the stir fried pork from being too salty.
- mirin — mirin is a Japanese sweet rice wine, if you are unable to find it, you can try rice vinegar with extra honey.
- brown sugar — I use light brown sugar but you can use regular or dark brown sugar as well.
- garlic
- sesame oil — I use pure sesame oil to add a nice nutty flavour.
- black pepper
- plum extract — Korean plum extract (maesil) is used as a sweetener. It tastes more complex (and tastier) than plain sugar. If you cannot find this, just add more brown sugar.
- onion — just a small yellow onion is all you need.
- scallions
- oil — use a neutral oil to help stir fry the pork.
How to Make Jeyuk Bokkeum (Spicy Pork Stir Fry)
- Add all the marinade ingredients into a bowl with the pork along with the onions and green onions.
- Mix everything together until fully combined. Set aside in the fridge for 10 to 30 minutes or overnight to marinate.
- In a large cast-iron skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and add up to half of the marinated mixture in a single layer.
- Allow the pork to cook for a few seconds untouched before using a pair of chopsticks to stir-fry the meat. Let sit for another few seconds to allow the other side to sear.
- Stir fry until the pork is no longer pink and transfer to a plate. Continue with the rest of the pork. Keep the onions in the pan if you want them more caramelized.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- I usually wear gloves and use my hands to mix the pork and marinade. I find it easier to make sure everything is coated as I essentially massage the marinade into the sliced pork.
- While I love eating jeyuk bokkeum with just some rice (simple is best!), this stir fried pork is perfect in a lettuce wrap as well!
- If you cannot find the sliced pork, you can do it yourself. To make slicing pork shoulder easier, freeze the meat for 10 to 20 minutes so it’s firm.
- The smaller the bowl you use to marinate your chicken in, the less marinade you’ll need!
- This is the cast iron skillet I use.
- I like to garnish with toasted sesame seeds and more green onions but that’s optional.
Make Ahead Tips
Spicy Pork Stir Fry (Jeyuk Bokkeum)
Made with simple ingredients, this Spicy Pork Stir Fry, also known as jeyuk bokkeum, is a tasty Korean recipe that you can whip up quickly on a weeknight. Thin slices of pork shoulder marinated in a spicy gochujang sauce then stir-fried, this recipe is full of flavour and beyond satisfying.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs thinly sliced pork shoulder or butt
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 3-4 bunches scallions, cut into 3
- 1 tbsp oil, divided
Instructions
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Add all the marinade ingredients into a bowl with the pork along with the onions and green onions.
-
Mix everything together until fully combined. Set aside in the fridge for 10 to 30 minutes or overnight to marinate.
-
In a large cast-iron skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and add up to half of the marinated mixture in a single layer.
-
Allow the pork to cook for a few seconds untouched before using a pair of chopsticks to stir-fry the meat. Let sit for another few seconds to allow the other side to sear.
-
Stir fry until the pork is no longer pink and transfer to a plate. Continue with the rest of the pork. Keep the onions in the pan if you want them more caramelized.
Nutrition Per Serving
Calories: 351kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 893mg | Potassium: 637mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 532IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 2mg
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