Crisp-edged nuggets of ground pork mingle with chewy rice noodles in a gingery, garlicky sauce, tossed with quickly stir-fried bell peppers and green onions. These Easy Garlic Ginger Crispy Pork Noodles are a perfect weeknight meal: fast, budget-friendly, and full of flavor.
With just a pound of ground pork and pantry staples, you can have this satisfying one-pan dinner on the table in under 30 minutes.
Crispy Pork Noodles
Before you begin, prep the vegetables and aromatics: thinly slice bell peppers, trim and cut the green onions into segments (keep whites and greens separate), and slice garlic. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the rice noodles according to the package instructions so they’re al dente when you add them to the pan.
To achieve those irresistible crispy bits on the pork, use a stainless steel or cast-iron skillet over high heat. Non-stick pans generally aren’t rated for high heat and won’t produce the same crunch.
The pork gets crisped in the skillet, then everything—noodles, sauce, vegetables, and green onions—is finished in the same pan for maximum flavor. The method uses a handful of simple ingredients but delivers big taste.
Stir-Fried Pork and Noodles
This dish works with many long noodles: wheat pasta like linguine or glass noodles made from sweet potato starch will all perform well. Rice stir-fry noodles (medium rice sticks) are my preference because they have a neutral flavor, soak up the sauce, and keep a pleasant chew. They also reheat nicely.
If you don’t have rice stir-fry noodles, al dente linguine is a fine substitute. The most important point is to keep the noodles slightly firm before they join the sauce—overly soft noodles can become mushy in the finished dish. If you prefer softer noodles, you can cook them a touch longer in the sauce, but aim for al dente for best texture.
Crispy Pork
Choose an oil with a high smoke point so you can sear the pork at high heat: peanut oil gives a takeout-style flavor, but refined coconut oil, grapeseed oil, pure (not extra-virgin) olive oil, canola, or vegetable oil will also work.
Measure and prep all ingredients before you start cooking. Many of the items are likely already in your pantry, and once everything’s ready this recipe moves quickly.
Pork and Noodles
Don’t skip the baking soda added to the pork before cooking. It raises the meat’s pH slightly, helping it stay juicy while still developing crisp edges.
After seasoning, press the pork into a broad patty in the hot oiled skillet so as much meat as possible contacts the surface. Leave it undisturbed for at least 4 minutes so a deeply browned crust can form. Use a flexible metal or heat-proof spatula to lift and check the underside; when it’s deeply browned, flip and fry briefly, then break the meat into bite-sized pieces.
Return the pan to high heat and stir-fry the bell pepper, the white parts of the green onions, and sliced garlic for about a minute until the peppers are crisp-tender. Remove them to the plate with the pork.
Add the sauce ingredients—rice wine vinegar, low sodium soy sauce, sriracha or chili garlic sauce, sesame oil, and honey or brown sugar—to the hot pan and bring to a vigorous boil, scraping up any browned bits. Let the sauce boil briefly, no more than a minute, then toss in the cooked noodles, crispy pork, and stir-fried vegetables along with the green parts of the green onions. Toss everything to coat and distribute the sauce evenly.
Remove from the heat, garnish with additional sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds if you like, and serve immediately. Store leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to three days; they’re good cold or reheated.
Easy Garlic Ginger Crispy Pork Rice Noodles
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil or another neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 green onions trimmed, whites halved lengthwise, cut into 2–3 inch segments
- 1 red or yellow bell pepper seeded, stemmed, thinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon honey or brown sugar
- 14 ounces rice noodles or about 1 pound linguine, cooked al dente and rinsed
Optional for garnish
- sliced green onions
- toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
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Place a 10–12 inch stainless steel or cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat. When the oil shimmers and the pan is very hot, scatter in the ground pork.
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Sprinkle the baking soda, salt, pepper, grated ginger, and chili flakes over the pork and gently work them in. Press and spread the pork into a patty that covers the pan surface as much as possible.
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Let the pork fry undisturbed for 4 minutes so a deep, crisp browning forms. If not fully browned, fry a little longer, checking frequently.
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Flip the pork in as few pieces as possible and fry another 2 minutes. Break it up into bite-sized pieces with your spatula, then transfer to a plate.
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Return the pan to high heat and add bell pepper, the white parts of the green onions, and sliced garlic. Stir-fry about 1 minute until the peppers are crisp-tender, then transfer to the plate with the pork.
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Add rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sriracha, sesame oil, and honey to the pan and bring to a vigorous boil, scraping up browned bits. Boil no more than 1 minute.
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Add the cooked noodles, crispy pork, stir-fried vegetables, and the green parts of the green onions. Toss to coat and heat through.
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Remove from heat, garnish with extra green onions and sesame seeds if desired, and serve immediately. Store leftovers refrigerated in a sealed container up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. Calculate nutrition using the exact ingredients you use if needed.
