This crispy orange pork stir fry recipe is a fabulous twist on a classic dish featuring crispy battered pork smothered in a tangy orange-flavoured sauce. I've added sweet mandarin orange segments for an extra burst of flavour and combined onions and capsicum for a crunchy contrast. Quick to prepare, this dish is a unique and delicious way to enjoy pork.
If you enjoy the classic taste of sweet and sour chicken, I'm sure you're going to love this crispy orange pork stir fry. It's made in the Hong Kong style, where the cubes of meat are coated in egg and flour and fried until crispy, before being smothered in a tasty sauce.
The sauce is full of flavour, the most predominant of which being the juicy mandarin oranges. The sweetness is balanced with the tartness of Shaoxing rice wine and given an umami kick with a little dark soy sauce.
I used pork tenderloin or fillet for the meat component which cooks in minutes and is extremely tender. You could use boneless pork chops or leg steak instead. I'd avoid using pork shoulder for this dish as this is a tougher cut and takes a longer cooking time.
For vegetables, I've added sweet white onions and tasty capsicum or red pepper, but you could use any vegetables of your choice. Sugar snap peas, sliced mushrooms, pak choi, or julienned carrots would all go well in this dish.
This crispy orange pork stir fry cooks in minutes, and because of this, I like to prepare all the ingredients before I start to cook. Once you start cooking there's not much time to search around for a missing ingredient!
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Ingredients
This recipe will feed 4 people. I've grouped the ingredients into the different components of the recipe.
Pork
- Pork fillet (tenderloin) - I used pork fillet for this recipe but you could use boneless pork chops instead, or even pieces of pork leg. I wouldn't use shoulder as this is a tougher cut of meat and will require more cooking time. The pork should be trimmed of all visible fat and cut into approximately 1-inch cubes.
- Cornflour (cornstarch) and egg - these are used to marinate the pork before it is coated with flour.
- Flour, paprika, salt and pepper - these are combined and used to coat the pork before it is fried. The paprika is optional. If you enjoy the flavour of paprika and pork, you may like to try this recipe for creamy paprika pork goulash.
- Oil - I used groundnut (peanut) oil for frying the pork. Substitute with any neutral-flavoured vegetable oil such as sunflower or canola.
Vegetables
- Orange segments - this is a can of mandarin orange segments. Drain the juice and reserve it for the sauce.
- Onions - the onion should be peeled, quartered and separated into petals. If the outer petals are very large you can cut them in half. If you prefer to slice the onion instead, that will be fine.
- Red pepper (capsicum) - remove the seeds and membrane and cut the red pepper into approximately 1-inch pieces or slice it according to your preference.
Orange sauce
- Juice from the can of oranges - this should give you approximately three-quarters of a cup. Once the other ingredients have been combined you can top it up to make one cup of liquid.
- Sesame oil - sesame oil has a very strong nutty taste and is used for flavouring rather than frying. Take care not to add too much or you will overpower the flavour of the dish.
- Shaoxing wine - this is Chinese cooking wine. You can substitute it with dry sherry. If you don't want to use alcohol, use rice wine vinegar instead.
- Dark soy sauce - don't use light soy sauce, it will make the dish too salty.
- Ginger paste - I like to add a little ginger paste for extra flavour. Leave it out if you don't have it, or substitute with a small piece of very finely minced fresh ginger.
- Cornflour (cornstarch) - used for thickening.
- Sugar - this is optional and not pictured. Whether you add sugar to the sauce or not depends on how sweet your can of mandarin oranges is. I found mine was not sweet enough so I added a scant teaspoon of sugar to the sauce. Combine all the sauce ingredients (except the cornflour) and taste before adding any sugar. You may prefer to use honey instead.
**You can find the exact ingredients measurement for making crispy orange pork stir fry on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**
Instructions
Step 1: Cut the pork into 1-inch cubes and combine it with the egg and cornflour. Set it aside to marinate while you prepare the rest of the vegetables.
Step 2: Peel the onion and cut it into quarters. Separate the quarters into individual petals. Remove the seeds and membranes from the capsicum and cut it into 1-inch pieces.
Step 3: Combine all the sauce ingredients in a jug and then top up the jug with water to make one cup of sauce. Set aside until needed.
Step 4: Combine the flour, salt, pepper and paprika in a small bowl and use it to coat the pork.
Step 5: Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan until hot, and fry the pork for 3 to 4 minutes per side until brown and crispy on the outside, and cooked through. Transfer the pork to a plate lined with paper towel.
Step 6: Tip all but one tablespoon of oil out of the pan and fry the onions and red pepper in the same pan on moderate heat until they have softened. This should take 4 to 5 minutes.
Step 7: Pour the prepared sauce into the pan with the onions and add the oranges. Stir over moderate heat until the sauce has thickened.
Step 8: Add the pork back to the pan and stir to coat it with the sauce. Leave on low heat until the pork has heated through.
Step 9: Transfer the pork to a serving dish and optionally garnish with freshly chopped coriander. Serve with rice and freshly steamed broccoli.
Tips for a successful outcome
Here are my top tips to ensure that your crispy orange pork stir fry always turns out perfectly:
- Leave the pork to marinate in the egg and cornflour mixture for at least 15 minutes. The alkalinity of the cornflour will cause the protein in the meat to start to break down; consequently your pork will become even more tender.
- When coating the pork with the seasoned flour place a few pieces of pork in the dish of flour and then use a fork to turn it over until the pork is well coated.
- Allow the egg mixture to drip off the pork before adding it to the flour. Don't tip all the pork and egg mixture into the flour in one go, or you will end up with a sticky mess.
- Don't use too much oil when frying the pork - you will need just enough to cover the base of the wok.
- When I'm softening the onion and red pepper I like to keep the heat quite low and cover the pan with a lid to allow the onions and pepper to steam. You don't want them to brown, just soften.
- Stir the prepared sauce before adding it to the pan so that any cornflour that may have settled on the bottom of the jug can be combined.
- If the sauce doesn't thicken sufficiently (which is unlikely) you can thicken it with a teaspoon of cornflour dissolved in a tablespoon of water.
- Serve the finished dish immediately. The coating on the pork will absorb the sauce and lose its crispness the longer it stands.
Serving suggestion
I like to serve this dish with rice and a freshly steamed green vegetable such as broccoli.
Here are some rice dishes you might like to try:
Variations
Here are a few ways in which you could vary this recipe:
- For a spicy version, fry a chopped red or green chilli with the onions and red pepper.
- Fry one or two cloves of chopped garlic with the onions and red pepper.
- Add extra orange flavour by topping up the sauce with freshly squeezed orange juice rather than water. You could also grate the zest from the orange and add that to the sauce too.
Equipment
A wok is ideal for cooking this dish as the base tapers towards the bottom, meaning you need less oil. If you don't have a wok, a large frying pan will work just as well. Whether you use, make sure your pan has a lid so that you can steam the onions and capsicums.
You will also need one or two small bowls to marinate the pork and coat it in flour.
Storage
This dish is best eaten fresh, while the pork coating is still crispy. However, that said, you can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat them in a saucepan on the stove. Reheated pork will be just as tasty, although not as crispy as freshly cooked.
For this reason, I wouldn't recommend freezing and defrosting this dish.
FAQ
Yes, you can use skinless boneless chicken thighs or chicken breast to make this dish.
Yes, you can combine the sauce ingredients and store them in a screw-top jar in the refrigerator for up to three days.
This could happen if the oil isn't hot enough. Ensure the temperature of the oil is about 175C or 350F before frying. If you don't have a thermometer you can get the oil by frying a small piece of bread. It should turn golden brown in 20 to 25 seconds.
Also avoid adding too much meat at once as this will lower the temperature of the oil. Rather fry the meat in batches
Finally, if you leave the pork to stand in the sauce for any length of time the sauce will soak into the coating causing it to soften.
Save for later
If you would like to try this Hong Kong-style crispy orange pork stir fry why not save the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click the image below.
Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.
Related recipes
Visit my pork recipes page for more recipes using pork. Here are a few you might enjoy:
📋The recipe
Crispy orange pork stir fry Hong Kong style
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Wok (with lid) OR
- Large frying pan with lid
- 2 Small bowls
- Spatula
- Serving dish
Ingredients
Pork
- 1 pound / 450 grams pork fillet
- 2 tablespoons cornflour
- 1 small egg lightly beated
- ¼ cup / 35 grams flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 4 tablespoons groundnut or other neutral-flavoured vegetable oil for frying
Sauce
- 10½ ounces / 298 grams can mandarin orange segments separated into fruit and juice
- 1 large onion peeled, quartered and separated into petals
- 1 medium red pepper or capsicum deseeded and sliced
- ½ teaspoon ginger paste
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or sherry
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
Garnish
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped coriander optional
Instructions
- Cut the pork into 1-inch cubes and combine it with the egg and cornflour. Set it aside to marinate while you prepare the rest of the vegetables.1 pound / 450 grams pork fillet, 2 tablespoons cornflour, 1 small egg
- Peel the onion and cut it into quarters. Separate the quarters into individual petals. Remove the seeds and membranes from the capsicum and cut it into 1-inch pieces.1 large onion, 1 medium red pepper or capsicum
- Combine all the sauce ingredients in a jug and then top up the jug with water to make one cup of sauce. Stir well to combine, then set aside until needed. Note - use only the juice from the oranges for this step.10½ ounces / 298 grams can mandarin orange segments, ½ teaspoon ginger paste, ½ teaspoon sesame oil, 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce, 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or sherry, 1 tablespoon cornflour
- Combine the flour, salt, pepper and paprika in a small bowl and use it to coat the pork.¼ cup / 35 grams flour, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika
- Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan until hot, and fry the pork for 3 to 4 minutes per side until brown and crispy on the outside, and cooked through. Transfer the pork to a plate lined with paper towel.4 tablespoons groundnut or other neutral-flavoured vegetable oil
- Tip all but one tablespoon of oil out of the pan and fry the onions and red pepper in the same pan on moderate heat until they have softened. This should take 4 to 5 minutes.
- Pour the prepared sauce into the pan with the onions and add the orange segments. Stir over moderate heat until the sauce has thickened.
- Add the pork back to the pan and stir to coat it with the sauce. Leave on low heat until the pork has heated through.
- Transfer the pork to a serving dish and optionally garnish with freshly chopped coriander. Serve with rice and freshly steamed broccoli.1 tablespoon freshly chopped coriander
Notes
- Leave the pork to marinate in the egg and cornflour mixture for at least 15 minutes. The alkalinity of the cornflour will cause the protein in the meat to start to break down; consequently your pork will become even more tender.
- When coating the pork with the seasoned flour place a few pieces of pork in the dish of flour and then use a fork to turn it over until the pork is well coated.
- Allow the egg mixture to drip off the pork before adding it to the flour. Don't tip all the pork and egg mixture into the flour in one go, or you will end up with a sticky mess.
- Don't use too much oil when frying the pork - you will need just enough to cover the base of the wok.
- When I'm softening the onion and red pepper I like to keep the heat quite low and cover the pan with a lid to allow the onions and pepper to steam. You don't want them to brown, just soften.
- Stir the prepared sauce before adding it to the pan so that any cornflour that may have settled on the bottom of the jug can be combined.
- If the sauce doesn't thicken sufficiently (which is unlikely) you can thicken it with a teaspoon of cornflour dissolved in a tablespoon of water.
- Serve the finished dish immediately. The coating on the pork will absorb the sauce and lose its crispness the longer it stands.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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