Easy Pork and Eggplant Stir Fry 豚と茄子の炒め物

For a quick and tasty main dish, try my Easy Pork and Eggplant Stir Fry. This one-pan recipe cooks up fast any night of the week with simple yet satisfying ingredients and savory flavors you’ll love.

Did you know that Japanese-style Chinese cuisine called Chuka ryori is hugely popular in Japanese home cooking? We especially love tasty stir-fries because they cook up fast. My Easy Pork and Eggplant Stir Fry is a one-pan dish with simple ingredients and classic flavors that my family loves. I hope you give this quick and delicious recipe a try at home, too.

If you love stir fries, try my Yakisoba, Miso Pork and Eggplant Stir Fry, and Yaki Udon recipes next!

Why I Love This Recipe

• A classic combo – I love pairing rich and succulent pork belly with luxurious, tender eggplant that absorbs all the flavors of this dish.
• Big on flavor – I combine aromatic garlic with savory oyster sauce and sweet mirin for a simple seasoning that hits all the right notes.
• Ready in 20 minutes – With a short list of ingredients and a quick cooking method, this dish is perfect for dinner on a busy weeknight.

Ingredients for Easy Pork and Eggplant Stir Fry

• Sliced pork belly
• Japanese or Chinese eggplants
• Green onions/scallions
• Garlic cloves
• Dried red chili pepper
• Toasted sesame oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Kosher salt
• Seasonings:
  • Oyster sauce
  • Mirin
  • Soy sauce

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

Substitutions

• Sliced pork belly: This cut is available at Japanese and Asian markets. If you can’t find it, follow my tutorial for How to Slice Meat Thinly at home.
• Oyster sauce: If you‘re allergic to shellfish, use Lee Kum Kee Vegetarian Stir-Fry Sauce.
• Green onions/scallions: Substitute garlic chives (Chinese chives or nira in Japanese) if you have them.
• Mirin: If you can’t find it, try mixing 1 Tbsp sake (or water) + 1 tsp sugar for 1 Tbsp mirin. The flavor isn’t the same, but it’s close.
• Soy sauce: Use tamari soy sauce for gluten-free.

How to Make Easy Pork and Eggplant Stir Fry

Preparation

Step 1 – Cut the ingredients. Slice the pork belly, green onions, and eggplants into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces.

Step 2 – Prep the chili, garlic, and seasonings. De-seed and chop the chili peppers, then crush the garlic. Combine the oyster sauce, mirin, and soy sauce in a small bowl.

Cooking

Step 3 – Sauté. In a wok, skillet, or saucepan, cook the pork in sesame oil until no longer pink. Remove to a plate. Sauté the eggplant until slightly softened and golden.

Step 4 – Combine. Add the pork, green onions/scallions, garlic, and chili pepper to the pan. Toss and stir-fry it together.

Step 5 – Add the seasoning. Pour in the seasoning mixture and toss to coat the ingredients well.

Assemble

Step 6 – Serve. Transfer the stir-fry to a serving plate or individual plate and enjoy.

Nami’s Recipe Tips

• Cut uniform pieces – I keep all the eggplant pieces the same size so they cook evenly. I do the same for the pork and green onions, too.
• Soak the cut eggplant in water – This removes the astringent taste and keeps it from turning dark (oxidizing). I soak it while prepping the other ingredients, then drain the water well when I’m ready to cook.
• Cook it quickly – This dish cooks in 10 minutes. Stir-fry it fast so the pork browns nicely, the green onion stays crisp, and the eggplant doesn’t turn mushy.
• Sauté the ingredients separately – Cook the pork first and remove it from the pan, then stir-fry the eggplant. These ingredients cook at different rates, so I separate them and cook each to perfection.
• Add a splash of water – If you use a stainless pan like I do, you may want to loosen the ingredients with a small amount of water right before you add the seasoning mixture. This will help you coat the ingredients more easily.
• Aim for a dry finish – This dry stir-fry has very little sauce. The extra moisture from the seasonings (and the splash of water) should evaporate by the time the dish is done to intensify the flavors.

Variations and Customizations

• Use a different protein. Try thinly sliced chicken thighs, sliced pork loin, or beef. Ground chicken and ground pork are other delicious options.
• Try zucchini. Instead of eggplant, make it with zucchini squash.
• Add grated ginger. It adds a classic aroma and flavor to this Chinese-style dish.
• Top with shiso. Garnish with julienned shiso (perilla) leaves. Shiso is one of my favorite Japanese herbs, and it goes so well with eggplant.
• Season with miso. Use it in place of the oyster sauce as the primary seasoning. For a miso seasoning mixture, I like to add sake, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and a little water.

What to Serve with Pork and Eggplant Stir Fry

• With vegetable sides – Serve it with refreshing Japanese Spinach Salad with Sesame Dressing.
• With soup – Pair it with Easy Japanese Egg Drop Soup.
• With rice – Make steamed rice or Easy Japanese Fried Rice to accompany the stir-fry.
• With pickles – Complete the meal with Spicy Japanese Pickled Cucumbers.

Storage Tips

To store: You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days and in the freezer for a month.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to thicken the sauce with cornstarch?

Actually, this dish is a dry stir-fry, so it has very little sauce. We add very little oil or moisture to the pan and evaporate the seasoning liquid to intensify the flavors. See my instructions in the recipe card for how I do it.

Can I add vinegar to brighten the flavors?

You can certainly experiment with your own seasonings. I suggesting adding just a teaspoon or two to start, then taste it before adding more.

Easy Pork Eggplant Stir Fry

No ratings yet For a quick and tasty main dish, try this Easy Pork and Eggplant Stir Fry. It's a one-pan recipe cooks up fast any night of the week with simple yet satisfying ingredients and savory flavors you'll love. Print Pin Prep Time: 10 minutes minsCook Time: 10 minutes minsTotal Time: 20 minutes mins Servings: 2

Ingredients  1x2x3x

• ▢ 4 oz sliced pork belly
• ▢ 2 green onions/scallions
• ▢ 2 Japanese or Chinese eggplants (small; or use 1 Chinese long eggplant)
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic
• ▢ 1–2 dried red chili pepper
• ▢ 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil (divided; for cooking)
• ▢ ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt

For the Seasonings

• ▢ 1 Tbsp oyster sauce (if you‘re allergic to shellfish or vegetarian, use Lee Kum Kee Vegetarian Stir-Fry Sauce)
• ▢ 1 Tbsp mirin
• ▢ 2 tsp soy sauce

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here. Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

• Gather all the ingredients.
• Cut 4 oz sliced pork belly into bite-sized pieces, about 2 inches (5 cm).
• Cut 2 green onions/scallions into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces. Cut the thick white parts in half lengthwise.
• Cut 2 Japanese or Chinese eggplants in half lengthwise, then cut them crosswise into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces.
• Cut each piece in half lengthwise. Soak the eggplant wedges in a bowl of water until you're ready to cook, then drain well. Tip: Soaking the eggplant helps to remove the astringency and prevent the color from changing.
• Meanwhile, crush 2 cloves garlic (I use a garlic press). Cut off the tops of 1–2 dried red chili pepper and remove the seeds. Then, cut the chili into small pieces. I slice up one chili and leave the other whole for garnish. Tip: You can leave in the seeds and/or chop the second chili pepper if you prefer more heat.
• To mix the seasoning, combine 1 Tbsp oyster sauce, 1 Tbsp mirin, and 2 tsp soy sauce in a small bowl. Stir to combine.

To Cook

• Heat a wok, frying pan, or saucepan (I used my All-Clad 2-QT Copper Core Saucepan) over medium heat. When it's hot, add half the sesame oil (2 tsp). Then, add the pork belly and season it with ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper and ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
• Stir-fry the pork until it's no longer pink, then remove it to a plate or tray (I use a stainless prep tray).
• Add a little more sesame oil (1 tsp) to the pan. Then, add the well-drained eggplants.
• Stir-fry until they soften a bit and develop some color. They will absorb all the oil left in the pan. The eggplant does need some oil to sauté nicely, so add more sesame oil if the eggplant looks dry and sticks to the pan.
• Add the cooked pork belly back into the pan and toss quickly with the eggplant.
• Add the green onion and toss. Then, add the garlic and red chili pepper and toss until aromatic. Try not to burn them.
• Pour in the seasoning and stir quickly to coat the ingredients. Tip: Since I used a stainless steel saucepan (not nonstick), I add a little bit of water to the pot to help loosen the ingredients from the cooking surface. This small amount of water will evaporate quickly as you finish stir-frying.

To Serve

• After coating the ingredients well, transfer the stir-fry to a serving plate and enjoy.

To Store

• You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days and in the freezer for a month.

Author: Namiko Hirasawa Chen Course: Main CourseCuisine: JapaneseKeyword: eggplant, pork, stir fry ©JustOneCookbook.com Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any website or social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.