Braised Pork in Sweet Soy Sauce
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Braised Pork in Sweet Soy Sauce – Tender pieces of pork braised in a flavorful sauce with a touch of heat. Made with just a small list of simple ingredients, this is a great way to switch up your weekly rotation with a fabulously easy takeout-fakeout dinner.
I love figuring out how to make my favorite takeout items in the comfort of my own home, such as this delicious braised pork with sweet soy sauce. No extra grease or salt to weigh you down! They also require a really surprisingly easy list of ingredients. Once you have these basics in your kitchen, you can use them in practically any combination to make something delicious.
This is one of my most popular pork recipes on the blog, for good reason. It’s extremely easy to make and the taste is incredible.
Besides being able to use different cuts of pork for this recipe, it’ll also work really well if you want to use chicken breast or thighs. As long as they’re cut up into bite sized pieces, they’ll cook down so nicely in this sauce. Now, let’s get cooking!
Ingredients
- Pork loin – You can use pork shoulder (butt) or ribs as well.
- Vegetable oil – Any mild flavored oil like olive, safflower, or sunflower will work.
- Sesame oil – If you can find toasted sesame oil, buy it! The flavor is amazing.
- Soy sauce – I like to use reduced sodium soy sauce. You can use regular if that’s what you have on hand.
- Sugar – Brown sugar works as well, or you can use sugar alternatives or more viscous sugars like honey or agave instead.
- Water
- Chili garlic sauce – Also known as sambal oelek. You can use any type of hot sauce you like best; sriracha or gochujang would be great as well.
- Green onion – I like to have these as a nice and fresh garnish for the finished pork. The onion is optional, but I highly recommend using it!
How to make braised pork in sweet soy sauce
- Sear the pork: Cut the pork into 1″ cubes. Sauté over medium-high heat in a pan with the vegetable oil, working in batches if you need, until the pork is cooked through.
- Braise the pork: Mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl, then pour the prepared sauce over the pork and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and braise for 30 minutes uncovered, or until most of the sauce has reduced. Stir to coat each piece of pork in sauce and serve garnished with green onions.
What is braising
Braising is a method of cooking that uses both wet and dry heat. Basically, this means that the food is first sautéed or seared at a higher temperature, then finished in a liquid, in a covered pot at a lower temperature.
How to serve
I usually serve this pork over some noodles or steamed rice. It would be delicious with coconut rice as well! You can also make some mashed potatoes, or use Asian style noodles such as udon, soba, ramen, or vermicelli.
If you want to serve your pork with some sides, give these recipes a try!
- Easy Fried Rice
- Cauliflower Rice
- Egg Drop Soup
- Egg Roll Soup
- Ramen Stir Fry
- Chow Mein
- Crunchy Asian Salad
Leftovers
Store your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. If you made a carb like noodles, rice, or potatoes, you can store the leftover pork in the same container, or separate. Totally up to you!
Leftovers will heat up best in the microwave. If you want to use a different method, I’d suggest stovetop. Add the pork, plus a splash of water or broth, to a skillet and turn the heat onto medium. Stir often, and add more water or broth if the sauce starts to dry out. Cook for about 5 minutes or until heated through.
Freezing
This is an awesome freezer meal! You can make a double or triple batch of this recipe and store a few meals worth in the freezer for nights when you don’t have time to make a good homemade dinner.
Transfer the pork to a large freezer bag or airtight container and it will last in the freezer for 3-4 months. To reheat, you can pop it straight into the microwave from the freezer. To use my stovetop method above, let the pork thaw overnight in the fridge first.
Did you love this recipe? Try these!
- Korean Bulgogi Pork
- Quick and Easy Beef Stir Fry
- Instant Pot Cashew Chicken
- Korean BBQ Pork Ribs
- Mongolian Beef
- Korean Fried Chicken
- Asian Style Udon Noodles with Pork and Mushrooms
- Baked Salmon Teriyaki
- Sweet And Sour Pork
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Braised Pork in Sweet Soy Sauce
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pound pork loin
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic and ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 4 tablespoon sugar
- 1½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
Garnish
- 2 green onions (chopped (optional))
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Cut the pork in about 1 inch pieces and saute in a pan with the vegetable oil for about 3 minutes over medium-high heat, until the pork is no longer pink and starts to brown.
- In a medium bowl mix the rest of the ingredients. Pour over the pork and bring to a boil. You may think there's too much water, but it will reduce. Once it's boiling turn the heat down to low and let simmer for about 30 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally, or until there's only about 3 tbsp of sauce left.
- Garnish with green onions. Serve over noodles or steamed rice.
Notes
- Store your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. If you made a carb like noodles, rice, or potatoes, you can store the leftover pork in the same container, or separate. Totally up to you!
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Oh my goodness… i have just made this tonight for dinner for my son and i … we both thought it was delicious
Very delicious and easy to make!
So glad I tried this recipe, absolutely delicious, quick, simply and a very tasty meal. Great to make on a weeknight after work. This has now been added to our meal rotation. Followed the recipe actually and it was perfect. 30 mins and it was ready to serve up. Try this recipe you won’t disappointed!
Thank you for your kind words, so glad you enjoyed it!
How much ginger and garlic separately ?
You can do 1/2 tablespoon garlic and 1/2 tablespoon ginger.
Very tasty, I cut the recipe in half made just for 2, I added steamed fresh green beans, mushrooms and purple onion, mixed with spaghetti noodles, I thought it was very tasty husband said it had a good flavor but he didn’t like the sugar flavor so I’ll re make it and use 1tsp of sugar instead of 4Tlbs .
Sounds like a delicious twist with the green beans, mushrooms, and purple onion! Adjusting the sugar to 1 teaspoon next time should balance the flavors perfectly.
Very impressed at simplicity of this tasty recipe…
My husband can be a picky eater at times, but we all agreed (two teenagers included) this meal was delicious! Have been asked to make it multiple times now. A true winner
A fantastic recipe, plus very open to substitution without compromising on taste!
I am a diabetic, can I use splenda in this recipe?
Absolutely, you can use Splenda in this braised pork recipe. It’s a great substitute for sugar, especially for diabetics. Just keep in mind that Splenda is sweeter than sugar, so you might want to start with a smaller amount and adjust to taste.
I am making this tonight. Sounds delicious! Can I substitute honey for the sugar?
Yes, you can substitute honey for sugar in your braised pork in sweet soy sauce recipe. You may want to use a bit less honey than sugar, as honey is sweeter.
amazing food!I also added some fresh cream when I warmed it again…
So glad you liked it!
Family of three boys and they love it. I make a triple batch and it doesn’t last long….great recipe.
So glad you guys enjoyed it!
This came out wonderful….
I’m glad to hear that! It’s such a flavorful dish. Thanks for giving it a try and sharing your feedback. Enjoy your meal! 🍖😊
OMG I am eating this now. It was so simple to make.. The taste is off the hook.. Great recipe!!!!
So happy to hear this. It’s always wonderful when a recipe is not only delicious but also simple to create. Your enthusiasm is contagious, and it’s always a treat to know when someone finds a new favorite recipe.
This is delicious!!!! But i think the simmer time is off. Mine took about an hour to thicken up, but the most tender, delicious pork cubes ever! Not dry at all. New family favorite!
The simmering time can sometimes vary depending on the cut of the meat, the size of the pieces, and the exact temperature, but I’m glad you were able to adjust it to get the right consistency and tenderness. Thank you for your patience and for giving the recipe a try! If you make it again, feel free to adjust the cooking times as needed to suit your preference.