Spicy Pork Noodle Bowls
Nuggets of moist pork and tender rice noodles, tossed with salty soy sauce, brown sugar, and a garlic-infused chili sauce. The ingredient list is short, but the flavor profile is huge, and each bite asserts sweetness, saltiness, and a hint of heat.
You can make this easy dish as spicy as you want. It’s the chili garlic sauce that adds all the heat, so you can add a little or a lot! Make it the way you like it!
You don’t even have to cook the noodles in this dish. Rice noodles are super easy to work with. And they’re gluten-free if that’s important to you! You can cook them in a pot of boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, or you can soak them in a big bowl of very hot water for about 5 to 10 minutes. They finish cooking in the sauce with the pork, so it couldn’t be easier.
This dish works with chicken, steak and seafood too. I chose pork here, but chunks of chicken, steak, firm-fleshed fish, and shrimp would be equally amazing.
Serve a steamed vegetable on the side you have have a complete meal. I served this dish with steamed baby broccoli (broccolini) and it was the perfect amount of food. Serve your favorite fresh or frozen vegetable with the pork and noodles and you’ll be all set.
About the chili garlic sauce: Chili garlic sauce is a coarsely ground blend of jalapeño peppers, garlic, and vinegar and this versatile ingredient delivers an abundance of flavor. Look for chili garlic sauce in the Asian food aisle of the grocery store. If you already have sriracha sauce, you can substitute that – it’s thinner and a different flavor profile, but it works.
Spicy Pork Noodle Bowls
Ingredients
- 8 ounces rice noodles, also called pad Thai noodles
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/4 cup soy sauce, or tamari sauce for a gluten-free option
- 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce, or more/less to taste
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, regular or seasoned
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- Chopped green onions for serving
- Lime wedges or slices for serving
Equipment
Instructions
- Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions (or soak them in very hot water for 5 to 10 minutes, until al dente). Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until lightly browned on all sides. Add the soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and lime juice and bring to a simmer. Fold in the noodles and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to heat through.
- Top with green onions and serve with lime wedges/slices on the side.