The best ground pork recipes for a school night are the ones that finish in the time it takes to cook rice: a stir fry, a skillet of meatballs, a pan of tacos. Ground pork browns fast, takes any seasoning, and needs only one rule, which is cook it to 160°F.
Our ground pork is 80/20 Heritage Duroc, sold as three 16 oz packages. Below is a lead recipe from the University of Wisconsin Extension, followed exactly and made with one of those packages, then ten more dinner ideas in a table with a cuisine for each.
- Lead recipe: pork and cabbage stir fry
- Ten more ground pork dinner ideas
- How to cook ground pork well
- What is in the pack
- Questions people ask
Lead recipe: pork and cabbage stir fry, from UW Extension
This is the Pork Cabbage Stir Fry from University of Wisconsin Extension, La Crosse County, which calls for one pound of ground pork and makes 4 servings. We follow it as written and use one 16 oz package of our ground pork.
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 carrots, grated
- 3 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced
- 2 green onions, chopped (optional)
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
- Heat the oil in a frying pan.
- Brown the pork. Add the ground pork and the ginger and garlic powder. Stir fry over high heat, stirring often, until lightly browned and cooked through. Remove the meat and set it aside.
- Cook the vegetables. Add the carrots and cabbage to the pan and stir fry until crisp tender.
- Mix the sauce. In a small bowl, mix the water, soy sauce, cornstarch, and bouillon.
- Finish. Stir the sauce into the cooked vegetables. Return the meat to the pan and heat it through. Garnish with the green onions if you like.
The extension recipe does not give a prep or cook time, so we do not either. Ground pork is done at 160°F, and the recipe’s “cooked through” is that point; check it with a thermometer if you are unsure.
Ten more ground pork dinner ideas for weeknights
These are ideas, not full recipes: a direction to take a pound of ground pork, with the cuisine it comes from. Each one starts the same way, by browning the pork to 160°F, then building the dish around it.
| Dinner idea | Cuisine | The idea |
|---|---|---|
| Pork tacos | Mexican | Brown with cumin, chili powder, and a squeeze of lime; warm tortillas |
| Skillet meatballs | Italian | Pork, breadcrumbs, egg, parmesan; simmer in jarred marinara |
| Larb lettuce cups | Thai | Browned pork, lime, fish sauce, mint, toasted rice powder |
| Pork fried rice | Chinese | Day old rice, egg, peas, soy; the pork goes in first |
| Sloppy joes | American | Pork, onion, ketchup, mustard, a little brown sugar, on buns |
| Pork burgers | American | Salt and pepper only; cook to 160°F; top with slaw |
| Stuffed peppers | American | Pork, rice, tomato, cheese; bake covered then uncovered |
| Dan dan noodles | Chinese | Crisp browned pork over noodles with a sesame chili sauce |
| Pork and green bean stir fry | Asian | Swap the cabbage and carrots above for green beans; same sauce |
| Breakfast sausage patties | American | Pork, sage, salt, pepper, maple; pan fry; freezes well |
For more international directions, read the flavorful fusion of heritage breed pork and international cuisines.
How to cook ground pork well
Cook it to 160°F. That is the USDA figure for ground pork on its safe minimum temperature chart, and our product page adds that color is not a reliable sign of doneness. Use a thermometer, not your eyes.
Let it brown. Spread the pork in a hot pan and leave it alone for a minute or two before you break it up, so it gets crisp edges instead of steaming. With 80/20 pork you rarely need extra oil, and you can pour off fat after browning if a dish calls for it.
Thaw it in the fridge, not on the counter, and cook it soon after it thaws. USDA’s fresh pork page lists 3 to 4 days in the fridge for home cooked pork dishes, so the stir fry and the meatballs both make good leftovers.
What is in the pack
Our ground pork is 80/20, which means about 80 percent lean and 20 percent fat, from Heritage Duroc hogs raised crate free, with no antibiotics ever, on Iowa family farms. It comes as three 16 oz packages, and the ingredient list is one line: Duroc Heritage Breed Pork.
One package is one pound, which is what the stir fry above calls for. The rest of the fresh line, from chops to belly, is in heritage pork fresh cuts.
Questions people ask about ground pork recipes
Is ground pork healthier than hamburger?
We do not make health claims. Both are sold by lean to fat ratio; ours is 80/20, so compare it with an 80/20 ground beef on the label. Both should be cooked to 160°F.
Can I mix ground beef and ground pork?
Yes, and it is a classic for meatballs and meatloaf. A half and half blend cooks the same way, to 160°F.
Can you use ground pork for burgers?
Yes. Season with salt and pepper, shape gently, and cook to 160°F. An 80/20 blend holds together without a binder, though an egg and breadcrumbs make a softer patty.
What are some of the best recipes for ground pork?
Stir fries, meatballs, tacos, fried rice, larb, dan dan noodles, and sausage patties. Anything that starts with browned pork in a skillet works on a weeknight.
One skillet, one pack. Ground pork recipes are a fast way to put heritage pork on a school night table, and a pack of 80/20 Heritage Duroc gives them the flavor to carry a bowl of rice.
Order ground pork, three 16 oz packs, or see the full line in heritage pork fresh cuts. It ships frozen from the farm shop.