Pork Fried Rice

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Pork Fried Rice made healthier with lean pork tenderloin, lots of veggies, and brown rice. Easy to make and just as good as your favorite takeout.

395 CAL 45g CARBS 9g FAT 33g PROTEIN 7
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The best lightened-up Pork Fried Rice that's easy in less than 20 minutes with pork tenderloin, tons of veggies, and cooked brown rice. This dish takes out a favorite Healthy Fried Rice and turns it into a meal with the addition of pork.

When I first moved to Southern California, I was excited, but I was also a little apprehensive. Any move to anywhere would be like that I think. I had lots of questions, but of course, at the top of my list was "Where will we eat?"

Now, I'm happy to say that, overall, I have pretty much fallen in love with living in Southern California. The weather is amazing, there is so much to do, the produce and food scene turned out to be incredible, but I still felt as though we are missing one thing — good ole East-Coast-style Chinese food.

Though there are some incredibly delicious restaurants just about everywhere you look, I just can't seem to find a restaurant that can satisfy my Chinese food cravings.

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Out here Panda Express seems to be the reigning king for American-style Chinese food and in my eyes, it can't even compete with my beloved New England Chinese restaurants.

The dish I probably miss the most is good pork fried rice, so of course, I just made my own. While this version is definitely a healthier take, it satisfies my craving every time. Now, if only I could find some duck sauce…

Healthy pork fried rice with pork tenderloin, vegetables, and fried rice on a plate.

How do you make Pork Fried Rice?

Making Pork Fried Rice is easier than you think. The first thing you want to do is cook your brown rice according to package directions, then set that aside for "frying" up later.

Then, heat up a pan (or wok if you have one) over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, whisk the egg and egg white together and then add your salt and pepper. Add the oil to the pan or wok, then add the eggs and scramble them up. Be sure not to overcook them.

Next, add the strips of pork to the pan and cook them for 2-3 minutes on each side and they are cooked through. Set those aside. Add the rest of the vegetable oil and sesame oil to the pan. Add in your vegetables, garlic, and ginger and cook for another couple of minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.

Finally, add in the rice and cook another 2-4 minutes. Make sure you stir it often so that the rice gets crispy. When you have your rice as you like it, add back in the pork, the scrambled eggs, and soy sauce. Stir together 1 more minute and serve!

Is Fried Rice good for you?

The short answer is "no," the fried rice that you'd get in a typical Chinese restaurant isn't good for you. It's delicious, but it tends to be loaded with lots of oils and fats that make this dish unhealthy.

This lightened-up version uses very little and pan cooks the rice to get that crispy texture without actually having to fry the rice in tons of oil.

I've also added a lot of veggies to this version (and please, feel free to add even more) to make this dish packed with extra nutrition. This version is much healthier than any restaurant version, and you can feel good about yourself after eating it, too.

What is Fried Rice?

Fried rice is a dish that consists primarily of eggs, veggies, and some cooked rice that gets stir-fried in lots of oil in a wok or frying pan. The rice is supposed to be "fried" so that it has a nice crispy texture.

Lots of fried rice dishes come with a protein such as pork, chicken, beef, seafood, or tofu. It's popular in East, Southeast and South Asian communities. It's also one of those dishes that is made up of leftovers (my favorite!). You know, take your leftover rice, pork, veggies, and throw all those together with some oil and eggs and use up all those leftover ingredients that have been lingering in your fridge.

For other, healthier fried rice dishes, try my:

Fried rice with pork, vegetables, and brown rice on a plate with a napkin.

Can you make Pork Fried Rice without eggs?

Yes, you most certainly can skip the eggs in fried rice if you are allergic, don't have them in your fridge, or simply don't like them.

Just skip the second step of whisking and cooking the eggs in the hot skillet/wok. Skip right to step three of cooking the pork and through the rest of the step. When it's time to add your final ingredients back in, you'll just only add the soy sauce and pork and cook through.

Once I made this healthier version of Pork Fried Rice, I never went looking for a restaurant version again!

The Recipe
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Pork Fried Rice

395 CAL 45g CARBS 9g FAT 33g PROTEIN 7
PREP TIME: 15 Min
COOK TIME: 15 Min
TOTAL TIME: 30 Min
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Ingredients

US METRICS
  • 1 cup brown rice
  • 2 tsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp. sesame oil
  • 1 egg
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 lb. lean pork tenderloin, cut into thin strips
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • 1 cups green cabbage, shredded
  • 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
  • 1/2 red pepper, chopped
  • 1 tbsp. ginger, minced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp. soy sauce

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Instructions

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1

Cook the brown rice according to package directions. Set aside.

2

Heat your pan over medium high heat. Whisk together the egg and egg white and season with salt and pepper. Add 1 tsp. of vegetable oil to the pan. Add the eggs and cook until just scrambled. Remove from pan and set aside.

3

Add the pork. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until just cooked. Remove and set aside.

4

Add the remaining vegetable oil and sesame oil to the hot pan. Add the green onions, cabbage, red pepper, peas and carrots, garlic, ginger, and any other veggies you like. Cook for 1-2 minutes until they just begin to soften.

5

Add the rice and cook for 2-4 more minutes, stirring constantly, until the rice begins to crisp up.

6

Add the pork, soy sauce, and egg. Stir together and cook for 1 more minute.

Nutritional Facts
Serving Size: 1.5 cups
Amount Per Serving
Calories 395
Calories from Fat 79
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 9g
13%
Saturated Fat 2g
9%
Monounsaturated Fat 0g
0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
0%
Cholesterol 120mg
40%
Sodium 591mg
26%
Total Carbohydrate 45g
15%
Dietary Fiber 4g
16%
Sugars 2g
Protein 33g

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

The Nutritional Values provided are estimates only and may vary based on the preparation method.

Notes

This recipe is written as a main dish with a serving of 1.5 cups. You could easily turn this into a side dish for less calories.
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About the author Meet Kristen McCaffrey
Hi, I’m the cookbook author, recipe developer, and food enthusiast behind Slender Kitchen. I am obsessed with making healthy food that is easy to prepare and absolutely delicious. Meal planning is my secret weapon and I hope I can make meal time easier for you with our tried and tested recipes and foolproof meal plans. Learn More
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