Save Pin
This zesty ginger lime pork with coconut rice is a bright dinner that's packed with tangy heat and mellow sweetness. You'll brown ground pork with fresh ginger and scallion, then hit it with a squeeze of lime and a touch of sriracha. It gets served up on soft coconut rice, crunches with peanuts, and bursts with fresh herbs. Every bite feels like a quick escape from your usual weeknight meal.
I whipped this up once when my fridge was nearly empty and now it’s the dinner my family asks for nonstop. It always wins over someone new at the table.
Irresistible Ingredients
- Olive oil: Brings out extra flavor and gets the pork all nice and crisp use a smooth one for the best taste
- Fine sea salt and black pepper: Perfect for seasoning a quick grind of pepper right at the end adds the most punch
- Lime juice: Freshly squeezed lime makes everything pop
- Chopped peanuts: For crunchy texture if you spot roasted unsalted go for those
- Sriracha: Brings a gentle kick start small and add for more spice
- Ground pork: Juicy, rich, and tender look for packages with even texture and a healthy pink color
- Fresh ginger: Sweet and spicy pick firm, juicy roots and skip the shriveled ones
- Coconut rice: Jasmine rice cooked up with coconut milk goes fragrant and silky shoot for quality coconut milk without extra stuff
- Garlic: Makes it all smell amazing fresh garlic packs the most flavor
- Light brown sugar: Gets the pork extra caramelized scoop it loosely when measuring
- Extra lime wedges: Squeeze over at the table for big bursts of brightness
- Fresh herbs (mint, cilantro, or Thai basil): Load on color and aroma skip wilted bunches and pick bright ones
- Scallions: The two-tone goodness of white and green parts adds a fresh bite choose stiff bunches with crisp greens
Simple Steps
- Top it Off:
- Layer coconut rice in your bowls. Spoon on heaps of ginger lime pork, then load up with chopped peanuts, torn herbs, some green scallion bits, and a lime wedge or two so everyone can tweak their own bowl.
- Taste and Tweak:
- Try the pork before you serve. Add more sriracha, more lime, or a sprinkle of salt or fresh pepper if it needs a boost.
- Get Caramelizing:
- Chuck in brown sugar, squeeze in lime, and pour on sriracha. Toss everything so pork gets glossy, then don’t stir for a couple of minutes so it can form those tasty browned bits. Use your spoon to grab up anything sticking, let it cook a minute longer for deeper flavor.
- Brown That Pork:
- Drop the pork into your hot pan, break it apart, and stir it now and then so it all gets browned–no pink should be left. That usually runs about six to eight minutes.
- Start with Aromatics:
- Warm some olive oil in a big pan over high. Toss in garlic, ginger, and scallion whites and stir things up until it smells wild and the garlic gets golden, which happens in around two minutes.
Save Pin
What I dig most is how cool and creamy the coconut rice tastes with fresh mint. Every time I chop herbs, I remember my sister saying not to skip them even when we’re short on time—they always make it better.
Keep It Fresh
Stash any leftovers in sealed containers in the fridge and they’ll last for three days. Keep herbs separate so they don’t wilt; just toss them on when you’re reheating. You can freeze the pork part for about two months but skip freezing the rice. Thaw it in your fridge before you warm it up.
Switch-Ups
If you want to lighten things, swap out the pork for chicken or turkey. You can use a different chili garlic sauce if you don’t feel like sriracha. Cashews work well instead of peanuts or you can leave them out. Try light coconut milk in the rice if you’d prefer to use a little less fat.
Fun Ways to Serve
You can go classic and just spoon it over coconut rice, but it’s also great with some pickled veggies or a crisp cucumber salad. Leftovers are super tasty layered into lettuce cups or rolled up in rice paper for a picnic snack.
Save Pin
Tradition and Flavors
This one is all about the Southeast Asian vibe—sweet, salty, spicy, and sour hand-in-hand. Reminds me of eating with friends or family at cozy Thai or Vietnamese eateries, always a toss of fresh herbs and some peanuts on top.
Common Questions
- → How can I get the pork extra golden?
Once the sauce goes in, let the pork hang out in the pan without stirring for a couple minutes. Flip it once, then give one last stir to catch even brownness and deep flavor.
- → Could I try a different ground meat?
For sure. Turkey or chicken both work well. Just watch the cook time and season as you like.
- → What's the process for coconut rice?
For coconut rice, all you do is cook jasmine rice with coconut milk, some water, a pinch of sugar, and a bit of salt. Simple and tasty.
- → Which herbs are good for topping?
Go wild with Thai basil, mint, or cilantro. They're all super fresh and make every bite pop.
- → How do I make this less spicy?
No problem: just dial back or skip the sriracha for a milder bite.
- → Anything easy to prep ahead of time?
You bet. Slice the scallions, mince the ginger and garlic, and portion out sauces before you cook. It speeds things up for sure.