Sticky Hoisin Cashew Pork Tenderloin
This easy hoisin cashew pork Tenderloin is a quick 30-minute dinner made with tender chicken, crunchy roasted cashews and green onions in a glossy savoury-sweet stir-fry sauce. Serve this homemade cashew tenderloin over warm jasmine rice for a simple family meal that is full of flavour and even better than takeout.
Equipment
- Large nonstick skillet or wok
- Sharp chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Small mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- Serving spoon
- Rice cooker or saucepan, optional
Ingredients
- 1½ lb pork tenderloin cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper freshly ground
- 2 tbsp cooking oil divided
- ⅔ cup cashews roasted and unsalted
- 5 garlic cloves finely minced
- 2 tsp ginger freshly grated
- 6 green onions cut into 1-inch pieces, white and green sections separated
Hoisin Stir-Fry Sauce
- ⅓ cup water
- 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1½ tbsp soy sauce low-sodium
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- Prepare the hoisin sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the water, hoisin sauce, low-sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, cornstarch and toasted sesame oil. Set the sauce aside while you prepare the pork.
- Cut and season the pork. Remove any silver skin from the pork tenderloin, then cut the meat into evenly sized, bite-sized pieces. Pat the pork dry and season it with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Toast the cashews. Place the roasted cashews in a large dry skillet over medium heat. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until lightly toasted and fragrant. Transfer the cashews to a plate.
- Brown the pork in batches. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the pork tenderloin pieces in a single layer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, turning occasionally, until lightly browned. The pork does not need to be completely cooked yet. Transfer it to a clean plate.
- Add the remaining oil and pork to the skillet. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, then add the garlic, ginger and white sections of the green onions. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Add the hoisin stir-fry sauce. Return the first batch of pork to the skillet. Whisk the sauce once more, then pour it over the pork. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and evenly coats the pork.
- Check that the pork tenderloin is cooked through and has reached an internal temperature of 145°F. Avoid cooking it much longer, as pork tenderloin is lean and can dry out quickly.
- Finish the hoisin cashew pork. Stir in the toasted cashews and most of the green onion tops. Cook for another 30 seconds, then remove the skillet from the heat.
- Serve this easy hoisin pork tenderloin stir-fry immediately over warm jasmine rice or noodles. Garnish with the remaining green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.
Cook the pork tenderloin in small batches and avoid overcrowding the skillet. This helps the pork brown properly instead of steaming, giving your hoisin pork tenderloin stir-fry tender, juicy pieces with lightly caramelized edges and better flavour.
Notes
- Cut the pork tenderloin into evenly sized, bite-sized pieces so this easy hoisin cashew pork cooks quickly and remains tender.
- Remove the silver skin before slicing the pork. It stays tough during cooking and can make the finished pork tenderloin stir-fry chewy.
- Pat the pork pieces dry before seasoning. This helps them brown instead of steaming in the skillet.
- Cook the pork tenderloin in two batches. Crowding the pan lowers the heat and prevents those lightly caramelized edges from forming.
- Pork tenderloin is lean and cooks quickly, so avoid leaving it in the skillet too long. The pieces will finish cooking once the hoisin sauce is added.
- Whisk the hoisin stir-fry sauce again immediately before pouring it into the pan because the cornstarch settles at the bottom.
- The sauce thickens fast. Stir constantly and remove the skillet from the heat once the pork is cooked and coated in a glossy sauce.
- Use roasted, unsalted cashews so the hoisin pork and cashew stir-fry does not become overly salty.
- Add the cashews close to the end of cooking to help them keep their crunch. They will soften slightly as they sit in the sauce.
- Low-sodium soy sauce works best because hoisin sauce already adds plenty of savoury flavour and salt.
- Fresh ginger, garlic and green onions give this 30-minute pork tenderloin recipe its fresh, takeout-style flavour.
- Serve this sticky hoisin pork tenderloin over jasmine rice or noodles with steamed broccoli, bok choy or snap peas.
Nutrition
Calories: 438kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 41gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 958mgPotassium: 911mgFiber: 2gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 185IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 4mg
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