Juicy Pork with Garlic Scapes Stir Fry

You know what I love about spring? Those curly, green garlic scapes that show up at the farmers market. I used to walk right past them, not knowing what to do with these quirky-looking stems. But now they’re one of my favorite ingredients to cook with, especially in a quick stir fry.

I learned that garlic scapes are actually the flower stalks that grow from hardneck garlic plants. They taste milder than regular garlic cloves, with a fresh, green flavor that’s perfect for quick cooking. When my kids first saw them, they thought they were weird green snakes on our cutting board!

If you’ve never cooked with garlic scapes before, this stir fry is a great place to start. It’s simple, quick, and lets their natural flavor shine through. Plus, it’s the kind of recipe that works perfectly on busy weeknights when you want something fresh but don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen.

What Kind of Garlic Scapes Should I Use?

Garlic scapes are the curly flower stalks that grow from the top of hardneck garlic plants, and they’re typically only available for a few weeks in late spring or early summer. When shopping for garlic scapes, look for ones that are bright green, firm, and still flexible – avoid any that are yellowing or overly woody. If you can’t find fresh garlic scapes at your local farmers market or grocery store, you might need to wait until they’re in season, as they’re not typically available frozen or preserved. For this stir-fry recipe, you’ll want to trim off the woody bottom ends and the flower bud tips before cutting them into pieces.

Options for Substitutions

This stir fry recipe can be adapted with several substitutions if you need them:

• Garlic scapes: If you can’t find garlic scapes (they’re only in season briefly!), you can use a mix of green beans and 2-3 minced garlic cloves, or asparagus with garlic. The taste won’t be exactly the same, but you’ll still get a nice green veggie with garlicky notes.
• Shaoxing wine: No Shaoxing wine? Use dry sherry or mirin as your next best option. If you need it alcohol-free, use chicken stock with a splash of rice vinegar.
• Oyster sauce: You can swap oyster sauce with hoisin sauce or vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce. For vegetarians, use soy sauce mixed with a bit of brown sugar.
• White pepper: Black pepper works fine here – just use the same amount. The color of the dish will be slightly different but the taste will still be good.
• Dried chili peppers: Since these are optional, you can skip them or use red pepper flakes (start with ½ teaspoon) or fresh sliced chilies to taste.
• Pork shoulder: Besides the cuts mentioned in the recipe, you could also use chicken thighs or beef flank steak. Just adjust cooking time accordingly – chicken might cook a bit faster, beef might need an extra minute or two.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest challenge when making garlic scapes stir fry is overcooking the scapes – they should remain crisp-tender and bright green, so aim to cook them for just 2-3 minutes to maintain their snappy texture and sweet garlic flavor. When cutting your pork, make sure to slice against the grain and at a slight angle to ensure tender, easy-to-chew pieces – cutting with the grain will result in chewy, stringy meat. Getting your wok or pan smoking hot before adding ingredients is crucial – if the pan isn’t hot enough, you’ll end up with a soggy stir fry instead of that perfect seared flavor and texture. To keep everything moving smoothly, have all your ingredients prepped and sauce mixed before you start cooking, as stir-frying happens quickly and there won’t be time to measure or chop once you begin.

What to Serve With Garlic Scapes Stir Fry?

This savory pork stir fry pairs perfectly with a bowl of steamed jasmine or white rice to soak up all those tasty sauce. If you want to round out the meal, try serving it with some simple sides like steamed broccoli or quick-pickled cucumbers for a nice contrast in textures. You can also add a light miso soup on the side to make it a complete Chinese-inspired dinner. For bigger appetites, some pan-fried dumplings or spring rolls would make excellent appetizers to go along with this dish.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: This garlic scapes stir fry is best enjoyed right after cooking, but if you have leftovers, place them in an airtight container in the fridge. It’ll stay good for up to 3 days, though the vegetables might lose some of their crunch over time.

Meal Prep: If you want to prep ahead, you can cut all your vegetables and meat the day before. Store the prepped ingredients separately in the fridge – the pork in its marinade, and the cut vegetables in airtight containers. This way, you can throw everything together quickly when you’re ready to cook!

Warm Up: To enjoy leftover stir fry, heat it in a wok or skillet over medium heat until just warmed through. Add a splash of water if it seems dry. Try not to overheat, as this can make the vegetables too soft and the meat tough.

Preparation Time	20-30 minutes
Cooking Time	10-15 minutes
Total Time	30-45 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 600-700
• Protein: 50-60 g
• Fat: 40-50 g
• Carbohydrates: 20-25 g

Ingredients

For marinating the pork:

• 2 tsp water
• 1/2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• 8 oz pork shoulder (cut into thin, 2-inch pieces)
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp shaoxing wine

For the stir-fry & sauce:

• 1/2 tsp sesame oil (for aroma and flavor)
• 5 dried red chili peppers (optional, for a kick of heat)
• 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil (or any other neutral oil like canola), divided
• 1/8 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp ginger (finely julienned, about 1-inch pieces)
• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 medium carrot (cut into 2 x 1/4-inch matchsticks)
• 1/3 cup chicken broth (I use Swanson low-sodium)
• 10 oz garlic scapes (sliced to 2-inch pieces)
• 1/4 tsp granulated sugar
• 2 tsp shaoxing wine
• 2 tsp cornstarch (blended with 1 tbsp water)

Step 1: Marinate the Pork

• 8 oz pork shoulder (cut into thin, 2-inch pieces; pork loin, pork butt, or pork belly may be used)
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp water
• 1 tsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• 1/2 tsp vegetable oil

In a medium bowl, combine the pork shoulder, cornstarch, water, Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, and vegetable oil.

Toss everything together thoroughly until the pork is evenly coated, then set aside to marinate for 20 minutes.

This step helps tenderize the pork and infuse it with flavor before cooking.

Step 2: Sear the Marinated Pork

• marinated pork from Step 1
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Heat the wok over high heat until it just begins to smoke.

Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil around the perimeter of the wok.

Arrange the marinated pork from Step 1 in a single layer and sear each side for about 1 minute, allowing the pork to develop a golden crust.

Remove the pork from the wok and set aside with juices.

I like to make sure the wok is really hot for a good sear—this way the pork won’t stick and you’ll get more flavor.

Step 3: Stir-Fry the Vegetables and Aromatics

• 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
• dried chilies
• ginger
• carrots
• garlic scapes
• Shaoxing wine

Add ½ tablespoon vegetable oil to the wok.

Stir in dried chilies, ginger, carrots, and garlic scapes.

Stir-fry over medium-high heat for 1 minute, letting the garlic scapes get a nice sear.

Next, pour in the Shaoxing wine and stir-fry for another 20 seconds to release the aroma from the wine into the vegetables.

Step 4: Steam-Fry and Finish Stir-Fry with Pork

• chicken stock or water
• stir-fried vegetables and aromatics from Step 3
• cooked pork from Step 2
• ground white pepper
• sugar
• sesame oil
• soy sauce

Add chicken stock or water, then increase the heat to high.

Push the vegetables into the center of the wok and cover it for 30 seconds to allow the steam to cook the vegetables.

Remove the cover and stir the vegetables around the sides of the wok for extra flavor and wok hei.

Return the cooked pork and accumulated juices to the wok along with ground white pepper, sugar, sesame oil, and soy sauce.

Stir-fry everything together over high heat for another 20 seconds.

Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

Step 5: Thicken the Sauce and Serve

• cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with water)

Pour the cornstarch slurry directly into the simmering liquid, stirring well for about 15 seconds until the sauce thickens and everything is nicely coated.

Transfer the stir-fry to a serving plate.

Serve hot, ideally with freshly steamed rice.

Personally, I always finish by pouring the sauce over the rice for extra flavor!