A signature Sichuan dish, shredded pork with garlic sauce features tender meat, crisp vegetables, and a boldly flavored sauce that’s hard to resist.
Note: This is a revised version of my blog post from 2017, featuring more tips and new images.
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About the dish
Sichuan cuisine is known for its love affair with hot chilies. But did you know that sour and sweet flavors are also celebrated in this legendary cuisine? Today’s dish, Sichuan Shredded Pork with Garlic Sauce, is a perfect example of how these three flavors dance in harmony, creating a multidimensional taste that’s so irresistible.
At its core, this is a quick stir-fry featuring tender strips of pork, accompanied by crunchy vegetables and coated in a glossy sauce, richly flavored with pickled chilies, aromatics, and a set of common Chinese condiments.
The classic version of this dish is mildly spicy—the heat isn’t as intense as Sichuan Boiled Fish, but it’s similar to the level of Kung Pao Chicken. Its sweet and sour notes are more subtle than those in Sweet and Sour Meatballs, as they are infused with a generous amount of aromatics.
About garlic sauce
“Garlic sauce” is a term coined by overseas Chinese restaurants to name this Sichuan classic, and it has since become commonly used in the West. However, it has no connection to the dish’s original Chinese name, Yú Xiāng Ròu Sī/鱼香肉丝, which literally means “fish-fragrant shredded pork.” Other popular dishes using the same flavor profile include Fish-Fragrant Eggplant and Fish-Fragrant Tofu.
But where’s the fish? You may ask. There is none! The widely accepted belief is that the seasoning combination used in fish-fragrant dishes was inspired by traditional Sichuan methods of preparing fish. Another lesser-known explanation—which I learned at the Museum of Sichuan Cuisine in Chengdu—suggests that the pickled chili used in this dish was traditionally fermented with fish.
Top Tips
As usual, I’d like to share some helpful tips first:
- If you’re chasing the classic flavor, try using all the suggested ingredients.
- Preparing the ingredients takes some time, but the effort yields a delicious result.
- Pay attention to the sauce consistency and avoid prolonged cooking.
Ingredients
Pork
For the meat portion, you’ll need pork tenderloin (aka pork fillet) along with a set of marinating ingredients, including light soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, cornstarch, and salt. These not only enhance the flavor but also help tenderize the meat.
Vegetables
You’ll need a few vegetables to accompany the protein: carrots, wood ear mushrooms, and bamboo shoots. These are the classic choices used in the traditional version.
🌟Substitutes: Feel free to swap them with other crunchy vegetables. Ideally, opt for ones that can be cut into slivers to match the shredded pork.
Aromatics
Aromatics are essential as well. In addition to ginger, garlic, and scallions, you’ll need pickled chili (Pào Jiāo/泡椒), which adds a unique tangy, fragrant heat that sets this dish apart.
🌟Substitutes: Sichuan-style pickled chili can be hard to find. A great alternative is Pickled Chili Garlic Sauce (see image above). I’ve also tested this recipe with pickled chilies from other cuisines (e.g. Spanish, Italian), and they worked well. If none of these are available, fresh chilies can be used as a substitute.
Seasonings
To create a thick, umami-rich, tangy sauce with a hint of sweetness, you’ll need black rice vinegar, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, sugar, and cornstarch.
🌟 Note: These ingredients are key to achieving the dish’s authentic flavor. Check out my post on 10 Must-Have Chinese Condiments to learn more about them.
Cooking Procedure
Step 1: Prepare the ingredients
Cut the pork into narrow, long strips across the grain, similar to how you cut it for Peking Shredded Pork. Then, mix it with light soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, cornstarch, salt, and a little water. After that, rub in a little oil to create a coating.
Cut the vegetables into strips. Finely chop the pickled chilies and scallions, and mince the ginger and garlic. Then, mix all the seasonings.
🌟 Tips: Briefly freezing the meat until it is semi-solid will make cutting easier. Wood ear mushrooms usually come in dried form—rehydrate them in cold water for an hour until they become plump.
Step 2: Sear the pork
Add a little oil to a very hot wok. Swirl to cover a larger area before putting in the shredded pork. Toss over high heat to sear it quickly. As soon as the meat turns pale, dish out for later use.
🌟Note: When using a carbon steel wok, it’s important to heat it empty first then add the oil. This prevents sticking. However, if using non-stick cookware, add oil then heat up.
Step 3: Stir-fry the vegetables
Pour in another small batch of oil to the empty wok and add garlic, ginger and pickled chilies. Sizzle them for 10-15 seconds or so.
Stir in carrots, wood ears, and bamboo shoots. Fry for about half a minute, or until they just start to wilt.
Step 4: Combine the dish
Return the pork to the wok. Toss it with the vegetables for about 30 seconds. Turn the heat down to medium low, then pour in the sauce, mixed well beforehand in case the starch sits at the bottom.
As soon as the sauce starts to thicken, remove the wok from the heat and garnish the dish with scallions.
🌟Note: Pay attention to heat control and the consistency of the sauce. Don’t wait until it becomes too thick, as it will thicken further as it cools.
Serving ideas
Pork with garlic sauce is a real “rice killer”, or in Chinese “Xià Fàn Cài/下饭菜”. So make sure you have steamed rice ready to enjoy the dish right away. Did you know that it tastes just as wonderful at room temperature? That makes it a great option for packed lunches!
When including it in a multi-dish dinner, pair it with something light and fresh, such as Bok Choy Stir-Fry, Ginger Spinach Salad, along with other protein dishes like Scallion Tofu, Shrimp Egg Stir-Fry.
Recipe FAQs
A: Yes, chicken breast or beef (flank or skirt steak) would work for this recipe.
A: Different brands or types of pickled chili vary in heat levels. It’s advisable to adjust the quantity based on your tolerance for the specific one you’re using. If unsure, start with a smaller amount and add more at the very end of cooking if needed.
A: Yes, you can double the recipe if you have a large wok and a powerful burner.
Other Sichuan classics
Looking for more recipes featuring popular Sichuan dishes? Try these ones:
📋 Recipe card
Love this recipe? Please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating and a comment. Thank you!
Sichuan Shredded Pork with Garlic Sauce (鱼香肉丝)
Ingredients
For the meat
- 10 oz pork tenderloin - aka pork fillet
- 2 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon neutral cooking oil
For the sauce
- 2 tablespoon black rice vinegar
- 1½ tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 1½ tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon water
You also need
- 3 tablespoon neutral cooking oil - divided
- 2 tablespoon pickled chili - finely chopped (see note 1)
- 2 teaspoon garlic - minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger - minced
- ½ cup carrot - julienned
- ½ cup wood ear mushrooms - rehydrated and julienned (see note 2)
- ½ cup bamboo shoots - julienned
- 1 stalk scallions - finely chopped
Instructions
Marinate the pork
- Cut pork tenderloin into narrow strips (see note 3). Then, mix them with light soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, cornstarch, salt, and water. Once no more liquid can be seen, rub in oil to coat the meat evenly.
Mix the sauce
- In a small bowl, mix black rice vinegar, Shaoxing rice wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, and water. Set aside.
Sear the pork
- Heat a wok over high heat until very hot, then pour in 2 tablespoons of oil (if using non-stick cookware, be sure to add oil first then heat it). Add the marinated pork. Toss to sear it quickly. Once the meat turns pale, transfer out to a plate for later use.
Stir-fry the vegetables
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the empty wok. Sizzle pickled chili, garlic, and ginger until fragrant. Then, put in wood ear mushrooms, bamboo shoots and carrots. Stir-fry until they just begin to wilt.
Combine the dish
- Return the pork to the wok. Stir fry for 30 seconds or so. Turn the heat down to low then pour in the sauce (stir well beforehand to avoid starch sitting at the bottom).
- As soon as the sauce starts to thicken, turn off the heat and stir in scallions. Serve immediately with steamed rice.
NOTES
NUTRITION
NUTRITION DISCLOSURE: Nutritional information on this website is provided as a courtesy to readers. It should be considered estimates. Please use your own brand nutritional values or your preferred nutrition calculator to double check against our estimates.
Hi Wei,
I made this with chicken and it was wonderful, I was wondering if I could use the chili oil or spring onion oils instead of just cooking oil, thank you for some awesome cooking
Yes, you can use chili oil or spring onion oil instead, as long as: 1. The oil you used for making these flavoured oil has a high smoking point. 2. Remove any solid bits from the oil as they’ll burn.
Hi, I’m new to your site and so excited to find it. This shredded pork dish is the first one I’m going to try. My question is what exactly is pork fillet? Is it pork tenderloin or a different cut of pork? Is there an inexpensive cut of pork that can be used? Thank you so much for your blog!
Hi Holly! Yes, pork fillet is pork tenderloin. It’s the best cut for this recipe. That said, please feel free to use other cuts. Always make sure to slice it against the grain so you don’t taste too much of the chewy sinew. Hope this helps.
Hi Wei can i cook this with chicken, dont eat pork
Yes you can replace the pork with chicken for sure. Happy cooking!
This recipe was a huge hit! We make a lot of your recipes and we love all of them but this one really hit it out of the park. I had recently been given a bunch of red chili peppers from a friend’s garden who realized they were too spicy for her so I made hunan style pickled chillies, and took your advice to improvise on the veggies. We used shittakes and onions. I will confess that I doubled the recipe…but tripled the sauce…for more saucy deliciousness 🙂
That’s wonderful to hear!
Happy morning Ms Wei, thank you for your sharing. Regarding the garlic sauce what are the ingredients and how do I prepare it ? Please advise. Thanks again looking forward to your cooking guide.
Hi Molly! The ingredients for the sauce is included in the recipe card (at the very end of the post). Happy cooking!
Can Sambal Oelek chili paste be a substitute for Sichuan pickled chilis?
Yes Ken! You can use it as a substitute. Happy cooking!
This was AMAZING! This is probably the 5th recipe I’ve made from your website, and I am so impressed!!!! Delicious recipe!!
So happy to hear you’re enjoying my recipes! Happy cooking!
Unclear on the Sichuan pickled pepper. I first got the larger jar on the right…. interesting but the dish (shredded pork with garlic sauce) was not the flavor I expected. (maybe the fact that the jar was a year past date, something I spotted after I bought it.) So I went looking on Amazon and did not find a clear answer but I got the smaller jar on the left. I have not made this dish with it, but the pepper tastes more familiar.
Can you help define this ingredient? Perhaps name a brand or source?
Did not post picture… first jar says Sichuan pepper pickle, (only English on the jar) but no long red peppers, more like an Indian mixed vegetable pickle. The second jar is “fly by king” Sichuan chili crisp, more of a hot oil with some solids.
Hi John! The pickled chili pepper is made of fresh chili pepper and shouldn’t contain any other vegetables. “Fly by Jing” chili crisp is a type of chili oil/sauce made of dried chili.
If you have trouble sourcing it, make it yourself! Have a look at my post Pickled Chili Garlic Sauce which works perfectly for this dish.
Thanks for the receipe, I think this is the best I have tried. Dunlop’s, for me lacked a bit of flavour, which the addition of your dark soy adds. Super versatile on the veg too! Only thing I might change is adding a little less starch in the sauce as mine quickly went really thick, but thats my fault most likely! Thanks again and great site btw…really useful!
My pleasure to share!
Made this and it was delicious the whole family loved it ❤️ Thank you for posting x
My pleasure to share! ❤️