Kabocha Pork Stir-Fry (Video) かぼちゃのそぼろ炒め

Kabocha Pork Stir Fry is a simple yet satisfying dish you’ll enjoy when kabocha is in season. It’s a one-pan wonder for a weeknight dinner!

Fall is here and all I can think about is all things kabocha. Soups, desserts, salads – it can do it all. In Japan, kabocha is enjoyed year-round, but here in the US, you can definitely spot this Japanese pumpkin in farmers market, local pumpkin growers, and mainstream grocery stores when it’s in season.

Today I’m sharing a healthy, delicious, yet lifesaving recipe – Kabocha Pork Stir Fry (かぼちゃのそぼろ炒め).

What is Kabocha

Kabocha (かぼちゃ, 南瓜) is a type of winter squash, a Japanese variety of the species Cucurbita maxima. It is also called kabocha squash or Japanese pumpkin in North America.

The green outer skin may be tough, but you’d be surprised that the deep yellow-orange flesh on the inside is known for its outstanding sweetness. Kabocha has a rich texture and flavor that is almost similar to a sweet potato and a pumpkin combined. Some even describe the flavor as close to roasted chestnut.

We treasure the squash so much that it is used in Japanese cooking where it is simmered in dashi or soups, stewed, stir-fried, deep-fried into tempura, or used in salads and desserts.

Why You Should Make Kabocha Pork Stir Fry

Here are a few things I want to talk about for this dish:

• It’s really easy and quick to prepare!
• So full of flavor! Make sure to cook extra rice for second serving.
• Make a big batch and freeze it for later. It’s perfect for emergency days.
• Nutritious and packed with protein.
• You can make it sweeter or spicier…easily customizable to your liking!

How to Make Kabocha Pork Stir Fry

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Kabocha squash
• Ground pork – ground chicken or turkey would also work. For vegetarians, you can sub with seitan or minced mushrooms.
• Seasonings: sake, soy sauce, oyster sauce, gochujang (other chili sauce for spice; or use miso for non spicy version), sugar

Overview: Steps

1. Marinate the pork.
2. Cut the kabocha and pre-cook in microwave.
3. Stir fry pork until it’s almost done.
4. Add kabocha and cook covered to steam.
5. Add the seasonings and toss everything together.

Helpful Cooking Tips

Tip #1: Marinate the Meat

Ground meat, especially pork, can get dry from cooking as moisture and juice from the meat escape. The common technique to prevent it from happening is to coat the meat with potato starch (or cornstarch). The combination of sake, soy sauce, and potato starch is often used as a marinade for the meat.

You do not need a lot of marinade for this. Just a thin coating would be more than enough to give the meat a silky coating. Too much potato starch could lead to a very thick sauce which you would want to avoid.

A quick 5-10 minutes is all you need while prepping other ingredients.

Tip #2: Pre-cook Kabocha

Kabocha takes some time to cook through. When it’s done cooking, the texture is easily breakable. Therefore I highly recommend pre-cooking kabocha to give it a head start.

Then add the kabocha to the dish, and cook together with other ingredients so the kabocha can soak up all the flavors.

Tip #3: Adjust the Seasonings

Feel free to adjust the spiciness and sweetness as you like. You can completely omit gochujang if your children are not used to spicy flavor. I slowly increase the amount of gochujang so my kids developed the palate for spicy food over time.

This dish also works great with a bit more sweetness. However, if you prefer, you can omit the sugar completely to keep it savory.

Tableware from Musubi Kiln

I’ve partnered with a great ceramic online shop from Japan called Musubi Kiln. You will get 10% off with a coupon code JUSTONECOOKBOOK for your purchase. In this post, I’ve used:

• RINKA Rhombus Usuki Sauce Plate
• Atelier Yu Brilliant flower Kutani Rice Bowl
• Fuji Kutani Chopstick Rest Set

Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.

Kabocha Pork Stir Fry

4.79 from 83 votes

Kabocha Pork Stir-Fry is a simple yet satisfying dish you‘ll enjoy when kabocha is in season. It‘s a one-pan wonder for a weeknight dinner!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmfl5SWz4m0

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Servings: 2

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 clove garlic
• ▢ 6 oz ground pork (or use turkey or chicken; substitute seitan or minced mushrooms for vegetarian)
• ▢ ¼ kabocha squash (11 oz, 213 g; or use butternut or acorn squash)
• ▢ 1 Tbsp neutral oil

For the Pork Marinade

• ▢ ½ tsp soy sauce
• ▢ 1 tsp sake
• ▢ 1 tsp potato starch or cornstarch

For the Stir-Fry Seasoning

• ▢ 1 Tbsp sake
• ▢ 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• ▢ 2 tsp oyster sauce
• ▢ 1 tsp gochujang (Korean chili paste) (you can substitute it with other chili sauce for spicy version; or use miso for non-spicy version)
• ▢ 1 tsp sugar

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• Gather all the ingredients. Cut 1 clove garlic into thin slices.
  

To Make Pork Marinade

• In a medium bowl, combine ½ tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sake, and 1 tsp potato starch or cornstarch and mix it all together.
  
• Add 6 oz ground pork and mix well. Set aside.
  

To Make the Stir-Fry Sauce

• In a small bowl, combine 1 Tbsp sake, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp oyster sauce, and 1 tsp gochujang (Korean chili paste).
  
• Add 1 tsp sugar and mix all together. Set aside.
  

To Prepare Kabocha

• With a spoon, remove the seeds from ¼ kabocha squash. Cut the kabocha block in half so it‘s smaller and easier to slice. Tip: We eat kabocha skin in Japan! If there are tough scars on the skin, shave them off. We remove the skin only when you want to feature the kabocha‘s yellow-orange color, such as kabocha soup or kabocha pie or pudding (the color won‘t be pretty if you mix in the green skin).
  
• Cut the kabocha into thin slices, roughly ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. If the kabocha pieces are too big, cut them in half.
  
• In a microwave-safe glass container, put kabocha slices and 1 Tbsp water. Place a paper towel on top and microwave for 2 minutes (depending on your microwave wattage).
  
• Check the kabocha‘s doneness with a wooden skewer. It should be 80% cooked through (as we will stir-fry later). Do not overcook them because they will break into pieces while stir-frying.
  

To Stir-Fry

• In a large frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp neutral oil on medium heat and cook the garlic until fragrant.
  
• Add the marinated meat and cook until no longer pink.
  
• Add the kabocha slices and coat them with oil.
  
• Cook covered on low heat until the kabocha is fully cooked, roughly 5 minutes.
  
• Insert a skewer to check the doneness. Add the stir-fry seasoning.
  
• Increase the heat and stir-fry to coat the ingredients with the sauce. When the sauce has reduced, it‘s done.
  
• Transfer to a serving dish. Enjoy!
  

To Store

• You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a month.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Kabocha Pork Stir Fry

Amount per Serving

Calories

348

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

23

g

35

%

Saturated Fat

 

7

g

44

%

Trans Fat

 

1

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

4

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

9

g

Cholesterol

 

61

mg

20

%

Sodium

 

562

mg

24

%

Potassium

 

813

mg

23

%

Carbohydrates

 

18

g

6

%

Fiber

 

2

g

8

%

Sugar

 

5

g

6

%

Protein

 

17

g

34

%

Vitamin A

 

2141

IU

43

%

Vitamin C

 

21

mg

25

%

Calcium

 

61

mg

6

%

Iron

 

2

mg

11

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Author: Nami

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: kabocha, pork

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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on September 19, 2011. The post has been updated with new content, new images, and new video in September 2021.