15 Ground Pork Recipes That Are Ready in 40 Minutes or Less

Fast and flavorful dinners to make this week.

By
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud

Devan Grimsrud is a Berlin-based writer, editor, and recipe developer originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. After working in television production with James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Zimmern, she relocated to Berlin and became the managing editor at Kitchen Stories, an international digital cooking platform with millions of active users. 

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Published July 17, 2025
Devan Grimsrud
Rice Bowl Recipe with Pork - pork rice bowl with fork
Nick Evans

When I'm planning to swing by the grocery store on the way home from a busy day, I'm often in need of a quick-cooking protein to put on the table, and ground meat is my go-to. It's not only versatile and fast to cook, but delicious as well. Ground beef is one of my favorites because it's old reliable, but ground pork is a very close second. I like the richness it offers—the last thing you have to worry about is your dish being dry when ground pork is involved.

So to celebrate this humble staple of the dinner proteins that often gets ousted by ground beef, I've collected our best recipes you can make with ground pork, plus a handful that call for ground beef where you can easily make the swap. They take no more than 40 minutes start to finish, and most take between 10 and 30 minutes. I hope they'll become new favorites for you.

  • Egg Roll in a Bowl

    Overhead view of a bowl of egg roll in a bowl next to two forks and bowl of sliced green onions

    Simply Recipes / Jessica Furniss

    "I love this recipe because it uses four easy-to-find ingredients and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. Ground meat, a bag of coleslaw mix, soy sauce, and ginger are pretty much all you need to make this dish. It’s on repeat in my house because it’s a nutrient-dense meal that tastes like fried food."—Jessica Furniss, Recipe Developer

  • 20-Minute Pork and Garlic Noodles

    Overhead view of a cast iron skillet of pork and garlic noodles with tongs

    Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

    "This recipe is very flexible! It’s also a great way to clean out your produce drawer by adding any vegetable you’d like. Bok choy, broccoli, spinach, carrots, peppers, and bean sprouts are some of my favorites to throw in the pan with the meat."—Danielle Campbell, Recipe Developer

  • Danish Pork Burgers

    A plate of Danish-style pork burgers, ready to serve and eat

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "These burgers aren't hamburgers made out of ground pork. They are more like large, flattened Swedish meatballs."—Elise Bauer, Founder

  • Easy Pork Fried Rice

    A black skillet with prepared pork fried rice recipe inside. Steam is coming up from the dish and a spatula is resting in the rice on the left side.

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans | Art Banner Credit: Andy Christensen

    "Frozen peas and carrots makes it easy to make this fried rice any time of the year–just add the vegetables straight from the freezer to your skillet when you get to that step."—Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 5 of 15 below

  • 4-Ingredient Scallion Pasta

    Two bowls of scallion pasta on a table, with forks nearby

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Samantha Seneviratne

    "While I love this recipe as is—no toppings or mix-ins in sight—if you want to get more protein or make it a bit heartier, top the pasta with pan-fried ground pork."—Devan Grimsrud, Recipe Developer

  • Mapo Tofu

    Plate of Mapo Tofu Served Over Rice at a Table Setting With a Spoon on a Napkin and a Bowl of Rice

    Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

    "Silken tofu is the creamiest, softest variety of tofu. Although this recipe calls for silken tofu for its smooth and silky texture that blends seamlessly with the saucy texture, soft tofu will work as well. Avoid firm or extra firm tofu."—Frank Tiu, Recipe Developer

  • Ginger Pork Rice Bowls

    Rice Bowl Recipe with Pork - pork rice bowl with fork

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

    "I love the combination of cucumber and carrot in my rice bowl, but let your imagination run wild here OR use this recipe as a base to clean out the fridge a bit. You could put almost any veggie in this bowl to accompany the pork and rice."—Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

  • Pork Stir Fry With Green Onion

    A plate of pork and green onion stir-fry

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "The following stir-fried pork recipe couldn't be easier. All you need is lean pork (or ground pork), some green onions, garlic, and a simple marinade."—Elise

    Continue to 9 of 15 below

  • Walking Taco Casserole

    Walking taco casserole in a casserole dish with a spoon (casserole dish missing some casserole / some of the casserole was already served)

    Simply Recipes / Karishma Pradhan

    "You can absolutely substitute the ground beef for ground pork for even a plant-based version."—Karishma Pradhan, Recipe Developer

  • 10-Minute “Pad Kra Pao”

    Plate of ground beef larb with sliced herbs, garnished with fried onions, surrounded by small bowls of lettuce and lime wedges

    Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

    "You’ll be sautéing ground beef with shallots and curry paste in one skillet without draining off any fat, so it’s best to use lean (like 95/5) ground beef. You can use other ground meats for this recipe–ground dark meat turkey, chicken, or lean ground pork works well."—Ivy Manning, Recipe Developer

  • Chili Beans with Rice

    Chili Beans and Rice on plate

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "Chili beans are beans cooked with a ground meat chili sauce. Chili beans are usually made with pinto beans, though you can also use kidney beans or black beans. The chili sauce uses ground beef, pork, or turkey. We make our chili beans with pinto beans and serve them over rice, but you could serve them with cornbread, in a burrito, or over quinoa."—Elise

  • Best Ever Sloppy Joes

    Sloppy Joe Sandwich on a Plate With the Filling Cascading From the Bun

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    Use pork instead of ground beef for a richer take on the classic sloppy Joe.

    Continue to 13 of 15 below

  • Ground Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry

    Ground beef and broccoli stir fry over rice in a bowl at a table setting with a glass of water, a bowl of sliced scallions, and a bowl of sesame seeds

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower

    Swap ground pork for ground beef in this quick version of the classic beef and broccoli stir-fry.

  • 10-Minute Krapow

    close up of a bowl of Beef Krapow bowl with a fried egg

    Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

    Use ground pork here instead of ground beef.

  • Beef and Broccoli Noodles

    Overhead view of a pot of ground beef, broccoli and noodles on a light blue background

    Simply Recipes / Meghan Splawn

    Instead of lean ground beef, use lean ground pork for this recipe.

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