28 Ground Pork Recipes For When You're Bored With Beef
We’re all about ground meat—it’s cheap, simple to cook with, versatile, and makes feeding a crowd super-easy. Though ground beef, chicken, and turkey are the standards, we implore you to add ground pork to your weeknight rotation. There’s a good reason ground pork shows up in so many classic recipes from around the world—it’s lean and flavorful, and can add lovely moisture and a slight sweetness to your meals. From apps to soups to mains, ground pork can do it all!
The best thing about ground pork is that it truly can be subbed into almost any recipe you can think of that calls for ground meat. That said, it’s also the star of a number of specific recipes from around the globe, like Canadien tourtiere, British sausage rolls, Chinese dan dan noodles or mapo tofu, Mexican chiles en nogada, Creole dirty rice, or Italian meatballs. If you’ve been feeling stuck and are looking for some new ways to use ground pork, these recipes are a great place to start.
Speaking of meatballs, one of our greatest tips for using ground pork is actually to combine it with ground beef. It’s the trick to turning standards like meatballs, meatloaf, and lasagna into decadent, special occasion-worthy dishes. Try it yourself next time you’ve got a recipe that calls for only one or the other—you won’t be disappointed.
Want more pork inspiration? Check out our favorite pork recipes, our top pork tenderloin recipes, and our best sausage recipes too.
Ginger Pork Pot Stickers
Looking for a weekend project? We suggest these super-flavorful (and surprisingly easy) pot stickers! Need a primer? Check out how to make homemade dumplings.
Get the Ginger Pork Pot Stickers recipe.
Homemade Lasagna
Based on the traditional lasagna alla Bolognese from the Emilia-Romagna province in Italy, we grabbed what we loved most about the timeless, classic recipe and simplified it to make it weeknight-friendly.
Get the Homemade Lasagna recipe.
Egg Roll Bowls
If you're a fan of crispy, savory egg rolls, then you might consider this unwrapped version your dream lunch. Without the need to wrap or fry, this veggie-packed meal comes together in well under an hour. Garnish with crispy raw scallions, toasted sesame seeds, and plenty of sriracha or chili oil.
Get the Egg Roll Bowls recipe.
Dirty Rice
Dirty rice (or rice dressing as it’s referred to in the bayou) is a delicious Louisiana staple made mainly of rice, ground pork sausage, ground beef, the holy trinity of vegetables (onion, bell pepper, and celery). Say goodbye to boring rice!
Get the Dirty Rice recipe.
Dan Dan Noodles
Originating from Chinese Sichuan cooking, these noodles were named for the carrying pole (aka dan dan) that street vendors used to carry baskets of noodles and sauce. American versions are usually more saucy than soupy, and often include sesame paste, peanut butter, or tahini, like ours does.
Get the Dan Dan Noodles recipe.
Meatloaf
The epitome of a classic, reliable dinner, meatloaf can be many things to different people. For some, it's a dependable weeknight dinner; for others, a nostalgic comfort food from childhood. Whatever it is for you, one thing is for sure: Your go-to recipe should be simple and dependable. This is that recipe.
Get the Meatloaf recipe.
Sausage Balls
Many of you might be thinking: Wait, what even is a sausage ball?! The answer: addictive bites of cooked pork sausage, cheddar, and Bisquick that will be the most popular appetizer at your party.
Get the Sausage Balls recipe.
Mapo Tofu
Disclaimer: “Authentic” mapo tofu is hard to perfect without a flaming hot wok above a fire and some hard-to-find ingredients. Never fear, we've made some concessions, and this one is still delicious. Just make sure to serve it with rice to help sop up all that yummy sauce!
Get the Mapo Tofu recipe.
Classic Italian Meatballs
The perfect meatball must be tender, packed with flavor, nicely round, and hold together while cooking. Don't get us wrong, there's nothing wrong with all beef, but using a trio of ground beef, ground pork, and Italian sausage guarantees a much more complex flavor.
Get the Classic Italian Meatballs recipe.
Wonton Soup
Not only does this dumpling soup come together in a flash, it's also super-satisfying without weighing you down. If you'd like to add some veggies to this soup, try dropping some quartered bok choy into the boiling broth a couple minutes before serving.
Get the Wonton Soup recipe.
Pork Fried Rice
Fried rice is a classic, not in the least because it's SO versatile. Aside from the rice and the eggs, everything can be substituted. This is our favorite recipe using ground pork, but feel free to get creative with it.
Get the Pork Fried Rice recipe.
Sausage Rolls
If you like pigs in a blanket, you’ll fall hard for sausage rolls. Featuring juicy pork filling wrapped in flaky golden brown pastry, these savory snacks are sure to become your new favorite party food.
Get the Sausage Rolls recipe.
Homemade Dumplings
Take your time and give this homemade dumpling process lots of love—餃子 (jiao zi) are often made in the company of loved ones around Chinese New Year to celebrate families gathering together. May each one bring you a bite-sized pocket of blessing!
Get the Homemade Dumplings recipe.
Sweet 'N' Spicy Pork Lettuce Wraps
Looking for a healthy recipe that's not salad? These sweet and spicy pork lettuce wraps are the answer. They're slightly rich and flavor-packed, with plenty of crunchy vegetables to balance it out.
Get the Sweet 'n' Spicy Pork Lettuce Wraps recipe.
Copycat PF Chang's Wonton Soup
A lot of wonton soups tend to just be wontons and broth. Sometimes there will be noodles or some sliced scallions, but it tends to be a pretty minimalist dish. The PF Chang's version is for those who want more, more, and then some more.
Get the Copycat PF Chang's Wonton Soup recipe.
Chiles En Nogada
This traditional Mexican dish of stuffed poblano peppers, is thought of as one of Mexico’s most patriotic dishes due to the fact that the green of the poblanos, the red of the pomegranate seeds, and the white salsa de nogada make up the colors of the Mexican flag. TMYK!
Get the Chiles En Nogada recipe.
Soup Dumplings
We absolutely LOVE dumplings, and xiaolongbao, the Chinese version filled with ground pork and gelatinized pork broth, are some of the best. Traditional pork bones can be hard to find, so we've subbed in gelatin and whatever broth you like. Trust us, once heated up, these dumplings are still just as heavenly.
Get the Soup Dumplings recipe.
Keto Breakfast Cups
Not into making your own breakfast sausage? Buy it premade! (Just make sure there's no sugar added if you're keto.)
Get the Keto Breakfast Cups recipe.
Tourtiere
Originally from Quebec, this pie is traditionally made in a “tourtiere” dish and eaten during Christmas. It’s been around for hundreds of years and has yet to lose its meaty luster. You can’t go to Quebec without trying a slice, nor should you leave any flaky crumbs behind.
Get the Tourtiere recipe.
Air Fryer Egg Rolls
Once we discovered the magic of the air fryer, we knew we had to develop an egg roll recipe for our new favorite gadget. Quick to make and even easier to clean up, this recipe uses less oil than the usual deep-fried versions, making it one of our new go-to dishes for an easy snack or appetizer.
Get the Air Fryer Egg Rolls recipe.
Asian Sloppy Joes
Sesame oil and hoisin are the twist to your favorite weeknight dinner you didn't know you needed. You've never had a sloppy Joe like this before—try this recipe, and you might never make them the old way again.
Get the Asian Sloppy Joes recipe.
Cheese-Stuffed Buffalo-Mustard Meatballs
It's not every day you come across a cheese-stuffed meatball, but we are sure glad we did. These pork-and-beef meatballs are so tender and juicy, and get glazed with buffalo-style mustard that will remind you of your favorite Buffalo chicken wings.
Get the Cheese-Stuffed Buffalo-Mustard Meatballs recipe.
Garlic Sriracha Pork Stir Fry
When you want to zest up your average stir fry, hot sauce is always the answer. Sriracha and soy sauce are an A+ combo.
Get the Garlic Sriracha Pork Stir Fry recipe.
Dumpling Meatballs
When a craving strikes for dumplings or pot stickers, but you don't have time to painstakingly fold dumplings all day, make these meatballs.
Get the Dumpling Meatballs recipe.
Sausage Gravy
This refers to the “gravy” part of the classic Southern breakfast dish biscuits and gravy. Unlike the gravy you’d see on a Thanksgiving table, this sauce is lighter in color and much thicker. Sausage fat takes the place of turkey drippings, and the sauce is intended to be super-thick, so there's no need to add stock.
Get the Sausage Gravy recipe.
Meatball Subs
At the center of this dish are our homemade meatballs, made from a combo of diced celery, carrots, onion, garlic, beef, AND pork. Using two different meats gives an added dimension of flavor that really take these meatballs over the top.
Get the Meatball Subs recipe.
Meatball Lasagna
This lasagna starts with making meatballs—and this is crucial—from three different types of meat: ground beef, veal, and pork. Once they’re cooked to perfection, they get mixed in with a lot of ricotta, then assembled in three layers with lasagna noodles, Parmesan, and a good ol’ can of Ragu.
Get the Meatball Lasagna recipe.
Asian Glazed Meatballs With Peanut Noodles
These spicy-sweet meatballs are nothing short of amazing. If you're not a fan of spicy food, feel free to reduce the amount of garlic chili sauce or leave it out completely! Looking for similar recipes? You've got to try our dan dan noodles next.
Get the Asian Glazed Meatballs With Peanut Noodles recipe.
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