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 squash 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’ markets, 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. In North America, it’s also called kabocha squash or Japanese pumpkin.

The green outer skin is tough, but you’d be surprised by the outstanding sweetness of the deep yellow-orange flesh on the inside. Kabocha has a rich texture and flavor that is similar to a sweet potato and 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’ll Love Kabocha Pork Stir-Fry

• Easy and quick to prepare!
• Full of flavor — Make sure to cook extra rice for the second serving.
• Good make-ahead meal — Make a big batch and freeze it for later. It’s perfect for emergency days.
• Nutritious and packed with protein.
• Customizable seasonings — You can make it sweeter or spicier, to your liking.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Kabocha squash
• Ground pork — ground chicken or turkey would also work; for vegetarians, substitute with seitan or minced mushrooms
• Stir-fry seasoning — sake, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and gochujang (Korean chili paste or other chili sauce; use miso for a non-spicy version)

How to Make Kabocha Pork Stir-Fry

1. Marinate the ground meat in a bowl with the pork marinade.
2. Cut the kabocha into thin slices and pre-cook in the microwave covered with a paper towel.
3. Stir-fry the pork in a large skillet over medium heat until it’s almost done.
4. Add the kabocha and cover to steam until tender.
5. Add the pork seasoning and toss everything together.

Cooking Tips

Tip #1: Marinate the Meat

Ground meat, especially pork, can get dry as moisture and juice escape during cooking. Coating the meat with potato starch (or cornstarch) helps to prevent this. A quick 5-10 minutes is all you need while prepping other ingredients.

Sake, soy sauce, and potato starch is a common pork marinade for the meat. You do not need a lot. Just a thin coating is more than enough to give the meat a silky coating. Too much potato starch could make the sauce too thick.

Tip #2: Pre-cook the Kabocha

Kabocha takes some time to cook through. When it’s done cooking, it can break easily. Therefore, I highly recommend pre-cooking the kabocha to give it a head start. Then, add the kabocha to the dish and cook it together with other ingredients so it can soak up all the flavors.

Tip #3: Adjust the Seasonings

Feel free to adjust the spiciness and sweetness to taste. You can completely omit gochujang from the sauce mixture if you are not used to spicy food. I slowly increased the amount of gochujang so my kids developed a tolerance 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.

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Kabocha Pork Stir-Fry

4.80 from 92 votes

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

Print Pin

Video

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, 312 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

Calories: 348 kcal · Carbohydrates: 18 g · Protein: 17 g · Fat: 23 g · Saturated Fat: 7 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 4 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 9 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 61 mg · Sodium: 562 mg · Potassium: 813 mg · Fiber: 2 g · Sugar: 5 g · Vitamin A: 2141 IU · Vitamin C: 21 mg · Calcium: 61 mg · Iron: 2 mg

Author: Namiko Hirasawa Chen

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.