The best hot and spicy pork recipe — a quick, one‑pot dinner ready in 30 minutes. Tender pork fillet (tenderloin) is sliced into medallions, coated in cornflour and egg, then pan‑fried until golden. A tangy, sweet and spicy sauce made with spring onions, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar and Frank’s RedHot brings everything together.
This dish is a great midweek alternative to takeaway. Serve with rice or noodles and finish with sesame seeds and extra sliced spring onions.
We were inspired by a street‑side restaurant in Vietnam and adapted the flavours using ingredients commonly available in the UK. Frank’s RedHot gives the sauce its heat while brown sugar balances the acidity for a nicely rounded sweet‑and‑sour finish.
How to make a hot and spicy pork dish
📖 Step by Step Recipe
Hot and Spicy Pork
Ingredients
- 450 grams pork fillet, cut into 2cm medallions
- 30 grams cornstarch (or plain flour)
- Black pepper, to season
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 50 grams unsalted butter
- 5 spring onions, chopped (reserve some for serving)
- 1 tsp garlic puree (or 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped)
- 148 ml Frank’s RedHot Sauce
- 140 grams brown sugar
- Sesame seeds, to serve
Instructions
- Place the pork medallions in a bowl. Sprinkle with cornstarch and season with black pepper, tossing to coat evenly.
- Dip each pork medallion into the whisked eggs so they are well coated.
- Heat the olive oil in a wok or heavy pan over medium‑high heat. Fry the coated pork for about 3–4 minutes per side until browned. Remove and keep covered.
- Add the rice wine vinegar and butter to the pan to deglaze, scraping the browned bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon for about 1 minute.
- Stir in most of the chopped spring onions, add the garlic and Frank’s RedHot sauce. Cook and stir for 2–3 minutes.
- Add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved. Return the cooked pork to the pan and warm through for another 2–3 minutes so the meat soaks up the sauce.
- Serve over rice or noodles. Garnish with the remaining spring onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Notes
Pork fillet (tenderloin) is a lean, very tender cut that works well for quick frying. If you can’t get fillet, use diced pork loin or trimmed shoulder. Pork chops can also be used—remove bones and fat, then cut into strips.
Cornstarch can be substituted with plain flour if preferred.
Tips
- Coating the pork in cornflour and egg creates a thin crust that keeps the interior tender and helps the meat hold onto the sauce.
- Deglazing the pan with vinegar and butter lifts the flavorful residue from cooking and thickens the sauce naturally.
- Adjust the amount of Frank’s RedHot to control the heat level.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 518 kcal • Carbs: 43 g • Protein: 26 g • Fat: 27 g • Sugar: 34 g • Sodium: 1239 mg
Updated on 12/03/2025 to improve layout and user experience.
What is pork fillet?
Pork fillet, also called pork tenderloin or pork steak, is a long, thin, very tender cut that slices neatly into small 2cm medallions. Its leanness and tenderness make it ideal for quick frying.
Substitutes
Use diced pork loin or trimmed pork shoulder as alternatives. Pork chops work too if you remove bones and fat and slice into strips. You can also swap pork for another meat or poultry to suit your preference.
Frying pork
Coating pork in cornflour (or flour) and egg slows the cooking of the outer surface and keeps the interior tender. The crust formed also soaks up and holds the sauce when the pork is returned to the pan.
After frying, keep the pork aside — it will be returned to the sauce to finish.
Deglaze
Don’t throw away the browned bits left in the pan — they are full of flavour. Deglaze the pan with rice wine vinegar and butter, scraping up the residue with a wooden spoon. This becomes the base of the sauce and helps thicken it naturally.
Add the garlic and most of the spring onions at this stage, saving some for garnish.
Hot and spicy sauce for pork
The key spicy element in this recipe is Frank’s RedHot sauce, a cayenne‑based hot sauce with a bright, acidic heat. Because it is acidic, we balance it with brown sugar to achieve a sweet‑and‑sour profile that complements the pork.
Once the sugar dissolves and the sauce is glossy, add the cooked pork back to the pan so it soaks up the sauce and becomes sticky and rich.
Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced spring onions. We served ours with basmati rice, but jasmine sticky rice or noodles both work well.
More Asian Recipes
Try other Asian dishes such as Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings, Singapore Rice Noodles, or Thai Green Beef Curry for more weeknight inspiration.
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Singapore Noodles Recipe
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Prawn Pad Thai Noodles
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Prawn Tacos with Sweet Chilli Sauce
