Chinjao Rosu (Japanese Style Pepper Steak Stir Fry)

Name: Chinjao Rosu (Japanese Style Pork and Pepper Stir Fry)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 250 g boneless pork chop; 150 g boiled bamboo shoots (Julienne, 5mm thick); 150 g bell pepper (Julienne, 5mm thick); 15 g ginger root; 2 cloves garlic (Thinly sliced); 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil (for frying); 1 egg; 2 tbsp cornstarch (or potato starch); 2 tsp sake; 2 pinches salt; 1 pinch ground black pepper; 1 tsp soy sauce; 1 tsp toasted sesame oil; 2 tbsp oyster sauce; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tsp sugar; 2 tsp Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder (granules); 1 tbsp water; slurry (1 tsp water + a pinch of corn starch / potato starch)

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What is Chinjao Rosu?

Chinjao rosu is a delicious dish made with thin strips of pork or beef, bell peppers, and bamboo shoots stir-fried in a simple yet flavourful sauce made with soy sauce, oyster sauce, and chicken stock powder.

Although cutting all the ingredients into thin slices is a little time-consuming, the cooking time is extremely short, making this a great dish to prep in advance if you want something easy and delicious for dinner.

Chinjao Rosu is often served in Chinese restaurants, made at home, and even served in bento lunchboxes. Even though kids in Japan are famously known for disliking green peppers (piman), the simple and tasty sauce makes this dish a firm family favorite in Japan!

Chinjao Rosu Japanese pork and pepper stir fry served on a black plate with chopsticks on a fan shaped rest

How I Developed This Recipe

When creating this Chinjo Rosu recipe, my aim was to replicate the ease and simplicity of preparation you’d find in a typical Chinese restaurant in Japan.

To achieve this, I’ve streamlined the process to be as user-friendly as possible, and the entire recipe takes only about 20 minutes from start to finish, making it quick!

I encourage you to try making this Chinjao Rosu at home. It’s a satisfying way to add a homemade touch to your meals, bringing a burst of flavor to your table with minimal effort.

Chinjao Rosu Japanese pork and pepper stir fry close up

Ingredients & Substitution Ideas

Boneless Pork Chop or Beef: Choose pork shoulder/butt for juiciness or loin/tenderloin for a leaner option. For beef, flank, sirloin, or round steak are good choices. Thinly slice the beef to avoid toughness when stir-fried.
Bell Peppers: Mix red, yellow, orange, and green for a balance of sweet and slightly bitter flavors.
Bamboo Shoots: Adds crunch, which is typical of Japanese Chinjao Rosu.
Ginger & Garlic: Essential for enhancing flavor.
Sesame Oil: Kadoya’s sesame oil is recommended for a subtle taste in marinades.
Marinade for Velveting: Combine egg, cornstarch, sake, black pepper, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
Sauce Ingredients: Oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder, water, and cornstarch.

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Chinjao Rosu Japanese pork and pepper stir fry served on a black plate with rice top down view

Visual Walkthrough & Tips

Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Chinjao Rosu at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.

STEP

Tenderize the pork

In this recipe, I use pork loin. It’s quite lean but has a thick rim of fat that adds extra flavor to the dish. To speed up the cooking time and tenderize the meat, I start by pounding the pork with a rolling pin until it’s about 1cm (1/2 inch) thick.

Once you reach the desired thickness, cut into strips about 1/2 – 1cm thick. Cutting the meat thin will add uniformity to the dish and speed up the cooking process.

pork chops cut into strips on wooden chopping board

STEP

Velveting the meat

Next, take a large mixing bowl and whisk an egg. Once the whites and yolks have combined, add the pork strips, sake, salt and soy sauce.

coating pork in egg, sake, salt and soy sauce

Add cornstarch (or potato starch) and mix thoroughly.

Finally, add a drizzle of sesame oil and set the bowl aside until it’s ready to cook.

adding sesame oil to the pork and egg mixture

STEP

Prepare the vegetables

One of the key features of Chinjao Rosu is that everything is cut into thin strips. Not only does this keep down the cooking time, but it also improves the presentation.

Julienne the bell peppers, bamboo shoots, and ginger. The ginger should be especially thin. I also thinly slice the garlic, but you can crush it if you prefer.

Finely chopped bell peppers in a bowl — I cut the bell peppers in 5mm strips.

Cutting ginger into 2mm strips — Fresh ginger should be about 2mm thick.

STEP

Make the sauce

In a small bowl, add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, chicken stock powder, and water. Mix well until the sugar has dissolved.

Mix a small amount of cold water and cornstarch (or potato starch) in a smaller bowl to make a slurry. Pour the slurry into the sauce, mix well, and set it near the stove ready for later.

chinajo rosu sauce in a small glass bowl

I make the slurry separately to prevent any lumps of starch in the sauce. If you mix it in a separate bowl, you can ensure it’s smooth before pouring it into the sauce.

STEP

Fry the pork

Heat a wok on medium-high, and once it’s hot, add 1 tbsp of sesame oil and the contents of the bowl of pork. The egg mixture will create a beautiful golden crust on the pork that will absorb the sauce later.

Once the pork is cooked through, transfer it to a plate and set aside for later. This is important to avoid overcooking.

STEP

Fry the vegetables

Using the same wok, add an extra drizzle of sesame oil and add the bamboo shoots. Fry for a few minutes.

frying bamboo shoots in wok for chinjao rosu

Add the bell peppers, ginger and garlic and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.

frying red and green bell peppers in wok for chinjao rosu

Next, add the pork back in and mix everything together.

adding pork back to wok for chinjao rosu

STEP

Add the sauce

Turn off the heat, give the sauce a final mix (to ensure the starch hasn’t sunk to the bottom) and then pour it around the wok. Mix well, allowing the sauce to heat through and thicken using the residual heat.

By turning off the stove, we prevent the sauce from becoming overcooked and sticky, instead it should be slightly thickened and glossy.

STEP

Serve

Transfer the contents of the wok to serving plates and enjoy!

I recommend serving Chinjao Rosu with a bowl of freshly cooked rice.

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How to Store

Chinjao Rosu is a great dish for meal prep. Simply cut all the vegetables and store them in an airtight container with a sheet of kitchen paper to absorb any excess moisture. This will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge.

The pork can be cut and “velveted” in advance, but I don’t recommend keeping it any longer than 24 hours. In other words, you can prepare everything the night before ready for tomorrow’s dinner!

Got leftovers? Store them in a microwavable container and keep in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Make sure to reheat until piping hot before eating.

FAQ

What is the Origin of Chinjao Rosu in Japan?

You might be able to tell from the name, but the origin of this dish is not Japanese. Chinjao Rosu (チンジャオロース) is the Japanese pronunciation of a Fujian Chinese dish called “Qīngjiāo Ròusī” (青椒炒肉絲), which means stir-fried pepper and shredded pork.
Chinjao rosu is said to have originated in Guizhou and Hunan provinces in China in the late 18th century, took root in Sichuan in the 19th century, and then spread throughout China.
The dish was first introduced in the early 1950s by famous chef Chen Jianmin, who came to Japan to promote Sichuan cuisine. He introduced many Chinese dishes in an accessible way that suited Japanese tastes and were suitable for home cooking. This is the reason why dishes such as Mapo Tofu (Mabo Dofu) and Ebi Chili (Shrimps in Chili sauce), just to name a few, are Japanese family favorites even to this day.
Chinjao rosu is popular not only in Asia but also around the world and is similar to the Chinese-American dish “Pepper Steak,” which uses beef instead of pork. In China, the dish is better known for being made with pork, and a beef version of the dish would be called “Qīngjiāo Niúròu” (青椒牛肉), which means stir-fried pepper and beef.
Japanese Chinjao Rosu is influenced by the American style, which is characterized by beef being coated in a thick sauce; however, it is not uncommon to use pork, too, as I do in this recipe! There’s more about whether to use beef or pork in the detailed ingredient list below!

Should I Use Cooking Sake Or Drinking Sake?

If you come across a recipe that calls for “sake,” it might be confusing to choose the right type, as some recipes mention regular or cooking sake. However, on Sudachi, “sake” means pure sake without any added salt. So, if you use cooking sake which contains salt, adjust the recipe’s salt content accordingly. It is worth noting that all dishes on Sudachi are made using drinking sake.
If you want to learn more about sake in Japanese cooking, please refer to the Sake 101 post written by a professional chef with 30+ years of experience in the industry. It offers valuable information on how to choose the right type of sake and its substitutes.

Chinjao Rosu Japanese pork and pepper stir fry served on a black plate with chopsticks

I hope you enjoy this Chinjao Rosu recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!