Japanese Shogayaki Ginger Fried Pork (生姜焼き）

This dish is a classic Japanese home recipe. It’s quick, easy and delicious!

What is Shōgayaki?

Shōgayaki is a Japanese recipe where the pork is marinated and fried in ginger. Shōga (生姜) means ginger and yaki (焼き) means fry. Although pork is not mentioned in the name, this dish is made almost exclusively with pork. The full name would be Buta no Shogayaki 豚の生姜焼き) or Ginger Fried Pork.

Some people might use beef or chicken instead, but it’s not common or associated with the name of the dish.

A Brief History of Shōgayaki

Shōgayaki appeared in the early 20th century. Ginger was originally used to soften the smell of pork, which can have quite a strong odor when cooking.

This dish started off as a home dish, but in the 1920’s it’s popularity grew and restaurants began serving it too.

Shōgayaki was a dish invented in Tokyo and spread across the Kantō area, but now it’s one of the most popular pork dishes nationwide!

Benefits of Cooking with Ginger

• The smell of ginger softens the smell of pork and oil
• The spiciness can increase your appetite so it’s a good dish to eat in the summer when your appetite might be lower than usual
• It’s delicious! The ginger sauce is even used in restaurants to garnish steaks and hamburgs!

Check out our video for Japanese Ginger Pork “Buta no Shogayaki”

Japanese Shōgayaki Ginger Fried Pork (生姜焼き）

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5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Yuto Omura
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 2 Servings 1x

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Description

How to make quick, easy and authentic Japanese Ginger Pork!

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

You will need

• 200g pork (see note)
• 1/2 onion
• 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp cornstarch and 1 tsp water mix

For the marinade

• 1 tsp ginger paste or grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp sake (or mirin)
• 1 tsp soy sauce

For the sauce

• 1 tsp ginger paste or grated fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp sake (or extra mirin if you dont want to use sake)
• 1 pinch sugar

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Instructions

1. Marinate the pork in 1 tsp of ginger (grated or paste), 1 tsp soy sauce and 1 tsp sake for at least 10 minutes. (We usually leave it in a bowl and cover with cling film)
2. Cut the onion into thin slices.
3. Heat the frying pan with a little bit of oil and fry the marinated pork until browned on both sides.
4. Once browned add the onion to the pan.
5. When the onions are softened, add the 1 tsp ginger, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sake and a pinch of sugar to the frying pan and mix until everything is coated.
6. If you try to add corn starch straight to the frying pan, you’ll get jelly-like lumps. To prevent this, mix 1 tsp of corn starch with 1-2 tbsp of cold water in a small bowl.
7. As the sauce starts to boil, add the water and cornstarch mix to thicken the sauce. Mix well.
8. If it’s not thick enough you can always repeat step 6, but be careful not to add too much corn starch or the sauce could begin to look a bit milky.
9. Once you reach the desired consistency, turn off the heat and it’s ready to serve!

Notes

We used thinly sliced pork belly but pork loin is most popular. You can use any kind of pork you like!

Shōgayaki is usually served with shredded cabbage and hot rice.

• Category: Pork
• Method: Fry
• Cuisine: Japanese

Keywords: pork,ginger,japanese,japanese cooking,Shōgayaki,pork shogayaki,shogayaki recipe,ginger pork recipe,Japanese recipe,How to make Japanese ginger pork