featured 6716

Thai-Style Peanut Pork Recipe: Savory Stir-Fry with Crunchy Peanuts

This Thai-inspired Peanut Pork is cooked in one pan and melts in the mouth. The pork slowly braises in a rich sauce of coconut milk, peanut butter and warming spices, then is finished with fresh beansprouts and coriander.
It’s comforting, easy to make and perfect for cooler evenings.

Close up photo of Thai style peanut pork in a bowl with rice

Home-cooked and satisfying, this Thai Style Peanut Pork isn’t diet food but it’s packed with flavour. Slow cooking transforms pork shoulder into tender, succulent meat in a sauce that’s both comforting and distinctly Thai-inspired.

📋 What do we need?

overhead photo of Ingredients for peanut pork laid out on wooden board.

Pork shoulder is ideal here: the marbling melts during long, slow cooking so the meat becomes tender and juicy. The sauce combines coconut milk and peanut butter with lime and fish sauce for a balanced, aromatic finish.

📺 Watch how to make it

Full recipe with detailed steps is in the recipe card at the end of this post.

  1. Sear the diced pork shoulder in a hot pan.
  2. Add chopped onion, then stir in the spices, garlic and ground ginger.
  3. Pour in stock, coconut milk, stir in peanut butter and fish sauce, then bring to a gentle simmer.
  4. Cover, then transfer to the oven.
  5. Bake at 170°C / 325°F for 90–120 minutes until the pork is falling-apart tender.
  6. Finish with lime juice and fresh beansprouts, then garnish before serving.

👩‍🍳PRO TIP Use a heavy cast-iron casserole for the best heat retention and browning.

Close up overhead shot of Thai style peanut pork in a bowl with rice.

Finish with fresh coriander and sliced chillies. The flavours mellow and deepen as the dish rests, and leftovers reheat beautifully.

At this time of year many readers are craving hearty, slow-cooked meals. Rich casseroles and braises are popular because they deliver comfort and flavour with minimal hands-on time.

A white pot filled with beef bourguignon containing chunks of beef, carrots, pearl onions, and garnished with parsley. A serving spoon rests inside the pot.

Slow Cooked

Beef Bourguignon

Lamb Bhuna curry in a green bowl on a wooden table

Curries

Lamb Bhuna

White oblong serving bowl filled with chicken casserole

Chicken

Chicken Casserole

Square image of beef goulash in a Dutch Oven pan

Slow Cooked

Beef Goulash

It’s clear many readers are embracing slow-cooked comfort food right now.

🍽️ What to serve it with

I serve this Thai peanut pork with boiled rice, steamed tenderstem broccoli and a spoonful of sweet chilli sauce. It also works well:

  • with homemade fried rice, or
  • as a filling for a jacket potato if you like something different.
A close up photo of Thai Style Peanut Pork in a white bowl with a sprinkling of fresh coriander.

Stay updated with new recipes! Subscribe to the newsletter to get new posts, and follow for videos and behind-the-scenes content.

Overhead photo of thai style peanut pork on a bed of rice in a white bowl.

Thai Style Peanut Pork Recipe

This simple Thai-inspired peanut pork melts in the mouth. Made with peanut butter, spices and coconut milk, it’s easy and delicious.
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 2 hrs 15 mins
Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 4 – 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian, Thai

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 1 kg (2.2 lbs) diced lean pork shoulder
  • 1 onion, peeled and chopped
  • 2 tbsp ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp garlic salt
  • 300 ml (1¼ cups) chicken or vegetable stock
  • 400 ml (14 oz) can full-fat coconut milk
  • 2 heaped tbsp peanut butter
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 100 g (1 cup) beansprouts (fresh or drained canned)

To Serve:

  • boiled rice
  • fresh coriander, roughly torn
  • green chillies, chopped (I use Fresno)
  • chilli flakes (optional)
  • steamed tenderstem broccoli (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 170°C / 325°F (fan). Heat the oil in a large casserole on high until hot.
  • Add the pork and brown on all sides, about 6–8 minutes.
  • Reduce to medium, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened.
  • Stir in the ground coriander, cumin, ground ginger and garlic salt.
  • Add the stock, coconut milk, peanut butter and fish sauce. Stir and bring to a gentle simmer.
  • Cover the pan and place in the oven for 90 minutes to 2 hours, until the pork falls apart. Check in the last hour and add a splash of water if the sauce looks too dry.
  • Remove from the oven, stir in the lime juice and add the beansprouts.
  • Return to the oven for 10 minutes, then remove and stir. Serve over boiled rice, garnished with coriander and chillies or chilli flakes to taste.

Notes

Nutritional information is approximate per serving and based on the recipe serving six, without rice, coriander or chilli.

Nutrition

Calories: 488 kcal |
Carbohydrates: 12 g |
Protein: 45 g |
Fat: 30 g |
Saturated Fat: 16 g |
Fiber: 2 g |
Sugar: 4 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used only as an approximation.

🍲 More fantastic Thai Inspired Recipes

We love those classic Thai flavours. Here are some other favourites to try.

Prawn Pad Thai on a dark plate

Asian

Pad Thai

Thai Fishcake Bites and vegetable ribbons on a dark plate

Asian

Thai Fish Cakes

A bowl of beef massaman curry with rice on a dark background

Asian

Beef Massaman Curry

This post was first published in January 2017 and has been updated with new photos and improvements to the recipe. Nutritional data and details may be revised over time.

Some links on the original site may be affiliate links. Nutritional information is approximate and can vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.