Japanese Miso and Honey Glazed Pork

By
Judy Ung
Judy Ung
Food writer, recipe developer, and blogger who has published hundreds of Japanese home-cooking recipes.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 04/13/22
Japanese Miso and Honey Glazed Pork on lettuce leaves on a plate

The Spruce / Julia Estrada

Prep: 45 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 60 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
307 Calories
13g Fat
16g Carbs
32g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 307
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g 16%
Saturated Fat 4g 18%
Cholesterol 91mg 30%
Sodium 532mg 23%
Total Carbohydrate 16g 6%
Dietary Fiber 2g 5%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 32g
Vitamin C 3mg 16%
Calcium 34mg 3%
Iron 1mg 8%
Potassium 524mg 11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Miso and honey glazed pork is a wonderful alternative to the traditional Japanese dish of ginger pork, also known as "buta no shoga yaki."

This miso pork is cooked and then wrapped in either green leafy lettuce or Japanese shungiku (crown daisy greens) for a fresh take on enjoying meat. If you'd rather not wrap the meat; simply serve the pork with a side of traditional thinly sliced (or shredded) green cabbage.

Thinly sliced pork loin is a quick and easy Japanese dish that is served at restaurants but is more popular as a family meal. It is also a common bento lunch item, and if you have any leftovers they will make a great bento the next day.

You can use white or awase miso for this recipe, which is a combination of white and red miso.

Ingredients

For the Miso Honey Sauce:

  • 3 tablespoons miso, white miso or awase miso

  • 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar

  • 2 tablespoons honey

  • 1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic

  • 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

  • 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

  • Salt, to taste, optional, as miso paste is salty

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste, optional

  • 2 green onions, Japanese nira, or garlic chives

For Pork and Lettuce Wraps:

  • 1 pound (450 grams) pork, sukiyaki-cut, other medium thin sliced pork, or 6 to 8 pieces of thicker pork loins

  • 6 lettuce leaves, or Japanese shungiku crown daisy greens, for wrapping the pork

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Japanese Miso and Honey Glazed Pork ingredients on a marble counter

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  2. Make the miso sauce marinade. In a small bowl, combine miso, sugar, honey, minced garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste (optional). If you'd like to add green onion (or "nira" garlic chives), chop finely, then add to the marinade and mix well. If you like, reserve some of the chopped green onion for garnish.

    green onions, miso, sugar, honey, minced garlic, ginger, and sesame oil in a bowl

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  3. If you are using thicker pork loin cuts instead of the medium thin (or sukiyaki cut) sliced pork, be sure to cut the thicker loins in half with a horizontal cut to make them slightly thinner. Generously brush each slice of pork with the miso sauce and then stack the slices one on top of the other in a  deep dish or bowl to marinate.

    pork and marinade in a large glass bowl

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  4. Marinate the pork for 20 to 30 minutes. If you don't have time to marinate the pork, the pork may be cooked with the sauce and still have good flavor.

    pork and marinade in a large glass bowl that's covered with plastic wrap

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  5. In a nonstick pan over high heat, sear pork until done and the sauce has browned slightly. 

    Marinated pork cooking in a pan on a burner

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  6. Serve the miso pork with a side of green leafy lettuce or Japanese shungiku and wrap the pork with the greens and then enjoy.

    Japanese Miso and Honey Glazed Pork served with lettuce on a plate

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

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