Kinpira is one of the great workhorse side dishes of the Japanese kitchen — burdock root and carrot cut into thin strips and stir-fried in a sweet-savory soy glaze. This version adds pork belly, which turns the humble side into something substantial enough to headline dinner. The pork lends richness and umami to the earthy burdock, and the whole thing goes brilliantly with a big bowl of white rice.

This is exactly the kind of honest, everyday cooking we make at home — thin supermarket pork belly, a burdock root, half a carrot, and the usual pantry seasonings (our Kyushu sweet soy sauce, cooking sake, mirin, sugar). Nothing fancy, made on the IH cooktop in one pan, and on the table in about fifteen minutes. It also keeps well, so I often make a big batch for bento and leftovers.

A bowl of pork belly kinpira — burdock, carrot, and pork in a sweet-savory glaze topped with sesame seeds

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Hearty enough for a main. Adding pork belly turns a classic side dish into a satisfying meal with rice.
Sweet, savory, and moreish. The soy-mirin glaze on earthy burdock is deeply comforting.
One pan, fifteen minutes. Just a quick stir-fry once everything is cut.
Great for bento and meal prep. It keeps for days and tastes even better the next day.

What is Pork Kinpira?

Kinpira (きんぴら) is a Japanese cooking style: vegetables cut into fine strips and stir-fried, then simmered in a glaze of soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar, usually with a little chili heat. The most famous version is kinpira gobo (burdock and carrot), a staple side dish in home kitchens and bento boxes. Adding pork belly — buta kinpira — is a popular twist that makes it rich and filling enough to serve as a main course.

If you want the classic meat-free version, see my kinpira gobo recipe. And if you like pork with rice, you might also enjoy my pork shogayaki (ginger pork).

Ingredients (Serves 2)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Burdock root (gobo)	1	Shaved or cut into thin strips, soaked in water
Carrot	1/2	Cut into thin matchsticks
Pork belly	150 g	Thinly sliced, cut into bite-sized pieces
Cooking sake (for the pork)	1 tbsp	To marinate
Salt & pepper	A pinch	For the pork
Sesame oil	1 tbsp	For stir-frying
Sesame seeds	To taste	To finish
Sauce
Cooking sake	1.5 tbsp
Mirin	1.5 tbsp
Soy sauce	1.5 tbsp	Kyushu sweet soy sauce here
Sugar	1 tbsp

The seasonings are all Japanese pantry staples: a good Japanese soy sauce, mirin, and toasted sesame oil for that unmistakable kinpira aroma. Burdock (gobo) is the signature vegetable here — look for it at Japanese or Asian groceries. Shave it into thin strips and soak in water for a few minutes to keep it from browning.

How to Make Pork Belly Kinpira

Step 1: Prep the Vegetables and Pork

Shave or cut the burdock into thin strips and soak them in water to draw out the bitterness and stop them browning. Cut the carrot into thin matchsticks and the pork belly into bite-sized pieces.

Prepped ingredients — julienned carrot, sliced pork belly, and shaved burdock draining in a strainer

Step 2: Season the Pork

Put the pork in a bowl and season with the cooking sake and a little salt and pepper. This quick marinade takes the edge off any porkiness and gives the meat a head start on flavor.

Sliced pork belly seasoned with cooking sake, salt, and pepper in a bowl

Step 3: Stir-Fry the Pork

Heat the sesame oil in a pan over medium heat and stir-fry the pork until it’s just cooked and starting to color. The rendered pork fat will flavor the vegetables in the next step.

Seasoned pork belly stir-frying in a pan

Step 4: Add the Vegetables

Drain the burdock well and add it to the pan along with the carrot. Stir-fry over medium heat until the burdock softens slightly and everything is coated in the pork fat — a few minutes.

Burdock and carrot matchsticks added to the pork in the pan

Step 5: Add the Sauce

Pour in the combined cooking sake, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir to coat everything and let it cook down over medium heat. If you like a little heat, add some sliced dried chili at this point.

The soy-mirin sauce added to the pork and vegetables in the pan

Step 6: Glaze and Finish

Keep stir-frying until the liquid has almost evaporated and everything is glossy and glazed. You want it well-coated but not dry. Turn off the heat and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

The pork belly kinpira cooking down until glazed and glossy in the pan

Serve it warm or at room temperature. It’s a perfect partner for rice, and it’s just as good cold from the fridge the next day.

Finished pork belly kinpira served in a blue-and-white bowl, seen from above

Tips and Variations

Soak the burdock. A few minutes in water removes bitterness and keeps it from discoloring.
Add chili for kick. A pinch of sliced dried red chili is traditional and cuts the sweetness nicely.
Don’t cook it dry. Stop while it’s still glossy — over-reducing makes it tough and salty.
Try other vegetables. Lotus root (renkon), bell pepper, or green beans all work well in kinpira.
Use pork loin for a leaner version. Any thin-sliced pork works if you’d rather skip the belly.

What to Serve It With

Pork belly kinpira is hearty enough to anchor a simple Japanese meal:

With a big bowl of white rice and a bowl of miso soup.
Tucked into a bento box — it holds up beautifully.
Alongside a lighter side like green pepper namul to balance the richness.

Storing

Kinpira is a great make-ahead dish. It keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for 3–4 days, and the flavor deepens as it sits, making it ideal for meal prep and bento. Serve it cold, at room temperature, or gently reheated. It also freezes well for up to a month.