You’re busy, but you have to eat. And your friends and family have to eat too. You all like healthy food that tastes really good, but that doesn’t cost a crazy amount of money. The answer is easy: choose pork for dinner. It’s tasty, easy,  convenient, versatile, and nutritious. It’s more bang for your bite.

Why Pick Pork? 

It’s fast and convenient: Lean cuts like pork loin or tenderloin are perfect for busy nights because they cook quickly. Here’s a healthy meal that’s ready in 20 minutes: Sauté thinly sliced pork tenderloin in a skillet for two to four minutes per side or until cooked through. Serve on a bed of rice with a green salad on the side, or air-fry carrots, potatoes, and beets for a simple, comforting meal.

It’s budget-friendly: Pork proves the point that you don’t have to spend a lot or go to specialty shops to get quality meats. Head to the meat section at your favourite grocery store today and start saving money on meals. 

Easy to get creative: Explore different cooking methods, like air-frying, stir-frying, grilling, or roasting—that will keep things interesting at mealtimes. Slow cooker meals cook themselves while you’re doing something else and mean you can serve comfort food like a soul-satisfying stew, even on a weeknight. 

Plays well with others 

3 Easy Dinners 

The best part? Pork makes it quick and easy to pull together a meal that’s bursting with flavour. Get creative with an air fryer and you will never have to ask yourself the, "What’s for dinner tonight?" question again. For flavour’s sake, turn on your tastebuds—with pork! Let’s get started with these easy recipes.  

Korean Air Fryer Pork Bites 

MAKES 4 servings 
HANDS-ON TIME 10 minutes 
TOTAL TIME 20 minutes 

INGREDIENTS
4 boneless pork chops, 3/4-inch thick (trimmed, if desired) 
2 tbsp gochujang sauce (Korean red chili paste) 
2 tbsp sodium-reduced soy sauce 
2 tbsp maple syrup 
1 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar 
2 garlic cloves, minced 
1 tsp black and white sesame seeds (plus more for garnish, if desired) 
Cooking spray 
Rice, for serving (optional) 
Green onion, minced (optional) 
Carrot and cucumber ribbons (optional) 

DIRECTIONS
Make Korean-style glaze: In a large bowl, mix together the gochujang, soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, garlic and sesame seeds. Transfer 2 tbsp of glaze to a smaller bowl and set aside.  

Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Cut the pork chops into 1-inch pieces. Add the pork to a large bowl, mixing well with the glaze. Coat the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Place the pork cubes in a single layer in the basket (note: do not overcrowd; depending on the air fryer model, 2 batches may be necessary).  

Bake for 6 minutes (shaking the basket halfway through), then baste the pork cubes with the remaining glaze from smaller bowl. Bake for 2 minutes or until bites are lightly browned and crisped. Serve over rice; garnish with green onion, extra sesame seeds and vegetable ribbons (if desired.) 

Smoky BBQ Pork Sandwich 

MAKES 4 servings 
HANDS-ON TIME 10 minutes 
TOTAL TIME 30 minutes 
 

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C). In bowl, mix the brown sugar, mustard, paprika, cumin, garlic and onion powder. Spray the tenderloin with cooking spray, and rub the spice mixture over both sides. Season with salt and pepper.  

Coat the air fryer with cooking spray. Bake the tenderloin for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350°F (180°C) and bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F (63°C). Let the pork rest for 3 minutes, then slice thinly.  

Slice the buns lengthwise, without separating them completely. Assemble the sandwiches with juicy the pork slices, barbecue sauce, coleslaw, Quick Pickled Onions, cilantro or parsley (if desired). Tip: Serve with a fresh green salad, or serve coleslaw on the side, if desired. 

QUICK PICKLED ONIONS: Thinly slice 1/2 small red onion. Pack into a 2-cup glass jar. Set aside. In a small saucepan, mix 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook on medium-high heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves and liquid starts bubbling at the sides. Pour the liquid into jar. Cover and let cool for at least 30 minutes. 

Hot Honey and Ginger Meatballs 

MAKES 4 servings 
HANDS-ON TIME 10 minutes 
TOTAL TIME 20 minutes 

INGREDIENTS
1 lb lean ground pork 
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs 
2 eggs, lightly beaten 
1 green onion, minced 
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger 
Pinch red pepper flakes 
Salt and pepper 
1/3 cup honey 
1 tbsp white wine vinegar 
1 tbsp sriracha sauce (or to taste) 
1 garlic clove, minced 
Noodles, for serving (optional) 
Steamed broccoli, for serving (optional) 
Fresh parsley, for garnish (optional) 
 

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C). In bowl, mix the pork, breadcrumbs, eggs, green onion, 1 tbsp ginger and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper, then form mixture into 12 meatballs (about 3 tbsp mixture for each). Coat the air fryer basket with cooking spray, then place the meatballs in the basket and bake for 8 to 10 minutes (shake basket hallway through), or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F (63°C). 

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk honey, vinegar, sriracha, garlic and 1 tbsp ginger. Place the cooked meatballs in a bowl and toss to coat. Serve the meatballs over noodles with broccoli (if desired) and sprinkle with parsley (if desired).