Sweet and Sour Pork

Skip takeout and make your own Sweet and Sour Pork at home. The crispy fried pork, coated with a sticky, sweet and tangy sauce, is so delicious and easy to prepare. Served with white rice, this is a better-than-take-out recipe you will love at home.

If you like Asian-inspired recipes, try these: Moo Shu Chicken, 30 Minute Beef Coconut Curry Soup, Egg Roll in a Bowl, or even this Crock-Pot Saucy Asian Ribs; you will also love this recipe!

Ingredients to Make Sweet And Sour Pork

This seems like a laundry list of ingredients, but most Asian meals are like this as they are based on layers of flavors. If you cook Asian dishes frequently, you may have most of these ingredients on hand.

Ingredients

Sauce

Pineapple juice – If you don’t have a full cup of pineapple juice from the can of pineapple, you can use water for the remaining amount, or open another can to get enough. From my can of pineapple, I got 1 tablespoon shy of a cup. If you use fresh pineapple, you can use all water, but the sauce won’t be as good, so I recommend using pineapple juice. You can also buy a small container of pineapple juice too.

Light brown sugar, packed – You can use regular white granulated sugar, but brown sugar is ideal for caramelization.

Ketchup – Adds a little color and sweetness, and great tomato tang.

Rice vinegar – I like the combination of the two vinegars as they add more flavor than one.

Apple cider vinegar – If you don’t have this, then use all rice vinegar or vice versa.

Low sodium soy sauce – I like to use low sodium all the time; you can add in salt to your taste too.

Cornstarch – Helps to thicken the sauce without lumps, like flour may cause.

Ginger paste or grated ginger – Ginger will make the sauce slightly spicy, but if you want this spicier, add ½-1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper to the sauce.

Clove garlic, minced – This adds the right depth of flavor.

Pork

Pork butt or pork neck – This needs to be cut into bite-sized pieces (about 1 inch). Pork tenderloin or any other lean piece of the pork will also work. Plus, pork tenderloin is nice and tender in a quick fry application like this.

Cornstarch, divided – This is what gives the pork a little bit of crispiness without a heavy batter coating. Add a bit of salt here to give the pork flavor.

Oil, for frying – I like to use vegetable or canola oil for a recipe like this. You don’t want the oil to have a lot of flavor here.

Produce

Oil – Again, use vegetable or canola oil here.

Green bell pepper, red bell pepper and yellow onion – All are chopped in 1-inch pieces. This is a perfect combination of vegetables for this recipe.

Pineapple chunks – From a can, reserve the juice for the sauce.

Garnish and Sides

Steamed rice, sliced green onions, and sesame seeds – These are optional but make a good, quick side and garnishes.

It is close enough to the authentic and real Chinese restaurant recipe, as it is the BEST version you could make at home; you have to try it as soon as possible!

How to Make Sweet And Sour Pork Step by Step

There are 2 main steps to this recipe: the sweet and sour sauce, and then the fried pork. The rest are veggies, garnishes and sides.

Pork

In a large liquid measuring cup, whisk together all the sauce ingredients. Set aside. 

Toss the meat in ½ cup cornstarch with salt to taste and let sit for about 5-10 minutes. You want the meat to no longer look powder white, but look kind of gummy.

In a large pot or high rimmed skillet, heat 2-3 inches of oil over slightly less than medium-high heat. You are aiming for about 325 F. This will take at least 5-10 minutes. Use a thermometer if you can. Set a wire cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.

Dredge each piece individually in the remaining corn starch, shaking off excess. When the oil is hot, fry in batches, making sure not to overcrowd. (I did this in 3 batches) Fry until the pork reaches 145 F inside, about 1-2 minutes. Remove to the prepared rack until all the pork is fried. 

Increase your oil to medium-high or slightly higher heat to get your oil to 375 F. Start with the pork that you cooked first, and fry each batch of pork for about 1 minute until really crispy on the outside. Remove back to the cooling rack and continue until all pork is fried. (I did the second fry batch in 2 batches)

Vegetables

In a large skillet or wok, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once heated, add the bell peppers and onion and fry, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add the pineapple and fry for another 1 minute.

Next, add the sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken. Add the pork into the sauce and toss to combine and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until the sauce is thickened nicely. 

Remove from the heat and serve immediately with rice garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired. 

Recipe Pro Tips

FAQS

Taste the sauce after it’s mixed. If it’s too sour for your taste, add 2 tablespoons additional brown sugar. 

Don’t use a cheap cut of pork, or it won’t be tender. Because this pork is cooked fast, you need a good piece of pork with a little fat so it can stay moist and tender. 

This meal comes together super fast, so make sure all your veggies are chopped and things are measured out, or it won’t taste as good at the end with things having sat too long. 

This is a meal that doesn’t taste as good rewarmed as it does fresh. Think of your takeout Chinese; it is always best when it is hot and freshly made. If you know you can’t eat this whole meal in one sitting, I recommend keeping the pork separate from the sauce. Rewarm the pork in an air fryer at 360 F for about 4-5 minutes, until warm and crisp again, and then mix in leftover sauce/produce.

Double-frying ensures the pork is crispy and stays crispy longer. I made this 2 ways: the first way I just fried it once at 375 F, and it didn’t stay crispy as long as double frying. 

If you put the pork on a paper towel, it will soak in the oil, making it not crispy. Definitely use a cooling rack so the oil drips down and doesn’t stay in the coating. 

How can I add more vegetables to this dish?

So easy! Any steamed veggie will pair really well! Consider adding broccoli, asparagus, carrots or beans, or even a medley of all of them.

You can also char some green or red bell peppers. It adds great flavor to your dish. Charring consists of cooking your vegetable in a pot without any grease. It will obtain a slightly burnt appearance and keep its crunchiness.

Pin it HERE!!

Pin it HERE!!

This recipe has been updated from the original, giving you a lighter “batter” on the pork and hopefully more crisp.

Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe

Tara Noland

This lovely Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe will have you skipping the take-out and making it at home instead. The combination of veggies, pineapple and crispy pork is the best in a tangy and sweet sauce.

4.47 from 15 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Pork

Cuisine Asian, Chinese

Servings 6 servings

Calories 587 kcal

Ingredients

 

Sauce

• 1 cup pineapple juice
• ½ cup light brown sugar packed
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 5 teaspoons cornstarch
• Salt to taste
• ½ teaspoon ginger paste or grated ginger
• 1 clove garlic minced

Pork

• 1 ½ pounds pork butt or pork neck cut into bite sized pieces (about 1 inch)
• 1 cup cornstarch divided
• Oil for frying (vegetable or canola)

Produce

• 2 tablespoons oil vegetable or canola
• 1 green bell pepper chopped in 1-inch pieces
• 1 red bell pepper chopped in 1-inch pieces
• ½ large yellow onion chopped in 1-inch pieces
• 1 ½ cups pineapple chunks from a can, reserve the juice for the sauce

Garnish and sides, optional

• Steamed rice
• Sliced green onions
• Sesame seeds

Instructions

 

• In a large liquid measuring cup, whisk together all the sauce ingredients. Set aside.
• Toss the meat in ½ cup cornstarch and salt to taste, and let sit for about 5-10 minutes. You want the meat to no longer look powder white, but look kind of gummy.
• In a large pot or high rimmed skillet, heat 2-3 inches of oil over slightly less than medium-high heat. You are aiming for about 325 F. This will take at least 5-10 minutes. Use a thermometer if you can. Set a wire cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.
• Dredge each piece individually in the remaining corn starch and salt, shaking off excess. When the oil is hot, fry in batches, making sure not to overcrowd. (I did this in 3 batches) Fry until the pork reaches 145 F inside, about 1-2 minutes. Remove to the prepared rack until all the pork is fried.
• Increase your oil to medium-high or slightly higher heat to get your oil to 375 F. Start with the pork that you cooked first, and fry each batch of pork for about 1 minute until really crispy on the outside. Remove back to the cooling rack and continue until all pork is fried. (I did the second fry batch in 2 batches)
• In a large skillet or wok, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once heated, add the bell peppers and onion and fry, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add the pineapple and fry for another 1 minute. Add the sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken. Add the pork into the sauce and toss to combine and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until the sauce is thickened nicely.
• Remove from the heat and serve immediately with rice garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.

Equipment

COZILIFE Reusable Chopsticks 8-Pairs, Premium Quality Fiberglass Chopsticks for Household and Restaurant, 9 1/2 Inches in length, Kraft Box Package

Hiware Solid Stainless Steel Spider Strainer Skimmer Ladle for Cooking and Frying, 5.4 Inch

Craft Wok Traditional Hand Hammered Carbon Steel Pow Wok with Wooden and Steel Helper Handle (14 Inch, Round Bottom) / 731W88

Notes

See the post for more information, photos and tips. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 587kcalCarbohydrates: 60gProtein: 21gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 388mgPotassium: 631mgFiber: 2gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 802IUVitamin C: 53mgCalcium: 57mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition calculation is an estimation only. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!