Sweet and Sour Pork

Sweet and sour pork is a delicious, quick and easy Chinese stir fry that takes just 30 minutes to make. Bite-sized pork is loaded with flavor from a delicious Asian marinade, coated with cornstarch, and cooked (either deep fried, baked, or air fried) before being tossed in a saucy sweet and sour vegetable stir fry. You won't believe how easy it is to recreate this classic Chinese restaurant meal at home. Serve it over steamed rice or fried rice for a better than takeout experience you won't forget.

Why You'll Love Sweet and Sour Pork

• Complex flavor in one simple dish. This sweet and sour pork is just that: sweet and sour. It’s loaded with flavor from classic Asian seasonings and is also savory, tangy, and gets a bit of a fresh kick from the garlic and ginger. It's so delicious.
• You can cook the pork in three ways. A part of the reason this sweet and sour pork recipe is so good is that it's versatile. You coat and cook the pork first, before tossing it into the stir fry, but you can cook the pork using your favorite cooking method. You can deep fry, bake in the oven, or air fry. We love using our air fryer and cooked this one in there. Whichever method that you use, you will love the crispy exterior and crunch in ever bite, even after you sauce and stir-fry the pork.
• It's quick and easy. This sweet and sour pork, like most Chinese stir fries, is a quick 30 minute meal (including prep!). Some other quick Chinese dinners we like to make on busy weeknights are Cashew Chicken, Vegetarian Chow Mein, and Mongolian Chicken. They are so much faster, cheaper, and better than takeout.

Ingredients and Substitutions

To make this easy homemade sweet and sour pork, you will need the following ingredients (full quantities in the recipe card below):

• pork - the best cuts to use are loin chops or pork shoulder (known as pork butt)
• pork marinade - made with salt, Shaoxing wine (optional), soy sauce (or oyster sauce), egg, cornstarch (or all-purpose flour). I prefer using cornstarch because it dries out the pork better.
• vegetable oil
• vegetables - we added bell peppers, onion, and green onions.
• pineapple - we used fresh pineapple but canned pineapple works too. Make sure to use one without any added sugar.
• sweet and sour sauce - made with ketchup, soy sauce (or oyster sauce), chicken broth (or water), sugar (or honey), white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar), cornstarch, and salt.
• white sesame seeds - optional, for garnish.

This sweet and sour pork pairs really well with bell peppers and pineapple bit you can feel free to mix things up. Consider adding broccoli, cauliflower, or water chestnuts.

You will also need measuring cups and spoons and a skillet or wok. You will also need a medium cooking pot, air fryer, or half sheet baking pan depending on the cooking method that you use to cook the pork.

How to Make the Best Sweet and Sour Pork

1. Marinate the pork. In a large mixing bowl, add cubed pork, salt, Shaoxing wine (if using), soy sauce, and egg. Stir well and press the marinade to coat evenly. Let the marinated pork rest for 5 minutes to soak in all the flavour.
2. Dredge the pork. Prepare a shallow bowl with cornstarch (or flour) and dip the marinated pork to coat evenly on all sides. Set aside on a plate.
3. Cook the pork. You can deep fry, air fry, or bake the pork.
   • To deep fry: Preheat oil (at least 2-inches deep) in a medium cooking pot over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes until the oil shimmers. Deep fry the battered pork in batches (2 batches) until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Turn the pork occasionally to get an even golden crust on all sides. Transfer the pork on a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil.
   • To air fry: Place the battered pork in a single layer in the air fryer basket and lightly spray with cooking spray oil to coat evenly. Cook the pork (in 2 batches) at 350F for 10-12 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Shake the basket halfway to cook the pork evenly. Set aside on a plate.
   • To bake in the oven: Place the battered pork in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and lightly spray with cooking spray oil. Bake in a 400F preheated oven for 15 minutes until golden brown. Set aside on a plate after baking.
4. Prepare the sauce. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients including ketchup, soy sauce (or oyster sauce), water (or chicken broth), sugar, vinegar, cornstarch, and salt until smooth. Set the aside.
5. Stir fry. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the hot oil sizzles, about 1 minute. Add bell peppers, onion, and pineapple and sauté for 1 minute.
6. Add sauce. Stir in the sauce mixture and let it simmer over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until thickened to a desired consistency, stirring constantly.
7. Add pork. Add the cooked pork and toss well to coat, about 1 minute.
8. Serve. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions and serve warm with a bowl of steamed rice or fried rice.

More Chinese Stir Fry Recipes

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Recipe

Sweet and Sour Pork

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• Author: Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings

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Description

Sweet and sour pork is a delicious, quick and easy Chinese stir fry that takes just 30 minutes to make. Serve this homemade takeout over steamed rice.

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Ingredients

For the pork:

• 1 pound pork loin chops or pork shoulder (butt), cut into 1-inch cubes
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (optional)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or oyster sauce)
• 1 egg, beaten
• ¼ cup cornstarch (or all-purpose flour)

For the stir fry:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 small onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup pineapple, fresh or canned and diced into 1-inch pieces 
• 1 tablespoons green onions, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds (for garnish)

For the sweet and sour sauce:

• ¼ cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or oyster sauce)
• ¼ cup chicken broth (or water)
• 1 tablespoon sugar or honey
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• ½ tablespoon cornstarch
• ¼ teaspoon salt

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Instructions

1. Marinate the pork. In a large mixing bowl, add cubed pork, salt, Shaoxing wine (if using), soy sauce, and egg. Stir well and press the marinade to coat evenly. Let the marinated pork rest for 5 minutes to soak in all the flavour.
2. Dredge the pork. Prepare a shallow bowl with cornstarch (or flour) and dip the marinated pork to coat evenly on all sides. Set aside on a plate.
3. Cook the pork. You can deep fry, air fry, or bake the pork.
   • To deep fry: Preheat oil (at least 2-inches deep) in a medium cooking pot over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes until the oil shimmers. Deep fry the battered pork in batches (2 batches) until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Turn the pork occasionally to get an even golden crust on all sides. Transfer the pork on a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil.
   • To air fry: Place the battered pork in a single layer in the air fryer basket and lightly spray with cooking spray oil to coat evenly. Cook the pork (in 2 batches) at 350F for 10-12 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Shake the basket halfway to cook the pork evenly. Set aside on a plate.
   • To bake in the oven: Place the battered pork in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and lightly spray with cooking spray oil. Bake in a 400F preheated oven for 15 minutes until golden brown. Set aside on a plate after baking.
4. Prepare the sauce. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients including ketchup, soy sauce (or oyster sauce), water (or chicken broth), sugar, vinegar, cornstarch, and salt until smooth. Set the aside.
5. Stir fry. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the hot oil sizzles, about 1 minute. Add bell peppers, onion, and pineapple and sauté for 1 minute. 
6. Add sauce. Stir in the sauce mixture and let it simmer over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until thickened to a desired consistency, stirring constantly.
7. Add pork. Add the cooked pork and toss well to coat, about 1 minute.
8. Serve. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions and serve warm with a bowl of steamed rice or fried rice.

Notes

How to store: Store leftover sweet and sour pork in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

How to reheat: Reheat stir fried pork in a pan over the stove until warmed through. You can also microwave it covered for a couple minutes.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Pork
• Method: Stir Fry
• Cuisine: Chinese

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