This Sweet and Sour Pork combines crispy pan-fried pork with garlic, celery, sweet bell peppers, and pineapple in a tasty sweet-and-sour sauce. It is so much better than takeout with healthy, wholesome ingredients and no deep-frying.
Indulge in a combination of tangy and sweet flavors with this popular Chinese dish. Learn how to make it in just a few easy steps. It is incredibly delicious, and with a bit of planning, it comes together quite quickly. For extra tenderness, marinate the pork for 30 minutes. Then, bread it and pan-fry it in a bit of oil for extra crispiness. I love to serve it over a bed of rice with a side of egg rolls, pork dumplings, or lettuce wraps.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Pork: Pork tenderloin or pork loin cut into bite-sized pieces
- Grated ginger: I love using ginger paste. 1 tablespoon of paste equals 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger. Always store it in the fridge. It stays fresh for up to a month.
- Chicken broth: Preferably low-sodium
- Ketchup: I like to use organic ketchup because it tastes better.
- Oil: Use a neutral oil like vegetable, canola, or peanut.
- Bell peppers: You can use any color bell peppers. But I think an assortment makes the dish look more attractive.
- Pineapple: If available, use fresh pineapple chunks instead of canned, as they are so flavorful.
How to make Sweet and Sour Pork
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
- Marinate the pork.
- Mix the sauce and simmer for a few minutes.
- Mix the cornstarch and flour. Bread the pork and fry it in hot oil.
- Cook the veggies, add the pineapple, and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the fried pork, simmered sauce, and chopped green onions, and toss to coat.
Serving Suggestions
- Appetizers: crab rangoon or gyoza
- Soup: egg drop soup, wonton soup, or hot and sour soup
- Rice: white like jasmine or basmati
- Noodles: rice or udon noodles
- Salad: Asian chopped salad, Asian noodle salad, or Asian cucumber salad
Preparation Tips
- When breading and frying the pork, work in small batches. Cook the pork until it is brown, crispy, and cooked through.
- Plan on serving this promptly while the pork is crispy, and the peppers are crisp-tender.
- If you like a little heat, add a few pinches of crushed red pepper or dashes of sriracha sauce.
More Stir Fry Recipes
Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe
Crispy breaded pan-fried pork tenderloin bites combined with vegetables and pineapple in a slightly sweet and tangy ginger Asian sauce. This homemade sweet and sour pork is better than takeout and the perfect stay-at-home dinner option.
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Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 544kcal
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1¼ pound pork tenderloin or pork loin cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
Sweet and Sour Sauce
- 1 tablespoon canola oil or vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- ⅓ cup pineapple juice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ¼ cup ketchup preferably organic
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ⅛-¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes to taste
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
Stir Fry
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 3 tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 yellow or orange bell pepper chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- ½ pineapple cored and cut in chunks
- 2 green onions chopped
Instructions
- Add pork, egg, and soy sauce in a medium bowl or zipper storage bag. Marinate for 30 minutes.
- In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over low heat. Add garlic and ginger; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth, pineapple juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, and, if desired, red pepper flakes. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cool water. Whisk into the sauce and cook on low until slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes. Cover and remove it from the heat.
- Combine ¼ cup of cornstarch and flour in a medium bowl.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Using tongs, remove the pork from the marinade. Dredge the pork through the cornstarch mixture. Fry for about 2 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Work in batches, so you don't overcrowd the skillet.
- Carefully wipe out the skillet with a paper towel; it will be hot. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and bell peppers to the skillet and cook until just starting to soften, approximately 4-5 minutes.
- Add the pineapple and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Add the simmered sauce, fried pork, and green onions to the pan. Heat through for 1-2 minutes. Serve promptly.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze for 2 months in a freezer safe container. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- If you know you are reserving some of the dish or another meal, remove that amount without adding the pineapple. Then, add the pineapple right before serving your leftovers. Pineapple is very acidic, and it may change the texture of the meat. Combine and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave at reduced power.
Nutrition
Calories: 544kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 132mg | Sodium: 1028mg | Potassium: 1058mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 2344IU | Vitamin C: 159mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 4mg
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Maureen
This sounds so good and funny how I am reading about it because I actually just used my air fryer to make tofu sweet and sour last week! I did use a bit much cornstarch though so I will try your recipe and see if this works better for me. Also, if you didn’t want to pan fry the pork or protein you are using would you recommend baking?
Beth Pierce
You could bake it or air fry it.
Christine
Yum! This dish looks delicious and easy enough to make. I am always looking for new recipes to try. Thank you!
Colleen
Really good recipe, the pork turned out nice and crispy with the corn starch dunk. I added a medium sized white onion, cut into large chunks with the peppers, turned out great.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Colleen! So glad that you liked it!
Tara Pittman
I have some pork in my freezer. I need to make this for my husband.
Toni
This is really delicious! A flavorful meal for weeknights!
Bintu
Sweet and sour pork has to be one of my most favourite dishes ever and this looks absolutely incredible. The sauce has my mouth watering!
Maria
Sweet-and-sour pork is one of my all-time favorites! It’s really good on top of hot, steamy rice!
Valerie
I was literally just thinking about sweet and sour this morning. This looks great, I wonder howI might make more of the sauce (we like a lot of sauce on the meat and on rice too if we’re having that).
Jen
We always order this for take out so it’ll be great to make it at home now! My family is going to love this recipe! So excited!
Chenée Lewis
Who needs takeout? This sweet and sour pork looks so flavorful!