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Craving that sweet and tangy combo? My sweet and sour pork recipe gives you crispy, golden pork tossed in a homemade, bold, and tasty sweet and sour sauce, and it's super easy to whip up at home!
Simple Sweet And Sour Pork Recipe
Sweet and sour pork is an iconic Chinese recipe and a classic Cantonese dish.
Called ‘咕嚕肉’ or ‘goo lou yok’ in the Cantonese dialect, this dish is very pleasing to the palate, thanks to the flavorful sweet and sour sauce—the sweetness from sugar combined with the tangy ketchup and sharp rice vinegar—paired with crispy fried pork pieces.
The secret to an authentic sweet and sour dish lies in achieving the perfect balance between the sweet and sour flavors in the sauce, which is the soul of this dish.
My easy sweet and sour pork recipe packs all the authentic flavor you crave, with crispy pork and a tangy-sweet sauce that’s way better than takeout. Plus, it’s ready in just 20 minutes with simple steps. I’m going to teach you how to make the perfect homemade sweet and sour sauce and share my secret ingredients!
Looking for more easy sweet and sour recipes with a variety of proteins? Check out my Sweet and Sour Chicken, Sweet and Sour Shrimp, and Sweet and Sour Fish recipes!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Authentic flavor. It brings that traditional sweet and sour taste you crave, just like what you’d get at your favorite restaurant.
- Quick and easy. This dish is ready in just 20 minutes with straightforward steps, making it a lifesaver for busy nights when you want something tasty and fast.
- Foolproof recipe. The easy-to-follow steps make this Chinese pork sweet and sour stir fry virtually foolproof, ensuring a delicious result every time—perfect for beginners.
- Meal prep friendly: This Chinese pork sweet and sour recipe is perfect for meal prep—just marinate a big batch of pork and the sweeet and sour sauce ahead of time, and you’ll have flavorful, ready-to-cook pork for quick and easy meals throughout the week.
- Cheaper than takeout: Eating out can be very expensive, so making this restaurant favorite at home saves you a lot of money. Not to mention, it’s healthier and less greasy.
Sweet Sour Pork Ingredients
- Pork tenderloin – It is tender and juicy, making it ideal for a quick-cooking dish that stays flavorful. Plus, it’s leaner, so you get a healthier option without losing that satisfying texture.
- Green and red bell peppers – Add a nice crunch and colorful pop, plus a hint of sweetness.
- Pineapple – Adds juicy and sweet pineapple to the dish gives it that signature tangy touch. You can used fresh or canned pineapples.
- Soy sauce – Boosts the flavor of the pork with a savory kick.
- Corn starch – In the marinade, it helps tenderize the pork, making it extra juicy and tender. In the frying batter, it keeps the coating light and crispy.
- Baking soda – Makes the batter airy and crisp.
Sweet And Sour Sauce
Once you master the techniques for making homemade sweet and sour sauce, you can create authentic, restaurant-quality Chinese food right at home! Here are my secret ingredients for the perfect sauce.
- Tomato ketchup – Gives the sauce its classic sweet and tangy flavor.
- Plum sauce – Adds that extra zing.
- Chinese rice vinegar – Balances out the sweetness with a bit of tanginess.
- Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce – Adds a rich, savory layer that boosts the sauce’s overall flavor.
- Oyster sauce – Gives the sauce a savory kick and a hint of sweetness.
- Corn starch – Thickens the sauce, making it glossy and perfect for coating the pork.
- Sugar – Sweetens the sauce to balance out the tanginess from the other ingredients.
- Water – Adjusts the thickness of the sauce so it’s just right for coating the pork.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Make Sweet And Sour Pork
Step 1. Cut the pork tenderloin into pieces and marinate with the marinade ingredients for 15–20 minutes.
Step 2. Mix the sweet and sour sauce ingredients well, and set aside.
Step 3. Strain the dry ingredients for the frying batter, then add the egg, water, and cooking oil to form a thick batter. Once the pork is well-marinated, transfer the pieces into the batter and ensure they are well coated.
Step 4. In a deep skillet, add enough cooking oil for deep frying. Once the oil is hot, deep fry the pork pieces until they turn golden brown. Remove them and drain on paper towels.
Step 5. Heat up a wok and add some cooking oil. Add the chopped garlic and stir fry until light brown, then add the bell peppers and pineapple pieces. Stir fry until you can smell the peppery aroma from the peppers, then add the sweet and sour sauce.
Step 6. As soon as the sauce thickens, transfer the pork into the wok and stir well to coat with the sauce. Add the chopped scallions, give it a few quick stirs, then dish out and serve hot with steamed white rice.
Helpful Tips For Home Cooks
- The frying batter for the pork is equally important. It needs to be crispy, airy, and crunchy, so that when the pork is stir fried with the homemade sauce, it stays crispy and doesn’t become soggy or swim in the sauce.
- Make sure the oil is hot before frying the pork. Drop a tiny bit of batter in to see if it bubbles up—if it does, the oil’s ready to go.
- Fry the pork in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the skillet. This way, each piece gets crispy and golden, not soggy.
- Watch the sauce as it thickens. It should be thick enough to coat the pork but not so thick that it’s gloopy. If needed, add a little water to adjust.
- Don’t overcook the peppers and pineapple. They should be crisp-tender to keep their flavor and texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure! Pork tenderloin is great for its tenderness and quick cooking, but you can use pork loin or shoulder too. Just adjust the cooking time a bit.
Fry the pork pieces until they’re golden brown and cooked through, usually about 3-4 minutes per batch, depending on how big the pieces are and how hot the oil is.
Yes, you can make a vegan version! Just swap the pork with tofu, tempeh, or veggies like cauliflower. Use a simple flour and water batter without eggs, and make sure your sweet and sour sauce is vegan-friendly. Fry until crispy, then coat in the sauce.
Mix together the tomato ketchup, plum sauce, Chinese rice vinegar, Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, cornstarch, and water.
Yes, you can! Just coat the pork in the batter and air fry it at 400°F (200°C) for about 10-15 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through to ensure even cooking and crispiness.
The pork is best right after cooking to keep it crispy. But you can prep the sauce and marinate the pork in advance.
This sweet and sour stir fry pork with pineapple recipe is only 399 calories per serving.
What To Serve With This Recipe
This sweet and sour stir fry pork is best served with rice, alongside other Chinese classics such as Hot and Sour Soup and Mapo Tofu. For a delicious Chinese feast at home, I recommend the following dishes:
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Pork Recipes You Might Like
Sweet and Sour Pork
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb (250g) pork tenderloin, cut into bite size pieces
- 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into pieces
- 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into pieces
- 2 stalks scallions, only the white part, cut into 2 inch (5cm) length
- 1 piece pineapple ring, fresh/canned, cut into small pieces
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- oil , for frying
Marinade:
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon rice wine
Frying Batter:
- 2 oz. (60g) all-purpose flour
- 1 oz. (30g) cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 egg
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon cooking oil
- 1 pinch salt
Sweet and Sour Sauce:
- 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
- 1 teaspoon plum sauce
- 1/8 teaspoon Chinese rice vinegar, transparent in color
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, Lea & Perrins
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Cut the pork tenderloin into pieces and marinate with the Marinade ingredients for 15–20 minutes.
- Mix the Sweet and Sour Sauce ingredients well, and set aside.
- Strain the dry ingredients for the Frying Batter, then add the egg, water, and cooking oil to form a thick batter. Once the pork is well-marinated, transfer the pieces into the batter and ensure they are well coated.
- In a deep skillet, add enough cooking oil for deep frying. Once the oil is hot, deep fry the pork pieces until they turn golden brown. Remove them and drain on paper towels.
- Heat up a wok and add some cooking oil. Add the chopped garlic and stir fry until light brown, then add the bell peppers and pineapple pieces. Stir fry until you can smell the peppery aroma from the peppers, then add the sweet and sour sauce.
- As soon as the sauce thickens, transfer the pork into the wok and stir well to coat with the sauce. Add the chopped scallions, give it a few quick stirs, then dish out and serve hot with steamed white rice.
Video
Notes
- The frying batter for the pork is equally important. It needs to be crispy, airy, and crunchy, so that when the pork is stir fried with the homemade sauce, it stays crispy and doesn’t become soggy or swim in the sauce.
- Make sure the oil is hot before frying the pork. Drop a tiny bit of batter in to see if it bubbles up—if it does, the oil’s ready to go.
- Fry the pork in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the skillet. This way, each piece gets crispy and golden, not soggy.
- Watch the sauce as it thickens. It should be thick enough to coat the pork but not so thick that it’s gloopy. If needed, add a little water to adjust.
- Don’t overcook the peppers and pineapple. They should be crisp-tender to keep their flavor and texture.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thank you for all the great recipes and tips. Still trying to learn so much. Biggest down fall is over cooking vegetables. Love all your recipes.
Hi Charles, thanks for your comment and thanks for the 5 stars rating.
How in the world do you marinade the pork with only 2 teaspoons of liquid?
Yes, you can. The pork has to be deep-fried and you don’t want too much liquid on your pork.
I made this recipe..was so fantastic! Pork was tender, light and fluffy. Veggies were just right. Batter was perfect. Sauce, I was qthought not enough, but was just right. Thank You! ???
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Fantastic recipe, that produced a meal that tasted like it just came from a restaurant. I had to substitute the plum sauce for sweet chilli, but this worked nicely too.
Pork came out very tender and flavourful, and the batter worked extremely well.
Would definitely recommend this recipe and will be making it again for sure! Five stars!
Thanks!
Thanks for the tip Alex, I was wondering if I could substitute the plum sauce – cant wait to give this recipe a try, my favourite chinese meal : )