Fried Pork Shoulder

Fried Pork Shoulder Recipe

Fried pork shoulder is one of the most popular Chinese recipes made with seasoned pork strips deep-fried to crispy perfection. It’s easy to make and is a delicious meal everyone loves.

This easy pork shoulder recipe makes the best crunchy, airy, fried pork without any greasy feeling. Serve the dish hot with some sesame seeds sprinkled on top and dipping sauce such as ketchup. It’s flavorful and dangerously addictive.

Why This Recipe Works?

It is the perfect recipe to serve for either everyday dinner or an appetizer on game night.

Unlike other pork shoulder recipes which require long preparation, this recipe will bring dinner to the table within 30 minutes.

This recipe is also one of the favorite takeouts from local Chinese restaurants. Making this mouthwatering dish at home is always better and the total cost is a fraction of the price in restaurants.

Pork Shoulder

Pork shoulder is a cut from above the pig’s front leg and comes with more marbling in the meat. However, pork shoulder is always labeled with two names in the market, such as Boston butt or picnic shoulder.

Although both Boston butt and picnic shoulder are from the same region, they have different textures. Boston butt is soft, tender, and contains more fat. This part of the meat is an excellent choice for this recipe.

Picnic shoulder is the cut below Boston butt, which has less intramuscular fat and is relatively less expensive. It’s also frequently sold with skin on.

A large cut of boneless or bone-in pork shoulder is perfect for roasting, slow-cooking, and grilling. Try pork shoulder to make a delicious pulled pork dish.

Fried Pork Shoulder Ingredients

The best homemade fried pork shoulder is made from pork shoulder and seasoned with Chinese five-spice, ground white pepper, salt, and Chinese cooking rice wine. Prepare the batter with tapioca starch (or corn starch), all-purpose flour, egg, and water.

How to Make Fried Pork Shoulder?

First, season the pork shoulder strips with Chinese five-spice, ground white pepper, salt, and cooking wine. Marinate for 15 minutes.

Next, prepare the frying batter by mixing the ingredients together.

Finally, coat the pork in batter and deep-fry until crispy.

Cook’s Tips

For the best result, please follow my tips:

• The best frying batter is a mixture of both tapioca starch and all-purpose flour. It’s also the key to making these fried pork extra crispy and airy on the inside.
• Double-frying with a high-temperature oil will help the crispy texture last for hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Many Calories per Serving?

This recipe has 525 calories per serving.

Yield: 2 People

Fried Pork Shoulder

Print

Fried pork shoulder strips are crispy and loaded with many spices. This easy pork shoulder recipe is a delicious meal in under 30 minutes. The taste is exceptional and better than takeout for a fraction of the price.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Additional Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 10 oz pork shoulder, sliced into small strips
• 1/3 teaspoon Chinese five-spice
• 1/3 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Chinese cooking rice wine
• cooking oil for frying

Frying Batter

• 3 tablespoons tapioca starch
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 egg (2 oz with shell)
• 2 tablespoons water

Instructions

1. Add pork shoulder strips, Chinese five-spice, white pepper, salt, and cooking rice wine to a bowl. Stir to combine well and marinate for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, mix tapioca starch, all-purpose flour, egg, and water in another bowl. Whisk until smooth with no lumps.
3. Pour the frying batter onto the meat and stir to coat evenly.
4. Heat cooking oil to 325°F to 350°F (176°C to 190°C) in a deep fry pan. Fry pork shoulder strips in two batches. Use long chopsticks or tongs to drop pork strips one by one into the pan. Quickly loosen up the meat and deep fry for 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown on both sides. Dish out. Then, fry the second half of pork shoulder strips in the same manner.
5. Heat up the oil a little bit higher than before and drop all fried pork shoulder strips into the pot in one batch. Deep fry again for 10 seconds. Dish out with a strainer and transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
6. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Information

Yield

2
Amount Per Serving Calories 525Total Fat 32.6gSaturated Fat 11.8gCholesterol 206mgSodium 548mgCarbohydrates 19.3gFiber 0.4gSugar 1.7gProtein 36.5g