Sweet and Sour Pork

4.56 from 118 votes

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!

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Pork

Cuisine: Chinese Recipes

Keyword: Sweet and Sour Pork

Servings: people

Author: Bee Yinn Low

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