Sweet and Sour Pork (Video)

Ingredients for Sweet and Sour Pork

You won’t go back to ordering Sweet and Sour Pork once you try making it at home! The best part is that most of the ingredients are items you already have in your pantry at home!

Pork

• 1 lb pork shoulder – cut into 1/2″ pieces
  • Make sure you are slicing against the grain. You’ll know which direction the grain is when you look at the meat – the lines will be running in one direction (the lines are the muscle fibers). Slicing against the grain is an easy way to ensure your meat will be tender.
  • If you want to make this with chicken, try my Sweet and Sour Chicken!
• 2 tbsp soy sauce – You will need “light” (not “low sodium”) or “all-purpose” soy sauce. Do NOT use dark soy sauce, as it is too intense for a fried rice recipe.
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp white pepper – I love white pepper and it’s used very commonly in Chinese cooking (another “secret ingredient” for cooking restaurant quality Chinese food at home). It has an earthier flavor than black pepper. I recommend having some in your pantry but if you can’t find it, you can always substitute with black pepper.
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg beaten
• 2 tbsp flour – Combining flour and cornstarch is how you get an addictively crispy and delicious batter. When mixed with the flour, the cornstarch makes the flour coating crispier and gives it that golden brown color! (It has to do with prevention of gluten development.) 
• 1 cup cornstarch

Vegetables

• 1 tbsp ginger chopped
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
• 2 cups bell pepper cut into 1″ pieces – I use red, yellow, and orange, so it looks just like how restaurants serve Sweet and Sour Pork!
  • You can use any color bell pepper and the dish will still be delicious!
• 1/2 cup yellow onion cut into 1″ pieces
• 1/2 cup pineapple cut into 1″ pieces

Sauce

• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp white vinegar

Cornstarch Slurry

• 1 tbsp cornstarch – Cornstarch slurry is used in a lot of Asian cooking to thicken sauces and soups. A slurry means a mixture of liquid (usually water) and a thickening agent (in this case, cornstarch). TIP: Make sure to re-mix your cornstarch slurry right before using it.
• 1/4 cup water

Recipe Instructions for Sweet and Sour Pork

1. Prepare the Pork and Marinate

Slice pork shoulder on the diagonal across the grain into 1/2″ pieces. Marinate the pork with soy sauce, garlic powder, white pepper, and salt and let rest for at least 15 minutes while you prep the rest of your ingredients.

2. Prepare the Aromatics and Vegetables

Chop ginger and garlic and set aside. Slice bell peppers, onions, and pineapple into 1″ pieces. Place in a bowl and set aside.

My Pro Tip

Size Matters!

When preparing the vegetables for Sweet and Sour Pork, ensure that these onions, bell peppers, and pineapples are cut to similar size pieces. This will allow them to cook evenly and be easier to eat once tossed with the pork pieces if they are all the same size!

3. Mix the Sweet and Sour Sauce

Mix ketchup, brown sugar, white vinegar, cornstarch, and water for your sauce. Set aside.

4. Dredge the Pork

Beat 1 egg. Add beaten egg to marinated pork. Slowly add in 2 tbsp of flour to marinated pork and egg mixture. Mix to combine until you get a wet batter consistency.

Coat pork pieces in cornstarch and pack in to get a good coating. Shake off any excess.

5. Fry (and Double Fry!) The Pork

Heat neutral oil to 350°F and fry your pork for 4-5 min. Make sure to not overcrowd your pan. If your oil temp drops below 300°F when you add your pork, remove some and fry in smaller batches.

Remove pork. Heat the oil temperature to 350°F and fry a second time for 1 min. Set aside.

6. Sauté the Vegetables

Sauté vegetables over high heat for 2 minutes in oil to get some color and remove.

6. Cook the Aromatics, Sauce, and Pineapples

Sauté ginger and garlic for 30 seconds. Add in your sauce from earlier and mix. Add in your cornstarch slurry and mix for 5 seconds. Add in your vegetables, pineapple, and the crispy pork. Stir to combine for one minute until the pork and other ingredients are well coated in the sweet and sour sauce. Serve Sweet and Sour Pork with freshly steamed rice and enjoy!

Storage and Reheating

You can store Sweet and Sour Pork in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

I like reheat Sweet and Sour Pork in the air fryer in order to crisp up the pork (if you love air fryer recipes – try my Air Fryer Chicken Wings, Air Fryer Chicken Tenders, or Air Fryer Orange Chicken). When reheating the Sweet and Sour Pork in the air fryer, the sauce will further caramelize and infuse into the crispy batter! Air fry at 350°F for 6-8 minutes or until warmed through and crispy.

Alternatively, reheat in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes until warmed through. I don’t recommend reheating Sweet and Sour Pork (or any fried food) in the microwave unless you don’t care about the texture and just want to heat it back up as quickly as possible.

What to Serve with Sweet and Sour Pork

If you want to recreate your favorite mall Chinese takeout, start with the crispiest Egg Rolls as your appetizer. Make sure to pair your Sweet and Sour Chicken with my Panda Express Chow Mein and a fluffy Egg Fried Rice! You can’t forget about the Honey Walnut Shrimp and Beef and Broccoli for a multi-course meal!

If you want to try other chicken Chinese Takeout dishes, try my sticky Sesame Chicken or String Bean Chicken! If you love the bright citrus of Orange Chicken, you definitely have to try Chinese Lemon Chicken!