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Sweet and Sour Pork

Sweet and sour pork with crispy golden pork pieces coated in a vibrant red-orange sauce, finished with bell peppers and pineapple chunks. This Chinese-American style version delivers better-than-takeout crunch and a tangy, glossy sweet and sour sauce.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Chinese-American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pork
  • 1.5 lb pork shoulder or loin Cut into 1-inch cubes.
Marinade
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
Coating
  • 0.5 cup cornstarch
  • 0.5 cup flour
  • 1 oil for deep frying Use for deep frying.
Vegetables and fruit
  • 1 red bell pepper Diced.
  • 1 green bell pepper Diced.
  • 1 cup pineapple chunks
Sweet and sour sauce
  • 0.33 cup ketchup
  • 3 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 0.25 cup pineapple juice

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Marinate and coat
  1. Marinate the pork in egg, soy sauce, and cornstarch for 15 minutes.
  2. Mix cornstarch and flour, then coat the marinated pork pieces thoroughly.
Deep-fry and prep sauce
  1. Deep-fry the coated pork at 350°F in batches for 4–5 minutes until golden and cooked through, then drain on paper towels.
  2. Whisk ketchup, rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, cornstarch, and pineapple juice together until smooth.
Stir-fry, thicken, and serve
  1. Stir-fry red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and pineapple in 1 tablespoon oil over high heat for 2 minutes.
  2. Pour the sauce into the pan, bring to a boil until thickened, then add the crispy pork and toss to coat.
  3. Serve the sweet and sour pork immediately over rice.

Notes

For maximum crunch, deep-fry and toss with sauce right before serving. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat in a hot skillet or oven until warmed (crispness will soften). Freeze cooked pork without the sauce for up to 2 months, then reheat and re-toss with freshly reheated sauce. For a lower-sugar option, reduce sugar to 2 tbsp and use an equal amount of a 1:1 sugar substitute, keeping the cornstarch for the glossy thickness.