Sweet and Sour Pork

This Sweet and Sour Pork brings crispy pan-fried pork together with garlic, celery, sweet bell peppers, and pineapple in a tasty sweet and sour sauce. It is so much better than takeout with healthy, wholesome ingredients and no deep frying.

Indulge in Sweet and Sour Pork

Indulge in a combination of tangy and sweet flavors with this popular Chinese dish. Learn how to make sweet and sour pork with pineapple in just a few easy steps. It is incredibly delicious, and with a bit of planning, it comes together quite quickly. For extra tenderness, marinate the pork for 30 minutes. Then, bead it and pan-fry it in a bit of oil to get it good and crispy. I love to serve it over a bed of rice with a side of egg rolls, pork dumplings, or lettuce wraps.

Sweet and Sour Pork Ingredients

How to make Sweet and Sour Pork

Marinate the Pork

Start by marinating the pork in a beaten egg with a little soy sauce for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the garlic, celery, peppers, and green onions and cut the pineapple. 

Make the Sweet and Sour Sauce

In a small saucepan, heat a little oil over low heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the chicken broth, pineapple juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, crushed red pepper, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes. Whisk together a little bit of cornstarch with some cool water.  Whisk into the sauce and continue cooking until slightly thickened.

Make the Stir Fry

Put some cornstarch and flour in a large plastic bag. Use tongs to remove the pork from the marinade, shaking it to remove any excess marinade. Working in batches, add the pork to the bag and shake to coat. Add a little oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once it is good and hot, add the coated pork and cook until it is brown, crispy, and cooked through. Once browned, remove to an ovenproof rack to drain and place it in the oven on warm.

Carefully wipe out the skillet if needed, as it will be very hot. Heat a bit more oil in the skillet over medium heat and add your celery and bell peppers. Cook the veggies until they just start to soften. Add the pineapple and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Add the fried pork, simmered sauce, and chopped green onions, and toss to coat and heat through. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. For best results, serve this homemade sweet and sour pork promptly.

What to serve with Sweet and Sour Pork

• Crab rangoon
• Gyoza
• White or brown rice
• Egg drop soup
• Asian chopped salad
• Rice noodles or udon noodles
• Wonton soup
• Asian noodle salad
• Hot and sour soup
• Asian cucumber salad
• Beef tenderloin rumaki

Recipe Tips

• If available, use fresh pineapple chunks instead of canned, as they are so flavorful.
• Plan on serving this promptly so the pork is crispy, and the peppers aren’t soggy.
• If you like a little heat, add a few pinches of crushed red pepper or dashes of sriracha sauce.
• When breading and frying the pork, work in small batches. Cook the pork until it is brown, crispy, and cooked through.
• You can use any colored bell peppers. But I think an assortment makes the dish look more attractive.
• If you know you are reserving some of the dish or another meal, remove that amount without adding the pineapple. Then, add the pineapple right before serving your leftovers.  Pineapple is very acidic, and it will change the texture of the meat.

Storage and Reheat

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Remove the pineapple to a separate airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Combine and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave at reduced power.

More Stir Fry Recipes

Pork Stir Fry

Cabbage Stir Fry

Ramen Stir Fry

Chicken and Broccoli

Mongolian Chicken

Moo Shu Pork

Kung Pao Chicken

Beef and Broccoli

Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe

Crispy breaded pan-fried pork tenderloin bites combined with vegetables and pineapple in a slightly sweet and tangy ginger Asian sauce. This homemade sweet and sour pork is better than takeout and the perfect stay-at-home dinner option.

5 from 41 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: main meal pork

Cuisine: Asian

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 524kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

Marinade

• 1 1/4 pound pork tenderloin or pork loin cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

Sweet and Sour Sauce

• 1 tablespoon canola oil or vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup pineapple juice
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup ketchup preferably organic
• 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Stir Fry

• 5 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 3 tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil
• 2 stalks celery chopped
• 1 red bell pepper chopped
• 1 yellow or orange bell pepper chopped
• 1 green bell pepper chopped
• 1/2 pineapple cored and cut in chunks
• 2 green onions chopped

Instructions

• Add pork, egg, and soy sauce in a medium bowl or zipper storage bag. Marinate for 30 minutes.
• In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over low heat. Add garlic and ginger; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth, pineapple juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and, if desired, crushed red pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cool water. Whisk into the sauce and cook on low until slightly thickened; 2-3 minutes.
• Combine 4 tablespoons of cornstarch and flour in a large zipper bag. Shake to combine. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Using tongs remove the pork from the marinade. Add pork to a bag and shake to coat. Using tongs, remove the coated pork and add pork to the skillet cooking for about 3 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Remove to an ovenproof wire rack and place the pork in the oven on warm.
• Carefully wipe out the skillet with a paper towel; it will be hot. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and peppers to the skillet and cook until just starting to soften, approximately 4-5 minutes. Add the pineapple and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Add the simmered sauce, fried pork, and green onions to the pan. Heat through for 1-2 minutes. Serve promptly.

Notes

• If available, use fresh pineapple chunks instead of canned, as it is so full of flavor.
• Plan on serving this promptly so the pork is still crispy, and the peppers aren't soggy.
• If you like a little heat, add a few pinches of crushed red pepper or a couple of dashes of sriracha sauce.
• When breading and frying the pork, work in small batches.  Cook the pork until it is brown, crispy, and cooked through.
• You can use any colored bell peppers. but I think an assortment makes the dish look more attractive.
• If you know you are reserving some of the dish or another meal, remove that amount without adding the pineapple.  Then add the pineapple right before serving your leftovers.  Pineapple is very acidic, and it will change the texture of the meat.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container but remove the pineapple to a separate container. Combine and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave at reduced power.

Nutrition

Calories: 524kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 132mg | Sodium: 1053mg | Potassium: 1067mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 2346IU | Vitamin C: 159mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 4mg

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