February 17, 2020

Sweet and Sour Pork

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate, and a King Arthur Baking affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

Sweet and Sour Pork is the perfect choice for your next Chinese Dinner at home. Tender pieces of seared pork. Pineapple, carrots, and bell peppers all come together in a sweet and savory sauce.

We love making our own Chinese dinners at home, and this Sweet and Sour Pork recipe is the perfect Main Course. Tender pieces of Seared Pork. Pineapple Chunks. Carrots, bell peppers, and onions, all mixed together in a sweet and savory sauce.

(Post modified with new photos on 2/6/24.)

If you happen to have a wok, stir-fry recipes can be loads of fun. I do not, however. So instead, I use my cast iron skillet, which gets nice and hot. The secret to making stir-fry in a skillet, is to cut all of the ingredients fairly small. And to cook them in small batches.

For instance, for this pork recipe, I sliced the pork into thin small pieces. Then I sliced the bell peppers, onion, and carrots in small bite-size pieces. Cook each of them in the skillet in batches, and once cooked, transfer them to a bowl. Continue this rotation until you bring them all together in a sweet and sour sauce. I like to serve this dish over a mound of white jasmine rice. Yum!

When you cook a large Chinese dinner, it can be a lot of work, but the key to your sanity (or at least mine) is to do as much of the prep work ahead of time. This just makes it easier when it comes time to actually cook the meal.

A little prep work makes stir-fry so much easier. It can be done earlier in the day, or even the day before, if you’re planning ahead that far in advance.

Make and freeze the egg rolls and crab rangoon. Get all of your cookware out and measurements done before you begin cooking. It saves time and craziness in the kitchen, believe me!

More Chinese Dishes to Try

Ingredients for Sweet and Sour Pork

(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)

green and red bell peppers
sweet onion
carrots
garlic
fresh ginger
pineapple chunks or tidbits

Sweet and Sour Sauce

reserved pineapple juice
chicken broth
ketchup
plum jelly
granulated sugar
rice vinegar
soy sauce
cornstarch

Pork Marinade

boneless pork shoulder roast
rice vinegar
red wine vinegar
cornstarch
ginger, freshly grated
soy sauce
granulated sugar
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
vegetable or peanut oil, for frying
prepared white rice for serving

Directions for Making this Recipe

Gather the ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.

Beginning Prep Work

To begin, prepare the fresh vegetables. Chop the green and red bell peppers and sweet onion. Slice or julienne the carrots. Mince the garlic. Grate the fresh ginger. Place in prep bowls and save for later.

For fresh or canned pineapple chunks, you’ll need to slice them into bite-size pieces. If using pineapple tidbits, this is not necessary. Be sure to reserve the pineapple juice for the sauce.

In a medium bowl, prepare the sweet and sour sauce. Combine reserved pineapple juice, chicken broth, ketchup, plum jelly, granulated sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Whisk together until cornstarch has dissolved. Set aside until ready to use in final steps.

Prepare the Pork and Marinade

Slice the pork into bite-sized pieces.

In a medium bowl, combine the rice and red wine vinegar, cornstarch, grated ginger, soy sauce, granulated sugar, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Whisk together to combine. Add the pork pieces to the marinade and mix until all is coated. Allow the pork to set in the marinade for a few minutes.

Marinating the meat before cooking in stir-fry is referred to as velveting, which helps produce a nicely flavored and tender meat in the dish.

Add a tablespoon of vegetable or peanut oil to a wok or cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Once the skillet is good and hot, add half of the pork pieces to the skillet, and spread meat to the edges of the skillet, allowing space between each of the pieces. Cook until one side is lightly browned, then turn pieces to cook on the other side until golden brown. This will take about 2 minutes total. Transfer pork to a plate or bowl. Repeat with the remaining pork.

When cooking meat for a stir-fry dish, you want to remove the meat before it has thoroughly cooked through. This allows for cooking in the final steps, to produce tender pieces of meat. If you cook the meat too much, it may be tough.

Stir-Fry the Vegetables

Heat remaining oil in the skillet. Add prepared bell pepper, sweet onion, and carrots. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, stirring and turning pieces until they start to brown. Transfer vegetables to a plate or bowl.

Reduce temperature to low and add the freshly grated ginger and minced garlic to the skillet. Sauté for about one minute.

Finish the Stir-Fry

To finish the dish, pour the prepared sweet and sour sauce over the garlic. Cook over medium low heat, stirring until the sauce thickens, about 1-2 minutes.

Return the vegetables and pork to the skillet. Add the prepared pineapple pieces. Stir until pork is coated in sauce. Continue simmering for another 1-2 minutes.

Place in a serving bowl, and serve with white jasmine rice. This recipe will serve 4-6 people.

No matter how well planned I think I am, when it comes time to serve, every counter in the kitchen is cluttered with pans or dishes. But the home-cooked Chinese dinner is SOOOO good, and everyone always loves it, which makes it worth doing–even if it is only once or twice a year.

Make this Sweet and Sour Pork dish the next time you’re craving Chinese…and if you feel ambitious, try adding another course or two to the dinner!

See all of my Asian Recipes Here. Browse Main Dishes Here. View Pork Recipes Here.