My sweet and sour pork combines crunchy fried pork tenderloin with crisp bell peppers, savory onions, and juicy pieces of pineapple! Everything is tossed in a sticky, sweet & sour sauce that will have you savoring every bite! With only 25 minutes from start to finish, making tasty takeout at home has never been easier!
Best Sweet and Sour Pork
Chinese takeout is a classic family favorite! It can be so fun to make your own takeout, but sometimes, it’s hard to know where to start. With my super quick and simple recipe, you can have your favorite takeout dish in under 30 minutes!
Serve over white rice to let the flavors of this dish sing! Rice perfectly blends with the crisp vegetables, juicy pineapple, delicious, breaded pork, and an incredible sauce to instantly become a new dinner staple.
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🥘 Sweet and Sour Pork Ingredients, Notes, & Substitutions
The sweet and sour sauce is what makes this dish so incredible! You can make my easy recipe or use your favorite store-bought sauce.
- Pork Tenderloin – 1 pound of pork tenderloin cut into small, 1” pieces. If you’re low on time, you can sometimes find pre-cut pork pieces in the meat section of your grocery store!
- Cornstarch – ½ cup of cornstarch to coat the pork pieces to help the egg mixture adhere and create a crunchy, never soggy, breading.
- Beaten Eggs – 2 large eggs are the second step in the breading process to help the final flour coating stick.
- All-Purpose Flour – ¼ cup of all-purpose flour blends with the other ingredients during frying to create that delicious crunch! You can try a flour substitute, too.
- Oil for Frying – Neutral oils like vegetable, canola, coconut, or peanut are all fantastic choices! I prefer coconut oil, but any of these choices are great.
- White Onion – 1 large onion sliced into 1” chunks. White onion cuts the sweetness of the other ingredients, but yellow onions work too!
- Garlic – 1 tablespoon of garlic adds a delicious savory flavor to the dish!
- Bell Peppers – ½ of a red, yellow, and green bell pepper helps to create a complex flavor profile and a fabulous crunch!
- Pineapple Chunks – 1 cup of pineapple adds a unique sweetness and a juicy bite that contrasts so well with the pork.
- Sweet and Sour Sauce – 1 cup of homemade Sweet & Sour Sauce or purchase store-bought. I’ll have you use 1 cup, but you can add more according to your taste.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Sweet and Sour Pork
Once you see how easy it is to make sweet and sour pork at home, you won't want to order takeout ever again! You'll need a sharp knife and cutting board, your measuring utensils, a Ziploc bag, a mixing bowl, a whisk, a large frying pan, and tongs.
This makes 4 hearty servings of sweet and sour pork with veggies!
Prep
Step 1: Prep the veggies. Slice 1 large white onion (185 grams) into chunks, then mince 1 tablespoon (8.43 grams) of garlic (about 3 large cloves) and cut ½ of each red, yellow, and green bell pepper (90 grams each) into strips or chunks. If using 1 cup (236.59 grams) of fresh pineapple, peel the skin and cut into even chunks.
Step 2: Prep the pork. Cut 1 pound (453.59 grams) of pork tenderloin into 1-inch cubes. Then, place the pork pieces into a large plastic Ziploc bag and add ½ cup (64 grams) of cornstarch. Seal and shake to coat. Remove the pork, place on a plate or bowl, and set aside.
Step 3: Set up dredging station. In a small bowl, whisk 2 large eggs until completely blended. In another, add ¼ cup of flour.
Fry The Pork
Step 4: Fry the pork. Add enough of your preferred oil to the bottom of your frying pan until it is at least ½ inch deep. Heat the oil to medium-high to high heat until it reaches 360°F (182°C). Next, take the cornstarch-coated pork and dip it in egg, dredge in flour (shake off any excess flour), and then carefully put it into the hot oil.
Step 5: Finish frying the pork. Cook the pork in batches until it’s all completely cooked through, about 3-4 minutes for each batch. Set aside on a wire rack, with a paper towel-lined baking sheet underneath. Remove excess oil from the pan, leaving a small amount to cook the veggies.
Add Veggies & Sauce
Step 6: Sauté the veggies. Over medium to medium-high heat, add the prepared onion pieces and minced garlic. Cook until the onions are softened. Add the prepared bell peppers and pineapple and cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
Step 6: Add sweet and sour sauce. Stir in 1 cup (236.59 milliliters) of sweet and sour sauce. Add the fried pork pieces and fold gently to coat. Allow the sauce to cook for one minute until it begins to boil, then turn off the heat.
Step 7: Cool and serve. Allow the dish to cool for a moment before serving!
🍽️ What To Serve With Sweet and Sour Pork
I love to serve this delicious sweet and sour pork for lunch or dinner with fluffy, long-grain white rice garnished with sliced green onions. Try serving it with my homemade crab rangoons or cream cheese wontons for a tasty appetizer! Enjoy!
💭 Tips & Notes
- If you aren’t super familiar with frying, it can seem intimidating – but I’ve got you covered! Fully heated oil is key.
- The easiest way to keep track of your oil to prevent burning or soggy breading is to keep the oil at an even, medium-high temperature setting and let it heat for about five to ten minutes. You can add a sprinkle of flour or dip the end of a wooden spoon into the oil and look for even bubbles that come to the surface. A meat thermometer is also helpful!
- With the thermometer, measure from the center of the pan and start frying when the temperature gets between 350°F (177°F) and 400°F (205°C). Continue checking the temperature periodically throughout your frying process and adjust the heat setting accordingly.
- When finished, place your fried pork on a wire rack with a paper towel-lined baking sheet underneath to catch the grease. The wire rack will keep the underside of the pork crisp to ensure your pieces never get soggy!
- Canned pineapple is probably the easiest to find and use, but be sure to drain thoroughly. You can use the extra juice in my homemade sweet and sour sauce recipe if you’re making it!
- Make sure there isn’t too much extra flour on the pork ensuring that all the coating adheres to the meat and doesn’t create a mess going into the fryer.
- If using fresh pineapple, make sure to cut it into even chunks, about the same size as your veggies. If using frozen, make sure to thaw before adding to the dish to avoid watering your sweet and sour pork down.
🥄 Make Ahead Options
If you know you’ll have leftovers, try to store extra pork pieces separately from the sauce and veggies so they can stay as crunchy as possible. The sweet and sour sauce can be made up to 2 weeks in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge until needed!
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Who doesn’t love Chinese takeout leftovers? To maximize freshness, refrigerate the sweet and sour pork in airtight containers. It will last for up to 3-4 days, so you can enjoy this deliciousness all week!
Freezing Sweet and Sour Pork
You can definitely freeze this sweet and sour pork! If you know you’ll have leftovers, or if you’re doing meal prep, freeze the pork in a separate airtight container from the sauce and veggies. This will keep up to 3 months for the best quality!
Reheating Sweet and Sour Pork
The oven is the best option for reheating the pork to keep it crispy and fresh. If you’re able to keep the pork pieces separate, place them on a baking sheet and cook at 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) for 15 to 20 minutes or until the pork reaches an internal temp of 165°F (73°C).
Follow the same instructions for mixed leftovers but in an oven-safe dish.
For sauce that’s been kept separately, reheat at medium on your stovetop in a pan with a little bit of water until it’s bubbling and hot.
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❓ FAQ
Try my delicious sweet-and-sour chicken recipe! It’s just as amazing. You can also substitute tofu or other meat alternatives if you’d prefer.
Yes! Using rice flour instead of all-purpose flour creates a fabulously crispy bite while keeping your dish gluten-free.
Not at all. I find that pineapple adds a deliciously juicy flavor to the sweet and sour pork, but if you don’t prefer the taste or texture, you can leave it out!
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📖 Recipe Card
Sweet and Sour Pork
Ingredients
- 1 lbs pork tenderloin (cut into small 1 inch cubes or pieces)
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 2 large eggs (beaten)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- oil for frying the pork (vegetable oil, canola oil, coconut oil, or peanut oil are good choices for frying)
- 1 large white onion (sliced or cut into 1" chunks, yellow can work as well)
- 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
- ½ each, red, yellow and green bell peppers (or 1 ½ bell peppers any color diced into chunks)
- 1 cup pineapple chunks (canned, fresh, or frozen)
- 1 cup sweet and sour sauce (or store bought - more or less to taste)
Instructions
Prep
- Slice or cut the onion into chunks, mince or crush garlic, cut bell peppers into strips or chunks, then chunk up pineapple (or use canned chunks of pineapple or frozen). Cut your pork (tenderloin or loin) into 1-inch cubes.1 large white onion, 1 tablespoon garlic, ½ each, red, yellow and green bell peppers, 1 cup pineapple chunks, 1 lbs pork tenderloin
- Place your pork cubes into a plastic Ziploc bag then add the corn starch, seal securely, and shake to coat thoroughly. Remove the pork and set aside.½ cup cornstarch
- In a small bowl whisk up 2 eggs, add the flour to a second small bowl - this will be your dredging station. *Additional spices like ground ginger, salt, pepper, or paprika can also be added to the flour.2 large eggs, ¼ cup all-purpose flour
Cooking the sweet and sour pork
- Add enough oil to cover the bottom of your fry pan by at least ½ inch. Heat oil to medium-high to high heat until it reaches 360°F (182°C) as measured in the center of the pan.oil for frying the pork
- Start by taking the pork that has been coated in cornstarch, dip it into the beaten egg, dredge in the flour (shake off any excess flour), and then carefully put it into the hot oil.1 lbs pork tenderloin
- Cook the pork in batches until completely cooked through for about 3-4 minutes, and then set aside. Remove excess oil from the pan, leaving a small amount to cook the veggies.1 lbs pork tenderloin
- Over medium to medium-high heat add in your garlic and onions and cook for a couple of minutes to soften the onions. Add in your bell peppers and pineapple. Cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes.1 large white onion, 1 tablespoon garlic, ½ each, red, yellow and green bell peppers, 1 cup pineapple chunks
- Stir in the sweet and sour sauce, then return the fried pork pieces and fold them into the sauce gently to coat. Allow the sauce to cook for a minute until it starts to boil. Turn heat off.1 cup sweet and sour sauce
- Allow the sauce to cool slightly, garnish with sliced green onions if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Equipment You May Need
Notes
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
robert says
super
robert Hojland says
Hvorfor oversat til dansk. Det er ukorrekt oversættelse, foretrækker originalt sprog, hvordan får jeg det?
"Why translated into Danish. This is incorrect translation, prefer original language, how do I get it?"
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Fjern præfikset, så url'en kun er bakeitwithlove.com
"Remove the prefix so that the url is just bakeitwithlove.com"