Sweet and Sour Pork is a Chinese-American stir fry dish where crispy battered pork is tossed in a sweet, tangy red sauce. Skip the line at takeout and make yourself this delicious meal at your own home!

Table of Contents

Welcome back to PART 5 of our Classic Takeout Series, and today we’re making the famous Sweet and Sour Pork. This is a staple in so many Chinese-American restaurants that, of course, I had to feature this one for the series.

Sweet and sour pork with bell peppers and pineapple topped with sesame seeds

If you love Chinese-American cuisine, then you might enjoy everything that we’ve made so far in this series:

What is Sweet and Sour Pork?

Sweet and Sour Pork are crispy bites of battered pork that are tossed in a sweet, tangy, red sauce along with chunks of vegetables.

My friend recently took me to their family’s favorite dim sum spot, and on their menu was sweet and sour pork, so you know I just had to get it. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Chinese fast-food chains, but this one in particular was just something completely different.

The pork was incredibly crispy, even after being tossed in the sweet and sour sauce. It also came with tender chunks of onion, bell peppers, and fresh pineapple. I absolutely devoured my dish, and I’m thinking of actually visiting it again this weekend.

This recipe pays homage to that location’s sweet and sour pork, and I hope you love it as much as I do!

Cooking Tips

It always amazes me how Chinese takeout spots always manage to keep their food crispy for hours even after being tossed in a sauce.

I’m honestly not a huge fan of soggy sweet and sour pork, as all the hard work we did to get them crispy would just be ruined by the sauce in the end!

Here are a couple tips to ensure a crispy and non-soggy outcome:

Double fry your pork: The first fry is meant to just cook the pork internally and slightly crisp it up. After letting the fried pork rest for at least 10 minutes, you can proceed with the second “double” fry at a higher oil temperature for an additional 30 seconds. This ensures that any excess moisture from the pork is removed during the second fry, resulting in a crunchier outcome.

Customize your sauce: Before throwing the sauce into your wok or pan, give it a taste and adjust as needed. You can lower the amount of sugar, for instance, if you prefer it less sweet. If you feel it needs a tad more salt, feel free to throw in more soy sauce or kosher salt. If you think it needs a kick of spice, you could also sprinkle in red pepper flakes or even chili oil!

Toss the pork in the sauce for as minimal time as possible: I like to toss the fried pork fairly quickly in the sauce for a maximum of 15-30 seconds, just enough to coat all of the pieces. The longer you toss the fried pork in the hot pan, the more moisture is absorbed, creating a soggy coating.

Ingredients

Pork: The golden cuts to use for this dish include pork shoulder, butt, tenderloin, or scotch. They have just enough fat to give the pork flavor and the right amount of tenderness.

Substitutions: If you’re not a fan of pork, feel free to use chicken (dark meat, preferred) or even tofu.

Bell pepper, onion, pineapple: To provide a little crunch to our stir-fry, we’ll be cooking these very briefly to retain their crisp and natural flavor.

Soy sauce: As the base of our sauce, soy sauce will provide the needed savoriness and umami.

Shaoxing wine: Also known as Chinese cooking wine, this not only helps to provide additional umami to our dish, but it’s also been used to help remove any unpleasant or gamey tastes from the pork.

Substitutions: You can choose to omit this ingredient if you’d prefer no alcohol in your stir fry (though, it does tend to evaporate out when cooking). You could also simply substitute with any standard cooking wine or even Japanese sake.

Baking soda: Used widely in Chinese cuisine, baking soda helps to tenderize the meat to result in a better chew and mouthfeel when eating. Though minimal, some cooks have mentioned tasting the bitterness of the baking soda, so you may choose to omit this ingredient if you choose.

Egg white, cornstarch, flour: Along with water, these will make up the batter to fry our pork pieces in. A combination of cornstarch and flour ensures the coating is light and crisp -the perfect vehicles to capture all that delicious sauce.

White sugar: It’s called sweet and sour after all! Feel free to taste as you make the sauce and add more or less sugar if necessary according to your preference.

Ketchup: This will provide a slight tang and sweetness, along with the signature red color of the sauce.

Apple cider vinegar: Vinegar will be the sour component of our sweet and sour sauce. I like using apple cider vinegar since the acidity and taste is much more mellow than standard vinegars.

Substitutions: You may use any standard white vinegar, such as coconut or even rice vinegar if you prefer.

Chicken powder: This is my “secret” ingredient to almost all of my stir-fry sauces. A little pinch of this stuff is basically just pure, concentrated umami (similar to MSG).

Substitutions: You could also just use MSG instead of the powder or simply leave it out entirely. Though subtle, I do truly think it makes a difference in the final outcome of the sauce!

Instructions

Mix the pork pieces with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, baking soda, and white pepper. Let this marinate for at least 15 minutes.

After marinating, add in the egg white, cornstarch, flour, and water until you achieve a wet, paint-like batter consistency (adjust with more water if the batter is too thick).

Fry the battered pork in batches for about 7-8 mins (~330-340 F), or until fully cooked through. Let the fried pork rest for at least 10 minutes before double frying.

Double fry (optional, but highly recommended): Turn the heat to high, and fry the pork for a second time (~375 F) for 30-60 seconds until golden brown and crispy. Set aside to cool on a wire rack.

In an empty wok or pan, stir fry the onions, bell pepper, and pineapple until soft and tender, about 3-5 minutes. Set aside.

Prepare the sweet and sour sauce by mixing together white sugar, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, chicken powder, and salt until smooth. Pour the sauce into the pan, and bring to a low boil for about 2-3 minutes until just thickened.

Add in the stir-fried vegetables and the fried pork. Quickly toss for 15-30 seconds until all the pieces are fully coated in the sauce. Serve immediately and top with sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Sweet and Sour pork with bell peppers and pineapple

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Can I make this vegetarian?

You sure can. Simply replace the pork with extra firm tofu, tempeh, or even mushrooms. You could also try plant-based meat substitutes!

Can I add more vegetables to this?

Yes, some of my favorite veggie additions include snap peas, green beans, mushrooms, baby corn, baby carrot, and broccoli.

How do I store leftovers?

Leftovers can be stored refrigerated in an airtight container for up 3-4 days.

To reheat, simply heat the sweet and sour pork in the microwave or gently over stovetop until fully warmed-through. While the pork may not be as crispy as originally fresh, I think it still tastes pretty good!

If you loved this Sweet and Sour Pork, check out these other trending recipes!:

Dynamite Lumpia
Cucumber Kimchi
Pansit Bihon (Filipino Rice Noodles)
Yaki Udon (Japanese Stir-Fried Udon Noodles)