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Sweet and Sour Pork

Sweet and sour pork with crispy golden pork pieces tossed in a vibrant red-orange sweet and sour sauce with bell peppers and pineapple. This Chinese-American style Chinese pork recipe combines a quick egg-cornstarch marinade, deep-frying for crunch, and a glossy homemade sauce.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
marinating 15 minutes
Total Time 55 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
  • 1 egg for marinade
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce for marinade
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch for marinade
  • 0.5 cup cornstarch for coating
  • 0.5 cup flour for coating
Fry and stir-fry
  • 1 oil for deep frying enough for deep frying
  • 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 cubes with the egg, soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch for 15 minutes, until the pieces look evenly coated and slightly sticky.
  2. Mix 1/2 cup cornstarch and flour together, then coat the marinated pork thoroughly so every cube is dusted.
Deep fry
  1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven to 350°F and deep-fry the pork in batches for 4–5 minutes until golden and cooked through, keeping the oil temperature steady.
  2. Drain the fried pork on paper towels until the surface looks dry and crisp.
Make sauce and assemble
  1. Whisk ketchup, rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and pineapple juice together until smooth and no cornstarch lumps remain.
  2. Stir-fry red bell pepper and green bell pepper with pineapple chunks in 1 tablespoon oil over high heat for 2 minutes, until bright and just tender-crisp.
  3. Pour in the sauce and bring it to a boil until thickened, then add the crispy pork and toss until every piece is glossy red-orange.
  4. Serve immediately over rice with the sauce coating the pork and the bell peppers and pineapple visible.

Notes

For the crispiest pork, keep batches small and hold the oil at 350°F so the coating doesn’t darken before the center cooks. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat in an oven or air fryer to help the crust re-crisp (freeze up to 2 months, though texture softens). For a lighter option, bake or air-fry the coated pork instead of deep-frying, then follow the same sauce and toss steps.