Sweet and Sour Pork

Name: Sweet and Sour Pork
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 5
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 400 g (14 oz) pork scotch roast or shoulder, or pork neck, collar butt or pork butt; cut into 2 cm cubes; ½ onion, finely grated; 1 tsp garlic, finely grated; 1 tsp ginger, finely grated; ⅜ tsp baking soda, bi-carb; 2 tsp cornflour, cornstarch; 2 tbsp light soy sauce, or all-purpose soy sauce; do not use dark or sweet soy sauce; 5 tbsp cornflour, for mixing into the pork; ½ cup cornflour, for coating; 2–3 cups vegetable oil or canola oil; ⅓ cup white sugar; ⅓ cup (¼ cup) apple cider vinegar; 3 tbsp pineapple juice, from a 227 g / 8 oz can of pineapple pieces in juice, preferably with no added sugar; 3 tbsp ketchup, or Australian tomato sauce; ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tsp oyster sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce can be used instead; 4 tsp cornflour, cornstarch; ½ cup water; 1 tbsp oil; 1 clove garlic, finely chopped; 2 tsp ginger, finely chopped; 1 onion, medium; cut into 2.5 cm cubes; brown, white or yellow; ½ red bell pepper, large; cut into 2.5 cm cubes; ½ green bell pepper, large; cut into 2.5 cm cubes; 1 cup pineapple pieces, from the can used for the sauce

A bowl of sweet and sour pork with pineapple and red and green bell peppers served over rice. — Sweet and sour pork with pineapple and peppers, served over rice.

Tender marinated pork gets a double cornflour coating and two quick fries before being tossed with pineapple, peppers and a tangy sweet-and-sour sauce.

By Cookin' KitchenOctober 19, 2026

Be the first to rate it Leave a comment

Total: 50 minutes
Servings: 5 servings

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Servings: 5

Jump to recipe

Recipe

Sweet and Sour Pork

Tender marinated pork gets a double cornflour coating and two quick fries before being tossed with pineapple, peppers and a tangy sweet-and-sour sauce.

Cookin' · https://cookin.club/recipes/sweet-and-sour-pork

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Servings: 5

Cook modeKeeps your screen awake while you cook.

Instructions

Marinate the pork

Step 1: Mix the pork with the marinade ingredients. Marinate for 18 to 24 hours.
Tip: The recipe notes give different marinating times for other cuts of pork.

Prepare

Step 2: Preheat the oven to 80°C / 175°F. Place a rack on a tray so you can keep the pork warm.
Step 3: Place all the sauce ingredients except the water in a large jug or small bowl. Mix until combined, then stir in the water.
Step 4: Line up all the ingredients so they are ready to add to the stir-fry. The steps move quickly after the second fry.

Double-coat the pork

Step 5: Mix 5 tablespoons of cornflour into the pork and leave for 5 minutes. It will look white at first; as the pork releases moisture, the cornflour will become partly wet and sticky so the next coating adheres.
Step 6: Spread 1/2 cup of cornflour in a shallow bowl. Coat the pork, shake off the excess and pile the pieces onto a plate.
Step 7: Keep the remaining cornflour nearby in case the pork needs another dusting just before frying. The pork should be at least half white when it goes into the oil; sprinkle on more cornflour if needed.

Fry the pork

Step 8: Pour enough oil into a large saucepan or small pot to reach a depth of 2.5 cm / 1 inch. Heat to 180°C / 350°F, or until a piece of pork sizzles immediately when dipped in.
Step 9: Fry the pork in batches without crowding the pot for 3 minutes, until golden. Drain on a rack.
Step 10: Turn the heat up slightly and bring the oil to 200°C / 390°F. Starting with the coolest pork, fry half the pieces for 1 1/2 minutes, or until deep golden and crisp. Transfer to the rack and repeat with the remaining pork.
Step 11: Keep the pork warm in the oven.

Make the sauce and stir-fry

Step 12: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a very large skillet over high heat.
Step 13: Add the garlic, ginger and onion and stir for 1 1/2 minutes. Add the bell peppers and stir for 2 minutes.
Step 14: Add the sauce and pineapple, then bring to a rapid simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes, until thickened; a path should briefly appear when you drag a spoon across the base of the skillet.
Step 15: Add the pork and toss quickly to coat, aiming for 10 seconds.
Step 16: Pour onto a serving plate and serve immediately. The coating stays crisp for around 5 minutes before it starts to soften.

Notes

Pork and frying options

Pork scotch and shoulder are recommended for juicy pieces. For loin or tenderloin, the notes give a marinating time of 3 hours to overnight; pork leg is listed at 24 hours.

For a quicker version, fry the pork once for 1 minute longer, until deep golden brown. It will stay crisp for a few minutes.

Vegetarian oyster sauce can replace oyster sauce. To use fresh pineapple, skip the pineapple juice and add extra water to the sauce.

About this recipe

Marinate pork scotch or shoulder, coat it twice in cornflour and fry it twice for a crisp coating. Toss the pork quickly with the pineapple, peppers and sweet-and-sour sauce, then serve right away.

Have the sauce and stir-fry ingredients ready before the second fry; the final steps move quickly.

Sweet and Sour Pork

Recipe