Sweet and Sour Pork
A Cantonese classic — crispy cornstarch-coated pork pieces stir-fried with bell pepper, onion, carrot, and optional pineapple in a glossy tangy-sweet sauce of vinegar, ketchup, sugar, and soy sauce. The secret is high heat, small batches, and not overcrowding the wok.
Ingredients
- 500 gpork tenderloin or loin, cut into 3x3 cm pieces
- 1 egg
- 2 tbspsoy sauce
- 1 tbspShaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
- 2 tbspcornstarch
- 0.5 tspsalt
- 0.25 tspwhite pepper
- cornstarch for coating
- 500 mlvegetable oil for deep frying
- 4 tbspsugar
- 3 tbsprice vinegar
- 2 tbspketchup
- 1 tbspsoy sauce
- 120 mlchicken broth or water
- 1 tbspcornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp water
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 onion, cut into large chunks
- 1 carrot
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tspfresh ginger
- 90 gcanned pineapple chunks (optional)
- 1 tspsesame oil (optional)
- scallion for garnish
Method
- Slice pork across the grain into 1 cm strips, then cut into 3x3 cm pieces. Mix with egg, soy sauce, rice wine, cornstarch, salt, and white pepper. Marinate 20–30 minutes at room temperature.
- Mix sauce: combine sugar, rice vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, and chicken broth. In a separate bowl dissolve cornstarch in water. Set both aside.
- Heat oil in a wok or deep pan to 180°C. Coat marinated pork pieces in dry cornstarch, shaking off excess. Deep-fry in small batches 2–3 minutes until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
- Leave 2 tbsp oil in the wok. Over high heat quickly stir-fry garlic and ginger until fragrant (30 seconds). Add the bell peppers, onion and carrot, cut into bite-sized pieces, and stir-fry 2–3 minutes keeping them crisp.
- Pour in the sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Add the cornstarch slurry and stir to thicken. Add the fried pork and pineapple if using. Toss quickly so every piece is coated.
- Add sesame oil if desired. Serve immediately on a platter garnished with scallion. Serve with rice.
FAQ
Cornstarch twice — in the marinade and as a dry coating — plus the correct oil temperature (180°C). Cornstarch gives a thinner, crispier crust than flour. The oil must be hot enough — test with a bread cube that should brown quickly. And do not overcrowd the wok — otherwise the temperature drops and the pork steams instead of frying.
Dry sherry is the best substitute — very similar flavor profile. Dry white wine or half the amount of rice vinegar also work. In a pinch you can skip it — the dish stays delicious, just slightly less complex.
Yes, but it takes longer than frying. Coat the pieces in cornstarch, spread them on an oiled tray and bake at 230°C, turning once halfway. Cubes of pork shoulder or chop take about 40 minutes; lean tenderloin is done sooner, so start checking after 20 minutes. The crust will be a little less crisp but much lighter. Then combine with the sauce the same way as the fried version.
Pineapple in sweet and sour pork is a Hong Kong and American-Chinese version, not mainland China. The original Cantonese dish does not include pineapple. But its acidity perfectly balances the sauce. The choice is yours.
The gloss comes from cornstarch slurry added to the hot sauce — it creates a lacquered coating. Key: dissolve cornstarch in cold water, pour into the boiling sauce and stir quickly. Serve immediately — the gloss fades as it cools.
Rate this
Recipes by email
One letter a week: a recipe picked for your taste, plus whatever is new on the site. Unsubscribe in one click.
Welcome gift: Sergei's cookbook (e-book).
By subscribing you agree to the privacy policy.
Tell us what you like to cook (30 seconds) →Keep browsing
More dishes from the Chinese archive — picked by overlap with what you're cooking now.
Join the conversation
Comments (2)
糖醋肉做的挺好的。我觉得醋可以多放一点，不然太甜了。菠萝也可以加一些
The pan needs to be properly hot before the pork tenderloin goes in for sweet and sour pork. A lukewarm pan steams instead of sears. Wait until you see the faintest wisp of smoke — that's your signal.