Easy Sweet and Sour Pork

Introduction

Easy Sweet and Sour Pork is your answer to weeknight cravings for classic takeout flavor—right from your own kitchen. With tender pork pieces coated in a tangy, vibrant sauce, this recipe delivers the bold balance of sweet and tangy that everyone loves, using simple steps and familiar ingredients. Perfect for impressing your family or satisfying a group, its irresistible taste will make it a regular in your meal rotation.

Why You’ll Love This Easy Sweet and Sour Pork

What sets this dish apart is its pleasing harmony—crispy pork bites, crunchy peppers, and pineapple all drenched in a glossy, crave-worthy sauce. It’s a proven crowd pleaser that requires minimal effort and comes together in less than 40 minutes. If you want big flavor with little fuss, this is your go-to recipe.

Building the Ultimate Sweet and Sour Sauce

A stellar sweet and sour pork lives and dies by its sauce. Combining simple pantry staples—ketchup, vinegar, sugar, and pineapple juice—makes a bold, glossy sauce that clings beautifully to each pork piece and veggie. For a touch of depth, a dash of soy sauce and a hint of ginger round out the flavors, ensuring every bite is savory, tangy, and just sweet enough.

How to Make Easy Sweet and Sour Pork—Step by Step

Start by dredging pork cubes in cornstarch for that signature crispy edge, then pan-fry until golden. Peppers, onion, and pineapple are quickly sautéed, keeping them juicy and vibrant. Everything is tossed in the shimmering sauce and simmered briefly, ensuring fast, flavorful results with no deep-frying required.

Serving Suggestions for Sweet and Sour Pork Perfection

For a classic combination, serve this easy sweet and sour pork over fluffy steamed rice, or pair it with noodles for an exciting twist. A sprinkle of sliced green onions or sesame seeds adds freshness and a burst of color to every plate. Don’t forget to spoon extra sauce over the top for maximum satisfaction.

Nutritional Information and Serving Size

This recipe yields about 4 generous servings. Each portion contains approximately 420 calories (based on lean pork and depending on the amount of sauce used). Thanks to its balanced flavors and wholesome ingredients, it’s a comforting indulgence you can enjoy as part of a well-rounded menu.

Deliciously Easy Sweet and Sour Pork (Recap)

Enjoy takeout-inspired flavor at home with this quick and simple recipe—tender pork, crisp vegetables, and juicy pineapple, all tossed in a zingy, homemade sauce that’s guaranteed to win over your taste buds.

💡Meal Planning Tip: Save this recipe to quickly generate a detailed shopping list, with all your ingredients organized by grocery section—making meal planning and grocery runs a breeze.

Instructions

1. In a shallow dish, toss pork cubes in cornstarch until thoroughly coated.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook until golden on all sides and cooked through, about 7-8 minutes. Remove pork and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, add bell peppers and onion. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until just tender but still crisp.
4. Add pineapple chunks and pork back to the skillet, stirring to combine.
5. In a bowl, whisk together ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, and optional ginger. Pour sauce over pork and vegetables.
6. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Stir in cornstarch slurry and cook, stirring, until sauce thickens and everything is coated evenly.
7. Remove from heat. Serve over steamed rice or noodles. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds if desired.

Weekly Meal Planning

This Easy Sweet and Sour Pork is ideal for planning around busy weeks. Save and schedule this recipe to plan your meals in advance, automatically consolidate ingredient lists, and make smart use of overlapping staples from other recipes in your week.

Planning Benefits:

• Automatically adds up ingredient quantities across all your planned recipes
• Organizes everything by grocery store section—no more backtracking in the aisles
• Reduces duplicate purchases and forgotten ingredients
• Keeps your weekly meal prep stress-free and streamlined

Pro tip: When you use CookifyAI’s scheduling tool for multiple meals, it totals shared ingredients—so if you need red bell pepper for this recipe and another, the shopping list will combine both for you, helping you shop smarter and cut down on waste.

Cook and Prep Times

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Enjoy the classic flavors of sweet and sour pork the easy way—perfect for busy cooks who don’t want to sacrifice taste or convenience!