Sweet and Sour Pork · i am a food blog

Homemade sweet and sour pork is so much easier, cheaper and healthier than takeout. This version has less than 10 ingredients and is easier than using an app to order!

Sweet and sour pork is one of the best Chinese dishes, whether as a cheap takeout, from a Michelin-starred restaurant, or as part of a home-cooked feast. It’s tangy, sweet, crispy, crunchy and deliciously porky. This better than takeout version is not only easier, but it’s also better for you. Best of all, it uses pork chops, which are my favorite cut of pork because they’re easy to find, easy to cook, and taste great.

How to make sweet and sour pork

1. Cut the pork chops into cubes. More surface area equals more crunch: 1.5″ cubes are just about perfect.
2. Coat the pork. Place pork in a ziplock bag or bowl with cornstarch for a crispy coating without frying.
3. Cook the pork. Bake (or air fry, see below) the pork at 450°F for 40 minutes, turning halfway through cooking for even browning.
4. Prepare the sauce. While the pork is cooking, prepare the sauce with the rest of the ingredients in a non-stick pan.
5. Put it all together. Remove the pork from the oven and immediately toss it in the sauce until well coated. Serve with lots of rice and other sides.

Ingredients

This is an easy pantry recipe with few ingredients, perfect for a weeknight dinner:

• Pork chops – pork chops make the best sweet and sour pork. Look for chops that are thick and well-marbled. Other cuts you can use include pork shoulder/butt, loin, or even boneless ribs.
• Cornflour – cornstarch makes the coating light and crispy. We use it almost all the time in Asian cooking as a sauce thickener and coating. You can’t really replace it, but if you have extra, it’s pretty easy to find other recipes to use it for.
• I am willow – you can use any soy sauce but for more authenticity, try a Chinese brand of light soy sauce like Lee Kum Kee Or Pearl River Bridge.
• rice vinegar – It is the rice vinegar that gives this dish its characteristic spiciness.
• Ketchup – yes, ketchup – not only ketchup originally invented in Chinathis is the secret ingredient to get that unique spiciness you find in truly authentic Chinese sweet and sour pork. Ketchup plays a role in many authentic Chinese and Asian dishes.
• Vegetables – don’t skip the vegetables, they add an essential crunch and brightness. Onions and peppers are the most essential, but you can add whatever your heart desires. Pineapple, whether canned or freshis a fairly traditional addition.

Healthy sweet and sour pork

Some people don’t know that sweet and sour pork is fried and not healthy at all. This version is healthier but just as delicious, with no added oil and no frying. It’s as crispy and the sauce is as authentic as you’d find in any Chinese restaurant. We often make it for dinner instead of ordering in when we’re craving Chinese.

Tips and tricks

If you want the pork to be extra crispy and you have a can of cooking spray such as Pam on hand, give it a light coating of oil before sprinkling with cornstarch for even more crispiness. crunchy.

Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Pork

You can air fry them instead of baking them. All you have to do is turn off the oven for an air fryer. Coat pork with cornstarch according to recipe, then pplace the pork in the air fryer basket with at least 1/4″ space between pieces, in a single layer and set the air fryer to 375°F for 8 minutes. Once cooked, coat with sauce as directed.

Serve it with

Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe

You won’t believe how easy this no-fry sweet and sour pork recipe is.

Serves 4

Preparation time 5 minutes minutes

Cooking time 40 minutes minutes

Total duration 45 minutes minutes

• 1 kg pork chop in cubesor shoulder
• 2 tablespoon cornflour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoon ketchup
• 2 tablespoon vinegar favorite rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon I am willow light soy sauce preferably
• 1 bell pepper coarsely chopped
• 1/2 onion roughly chopped
• 1 cup pineapple optional

To air fry: coat pork with cornstarch, then place into the air fryer basket with at least 1/4″ space between pieces, in a single layer. Set the air fryer to 375°F for 8 minutes, then add the sauce as directed.
Serves 2 as a main course or 4 with rice and other accompaniments. Estimated nutritional value is 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts

Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe

Amount per serving

Calories 425
Calories from fat 220

% daily value*

Fat 24.4g38%

Saturated fat 8.9 g56%

Cholesterol 23 mg8%

Sodium 422 mg18%

Potassium 492mg14%

Carbohydrates 23g8%

Fiber 0.8g3%

Sugar 17.1g19%

Protein 27.6g55%

*Percent Daily Values ​​are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.