Sweet and Sour Pork

Name: Sweet and Sour Pork
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: Pork shoulder or tenderloin, 500g cut into 2cm chunks; Pineapple chunks, 200g (fresh or tinned, drained); Bell peppers, 2 (one red, one green), cut into chunks; White onion, 1 medium, cut into wedges; Egg, 1 large, beaten; Cornflour, 6 tbsp (4 for coating, 2 for sauce); Ketchup, 4 tbsp; Rice vinegar, 3 tbsp; Sugar, 3 tbsp; Garlic cloves, 2, minced

咕嚕肉/gū lū ròu/

Also known as: Gu Lao Rou, Goo Lou Yuk, Tangcu Liji

About this dish

Crispy fried pork tossed in a glossy, tangy-sweet sauce with pineapple and pepper.

📍 Find the best Sweet and Sour Pork near me

AI-powered — Google, TripAdvisor and food blogs

History & Origin

Sweet and sour cooking has roots in ancient Chinese cuisine, but the pineapple-heavy version familiar in the West was popularized by Cantonese immigrant chefs adapting to Western tastes.

Ingredients

🥩Pork shoulder or tenderloin, 500g cut into 2cm chunks

🍍Pineapple chunks, 200g (fresh or tinned, drained)

🫑Bell peppers, 2 (one red, one green), cut into chunks

🧅White onion, 1 medium, cut into wedges

🥚Egg, 1 large, beaten

🌾Cornflour, 6 tbsp (4 for coating, 2 for sauce)

🍅Ketchup, 4 tbsp

🍶Rice vinegar, 3 tbsp

🍯Sugar, 3 tbsp

🧄Garlic cloves, 2, minced

Method

Serves 2

Season the pork chunks with a pinch of salt and white pepper. Dip each piece into the beaten egg, then toss generously in 4 tablespoons of cornstarch until fully coated.

Heat about 5cm of vegetable oil in a wok or deep pan to 180°C. Fry the pork in batches for 4-5 minutes until golden and crispy, then drain on paper towels. For extra crunch, fry a second time for 2 more minutes.

Make the sauce by mixing together the ketchup, rice vinegar, sugar, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, and 100ml of pineapple juice or water in a small bowl. Stir the remaining 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into 3 tablespoons of cold water to make a slurry.

Drain most of the oil from the wok, leaving about 1 tablespoon. Stir-fry the garlic, onion, and peppers over high heat for 2 minutes until just softened but still with a little crunch.

Pour the sauce mixture into the wok and bring to a bubble. Stir in the cornstarch slurry gradually until the sauce thickens and turns glossy, about 1-2 minutes.

Add the pineapple chunks and crispy pork to the wok and toss everything together quickly so the pork stays crunchy. Serve immediately over steamed white rice.

User Reviews

No reviews yet — be the first!

Members can create lists, save favourites and get recommendations.

🔥 Viral Recipes

How the world's top chefs make this dish

Made With Lau

1.7M views

YouTube ↗

🌍 Food Vlogs

Eating and cooking it at the source

🌍

No videos yet

What To Eat

The World's Food Guide