Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe – A Quick and Easy Dinner Recipe

If you find yourself with a plain pork tenderloin and don’t know the best way to cook it, or if you are craving the famous Sweet and Sour Pork take out dish, you are going to love this recipe.

Bite size pieces of pork tossed with bell peppers and pineapple chunks in an easy to make, homemade sauce that is even better than the one that you get at your favorite Chinese restaurant.

Best of all, once the meat gets put in a hot wok (or skillet) dinner will be on the table in only 15 minutes! You can even save yourself time cooking dinner in the evening by doing a little prep work in the morning.

Start by dicing the pork tenderloin in bite size pieces. Then let the pork marinade throughout the day. Take the meal prep one step further by dicing the vegetables and combining the ingredients for the sauce.

Then when you are ready to make dinner, sear the meat in the skillet until golden brown and cooked through. Then add the remaining ingredients and then toss everything in the sauce and dinner will be served in no time!

And who couldn’t use a quick and easy dinner recipe this time of the year? It is one of my favorite weeknight meals that is not only quick and easy to make, but it is also very budget friendly as well!

Pork Tenderloin vs. Pork Loin

While both cuts come from the same general area of the pig, pork tenderloin and pork loin have distinct and individual characteristics in terms of size, texture, and flavor. Due to these differences, pork loin and pork tenderloin are not direct substitutes for each other in most recipes.

For this Sweet and Sour Pork recipe be sure that you use a pork tenderloin and not a pork loin. Pork tenderloin is a leaner meat that has a mild taste and benefits from quick cooking. Pork loin is a larger cut of meat (roast size), and requires a longer cooking time.

When you are at the grocery, look for a cut of pork that is long and slender. And be sure to pick a tenderloin that is unseasoned.

Gluten Free Sweet and Sour Pork Modifications

This recipe can easily be adapted for those who need or prefer to follow a gluten-free diet. Although you should always check each of the ingredients that you purchase, below I have listed some common substitutions.

Soy Sauce – Liquid aminos are a common soy sauce substitute for those who are on a gluten-free diet. As the name suggests, liquid aminos are concentrated amino acids derived from either soybeans or coconuts.

However you could also use Tamari in place of the soy sauce. The biggest difference between Tamari and liquid aminos is that tamari is fermented, giving the sauce a more bold flavor, while liquid aminos are not fermented.

Flour – Use a gluten-free flour to help coat the pork pieces before they go in the skillet. Or if you prefer, use only cornstarch to achieve the crispy coating.

Cornstarch – However be cautious when purchasing cornstarch, especially if you have celiac disease. Because cornstarch is made entirely from corn it naturally does not contain any gluten.

However it is often manufactured on equipment shared with other grains and grain products, including wheat at some processing facilities. Therefore, be sure to read the labels carefully!

Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe

*Specific measurements and complete recipe instructions are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to continue to read the tips and tricks to making this recipe below.

INGREDIENTS

*Although the ingredient list looks a bit long and maybe even intimidating, you most likely have most of these ingredients in your kitchen. In addition, I have listed several ingredients twice as I have organized the list per each step of the recipe for the ease of following along.

Marinade

• 1 large egg, whisked
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

Sweet and Sour Sauce

• 1 cup chicken broth low sodium
• ½ cup reserved pineapple juice
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
• ⅓ cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Other Ingredients

• 1 pound pork tenderloin
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons ginger
• 1 large clove garlic minced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 each green, red and yellow or orange bell pepper diced, about 4 cups
• 8 ounces pineapple chunks in pineapple juice canned, juice reserved for sauce

Serving Ingredients for Sweet and Sour Pork

• 2 green onions, sliced thin at an angle
• cooked white rice

INSTRUCTIONS

As mentioned above, be sure that you purchase a pork tenderloin for this recipe. You will need a one pound, unseasoned tenderloin to feed 6 people.

Start by trimming off any excess fat from the meat. Then cut the tenderloin into 1 inch, bite size cubes.

Next prepare the marinade by whisking an egg and adding it to a large resealable bag. Then add soy sauce and pork pieces to the bag with the egg.

Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible, and massage the outside of the bag so that the marinade coats the pork pieces. Allow it to marinate for at least 30 minutes. If you plan on marinating the meat for more than 30 minutes, place it in the refrigerator.

When you are ready to make the Sweet and Sour Pork remove the pork from the refrigerator and prepare your white rice per package instructions. I prefer to make Instant Pot White Rice for a quick and easy, hands off approach to making rice while I prepare dinner.

Cooking Instructions

Combine the sweet and sour sauce ingredients while the pork comes to room temperature. Whisk the sauce until well incorporated and then set aside.

In a large bowl or another large resealable bag combine the flour and cornstarch. Remove pork from marinade and gently toss with the flour and cornstarch mixture. Discard the remaining marinade.

Then over medium high heat, add olive oil to a large skillet or wok. Once the oil is hot add the pork chunks to the skillet and let it brown on one side.

This process should take 2-3 minutes. Flip the pork over and let it brown on the other side. Once the pork is seared and cooked to an internal temperature of 140°F, remove it from the pan and set aside.

Stir in the peppers and diced onion and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until peppers become slightly tender but still crisp.

Then add the minced garlic and ginger. Cook only until fragrant, about 1 minute as you don’t want the garlic to burn.

Before adding the sauce to the pan, give it a quick whisk then add it to the skillet. Cook until it is thick and bubbly, stirring frequently.

Add the pork and pineapple to the sweet and sour sauce and simmer, stirring frequently. Continue to simmer for 2-3 minutes until the pork is heated and cooked through.

Serve over rice and garnish with sliced green onions.

To receive our 3 Recipe Articles in your inbox each week, sign up for our free email list located in the middle of each recipe or email me at contact@makeyourmeals.com. You can also follow us on Facebook and Pinterest. This article may contain affiliate links where a small commission is paid if you purchase a product at no additional cost to you.