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Overhead view of sweet and sour pork on a patterned oval platter set on rustic white timber slats, with a bowl of rice topped with pork in the background, glossy sauce drips and a few pieces of pork scattered on the table in natural light.

Restaurant-Style Sweet and Sour Pork

This Restaurant-Style Sweet and Sour Pork (Extra Crispy!) delivers the ultimate Chinese takeout experience at home. Pork is marinated for juiciness, double-fried for unbeatable crispiness, and tossed in a classic sweet, tangy, and savoury sauce with veggies and pineapple. A guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
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Prep Time:20 minutes
Cook Time:20 minutes
Total Time:40 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: Chinese pork recipe, double fried pork, sweet and sour pork, Takeout fakeaaway
Servings: 4
Author: Kate Brodhurst

Equipment

  • Wok or large frying pan
  • Electric deep fryer or large saucepan

Ingredients

MARINATED PORK

  • 600g pork scotch fillet, cut into small bite size pieces
  • 1 teaspoon chicken stock powder
  • ½ teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder
  • ¾ teaspoon bicarbonate soda
  • ½ teapsoon ground white pepper
  • pinch of salt
  • ½ teaspoon MSG (optional - see notes)
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons Chinese cooking wine

BATTER

  • 1 cup self-raising flour
  • ½ cup cornflour or potato starch
  • Water

SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE

  • ⅓ cup ketchup or tomato sauce
  • ⅓ cup caster sugar (can use white or brown sugar)
  • ¼ cup white vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons pineapple juice (reserved from the can for the stir fry)
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 ½ teaspoons cornflour
  • 1 teaspoon MSG
  • Few drops of red food colouring (optional)

STIR FRY

  • ½ large red onion, cut into large chunks
  • ½ small red capsicum, cut into chunks
  • ½ small green capsicum, cut into chunks
  • 1 small carrot, cut into 2-3mm thick slices
  • 227g can pineapple chunks in juice, drained (reserve the juice for the Sweet & Sour Sauce)

Instructions

MARINATE PORK

  • Combine diced pork with all marinade ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes (or up to 24 hours).

make BATTER

  • Whisk flour and cornflour with enough cold water to make a thick cream like consistency. Chill batter for up to 1 hour max.

SWEET & SOUR SAUCE

  • Whisk all ingredients in a bowl until throughly combined. Set aside until ready to use.

first fry

  • Heat enough oil in a wok or saucepan to come one-third up the side over medium high heat until it reaches 160C. (alternately use an electric deep fryer according to manufactures instructions) Coat pork in batter, then drop one-by-one into hot oil in batches. Fry for 3 minutes or until golden. Drain on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining pork. (TIP: I use food safe gloves here to help reduce with messy hands. I use a new glove for every batch)

second fry

  • Reheat oil to 180°C. Fry the pork batches again for 1-1.5 minutes until deeply golden and very crisp. Drain.

STIR FRY

  • Heat 1 tbsp oil in a clean wok over high heat. Stir-fry onion, capsicum, and carrot for 1-2 minutes. Pour in sauce, bring to a boil.

combine

  • Turn off heat. Add crispy pork and drained pineapple chunks. Toss vigorously to coat. Serve immediately.

Notes

  1. COOKS NOTES:
    Oven Temps:     Oven temperatures are for conventional, if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C.
    Measurements: We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml & 1 cup =  250 ml.
    Herbs: All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed.
    Vegetables: All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified.
    Eggs: We use extra-large size and eggs are 55-60 g each, unless specified.
  2. Pork:
    Pork scotch fillet (neck) is ideal for flavour and juiciness. Pork belly (skinless) is also excellent. Leaner cuts like tenderloin can dry out.
  3. Velveting Marinade: The bicarbonate soda (bicarb) is a Chinese technique called "velveting" that keeps the pork tender. Don't skip it.
  4. Chicken Stock Powder: For the most authentic flavour, use a Chinese-style chicken powder like Knorr. Regular chicken stock powder (e.g., Continental, Massel) also works perfectly.
  5. MSG (Optional): Monosodium glutamate is a traditional seasoning that adds a savoury umami depth. It can be omitted, but it's a key ingredient in many restaurant versions for that "moreish" taste.
  6. Double Frying: This is the secret to crispiness that lasts. The first fry cooks the pork, the second fry makes it crunchy.
  7. Equipment: A large, heavy saucepan or Dutch oven is perfect for deep frying. Fill it one-third full with oil. A cooking thermometer is highly recommended.
  8. Sauce: For a more vibrant colour, a few drops of red food colouring can be added to the sauce. This is optional but traditional.
  9. Serving: Serve immediately after combining with the sauce to preserve the pork's crisp texture.