Chinese sweet and sour pork or gu lou yuk (咕嚕肉) is a popular and classic Cantonese cuisine among Chinese restaurants such as cashew shrimp, cream corn rice, chicken chop, salt & pepper squid and lobster yee mein. This Chinese sweet and sour pork recipe is delicious, colorful, crispy and tender. It’s very similar to an American Chinese orange chicken dish. Also, it is best to serve with rice, fried rice or noodles. Let's learn how to make Chinese sweet and sour pork for your meals or feasts with step by step photos and a video.
Love Chinese foods? Check out these authentic Chinese eggplant & pork, mapo tofu, steamed garlic shrimp, beef and broccoli, braised bamboo shoots, steamed pork patty, pan fried bun, salt & pepper squid and chili garlic shrimp recipes.
What is sweet and sour pork (咕嚕肉)?
Sweet and sour pork is a classic Cantonese cuisine. In Cantonese, it's also called gu lou yuk (咕嚕肉). This dish is not only popular among Chinese, but also Americans love them as well. The idea is very similar to American Chinese orange chicken dish. The pork is deep fried and coated with sweet and sour sauce.
In addition, the combination of vegetable and fruit brings more flavor and visual color to this dish. The taste of sweet and tangy can increase your appetite. Besides, this dish is great to serve with rice, fried rice or noodles.
What is the best part or cut of pork for sweet and sour pork?
In order to make the best sweet and sour pork dish, choosing the right cuts of pork is very important beside the sauce. Most restaurants use pork butt, pork shoulder or ribs because of the tenderness and good ratio of fat. However, some people like to use pork tenderloin or pork loin because they are lean and tender cut. Personally, I will not choose pork belly because of the fatty cut and too oily. Also, avoid too lean cuts. Pick pork with good meat and some fat.
How to make crispy and tender sweet and sour pork?
To make crispy and tender sweet and sour pork, the batter or kind of flour to use is important. Usually people use all purpose flour to make the batter to deep fry the pork. In this sweet and sour pork recipe, I like to use rice flour and sweet potato starch to bread the pork because it will be crunchy outside and soft inside. If you don’t have sweet potato starch, use rice flour and all purpose flour to batter the pork. Besides, double deep-frying the pork will make the outside even crispier and the inside is tender and juicy.
Can I pan fry the pork instead of deep frying them?
Sure, you can pan fry them or air fry them at 400F for 20-25 minutes. Dust the pork pieces with flour, dip into beaten eggs and dust flour again. Then, spray some oil on the pork pieces. Air fry them at 400F for 20 minutes. 10 minutes take it out and flip the other side for another 10 minutes or so.
Where does sweet and sour sauce get its color?
Sweet and sour pork is often red because of the ketchup. Commercial restaurants like to use red food coloring. Usually sweet and sour sauces made of vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and ketchup. But, our Cantonese sweet and sour sauce, we like to add pineapple juice from the canned pineapple which gives the sauce a tangy, sweet and unique flavor.
What are the ingredients for Chinese sweet & sour pork or gu lou yuk (咕嚕肉)?
A traditional Chinese sweet and sour pork recipe or gu lou yuk (咕嚕肉) recipe are pork, onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, pineapple and sweet and sour sauce.
Cooking tips for how to make sweet and sour pork:
- I like to use rice flour and sweet potato starch to bread the pork because it makes the pork crunchy outside and soft inside. If you don’t have sweet potato starch. Try to use rice flour and all purpose flour. It works better than just all purpose flour.
- Dip the pork into the flour mixture, egg and flour mixture to bread the pork.
- Wait until the oil is hot enough before deep fry. You can use a thermometer to test it, it will be around 350-375 F. Or, use a wooden chopstick to test the oil. When you dip the wooden chopsticks into the oil, there will be little bubbles around the wooden chopsticks which means the oil is hot enough for deep frying.
- Don't over deep dried the pork because when you use rice flour and sweet potato starch as breading, it has lighter golden brown than regular flour.
- Double deep fry the pork and it will be crispy.
- Normally, I use the pineapple juice from the can of pineapple when I make this dish. Therefore, I often choose pineapple chunks in 100% pineapple juice.
- Lastly, make sure every deep fried pork is covered with the sauce.
FAQs:
Yes, you can use chicken thighs or breast to make a sweet and sour chicken dish.
You can use a thermometer to test it, it will be around 350-375 F. Or, use a wooden chopstick to test the oil. When you dip the wooden chopstick into the oil, there will be little bubbles around the wooden chopstick which means the oil is hot enough for deep frying.
The best is to use rice flour and sweet potato starch to bread the pork. Then, double deep-fried the pork. It means deep fry the pork slightly golden brown. Take them out and increase the oil temperature to 375F, then put the pork into oil again and deep fry until it’s golden brown.
In a pot, add 100% pineapple juice 1 cup. (You can use the pineapple juice from the can, make sure to choose 100% pineapple juice.)
After that, add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, ¾ cup of brown sugar, 3 tablespoons of ketchup, ¼ teaspoon of salt. Mix it very well.
Then, turn on a small & low fire and cook it until the sugar is melted. In a small container, add 3 tablespoons of cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of water and mix it well.
Next, pour the cornstarch mixture into the sauce to thicken it and set them aside. To find out details and step by step instructions, click this sweet and sour sauce recipe.
Instructions for how to make sweet and sour pork:
Preparations:
- Peel, wash and cut 1 small onion into chunks.
2. Wash and cut 1 medium large sized green bell peppers into chunks.
3. Wash and cut 1 medium large sized red bell peppers into chunks.
4. Next, cut 1.5 pounds of pork into small chunks or cubes.
5. Then, put the pork into a bowl, add 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, ½ teaspoon of salt and mix it well. Let it marinate for at least 15-20 minutes before cooking.
6. In a container, add ½ cup rice flour, ½ cup sweet potato starch and mix it well. (If you don’t have sweet potato starch. Try to use ½ cup of rice flour and ½ cup of all purpose flour. It works better than just all purpose flour.)
7. After that, put the marinated pork and cover up with flour mixture.
8. Beat 2 eggs in a container.
9. Dip the pork into the egg batter.
10. Then, dip the pork into the flour again.
11. And, put the batter pork on the plate.
Cooking:
12. Pour 2 cups of vegetable oil into the wok. Turn on medium small fire. Until the oil is hot enough around 350-375 F for deep fry. You can use a wooden chopstick to test the oil if it is hot enough when you don't have a thermometer. Put the wooden chopsticks into the oil, when you see some bubbles around it that means the oil is hot enough.
13. When the oil is ready for deep fry, add the breaded pork into the oil slowly. (First deep fry around 350F until slightly golden.)
14. Cook until the pork turns slightly golden brown and put the pork on a paper towel over the plate.
15. Turn the fire to medium high temperature around 375F. Double deep fry the pork which means deep fry the pork again.
16. And, cook until it’s golden brown.
Sweet and Sour Sauce:
17. In a pot, add 100% pineapple juice 1 cup. (You can use the pineapple juice from the can, make sure to choose 100% pineapple juice.) Then, add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, ¾ cup of brown sugar, 3 tablespoons of ketchup, ¼ teaspoon of salt. Mix it very well.
Turn on a small & low fire and cook it until the sugar is melted. After, in a small container, add 3 tablespoons of cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of water and mix it well. Next, pour the cornstarch mixture into the sauce to thicken it and set them aside. To find out details and step by step instructions, click this sweet and sour sauce recipe.
18. Pour 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil into the wok, turn on medium high fire. Add the cut onion and stir fry it.
19. After that, add the cut green and red bell peppers. Stir fry them a little bit.
20. Then, add the pineapple chunks and stir fry a little bit.
21. Next, add deep fried pork.
22. Lastly, pour the sweet and sour sauce over the deep fried pork. Stir them and make sure every deep fried pork is covered with the sauce. And, it’s ready to serve.
Enjoy this Chinese sweet and sour pork recipe or gu lou yuk recipe! Also, check out these sesame oil chicken rice, kung pao chicken, Chicken chop with black pepper sauce and scrambled egg and shrimp recipes.
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Sweet and Sour Pork
Equipment
- 1 wok
Video
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds Pork (I used pork sirloin in this recipe)
- 1 small Onion
- 1 Green bell pepper (Medium large sized)
- 1 Red bell pepper (Medium large sized)
- 1 can Pineapple chunks (In 100% pineapple juice, l lb 4 oz/ 597 g or net wt 20 oz)
- 1 teaspoon Vegetable oil (For stir fry vegetables)
Marinate pork:
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Batter and deep fried pork:
- ½ cup Rice flour
- ½ cup Sweet potato starch or All purpose flour
- 2 Large Eggs
- 2 cups Vegetable oil (For deep fried the pork)
Sweet and sour sauce:
- 1 cup 100 % Pineapple juice
- 2 tablespoons Soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Vinegar
- ¾ cup Brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons Ketchup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons Corn starch
- 2 tablespoons Water
Instructions
- Peel, wash and cut 1 small onion into chunks.
- Wash and cut green bell peppers into chunks.
- Wash and cut red bell peppers into chunks.
- Next, cut the pork into small chunks or cubes.
- Then, put the pork into a bowl, add 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, ½ teaspoon of salt and mix it well. Let it marinate for at least 15-20 minutes before cooking.
- In a container, add ½ cup rice flour, ½ cup sweet potato starch and mix it well. (If you don’t have sweet potato starch. Try to use ½ cup of rice flour and ½ cup of all purpose flour. It works better than just all purpose flour.)
- After that, put the marinated pork and cover up with flour mixture.
- Beat 2 eggs in a container.
- Dip the pork into the egg batter.
- Then, dip the pork into the flour again.
- And, put the batter pork on the plate.
- Pour 2 cups of vegetable oil into the wok. Turn on medium small fire. Until the oil is hot enough around 350-375 F for deep fry. You can use a wooden chopstick to test the oil if it is hot enough when you don't have a thermometer. Put the wooden chopsticks into the oil, when you see some bubbles around it that means the oil is hot enough.
- When the oil is ready for deep fry, add the breaded pork into the oil slowly. (First deep fry around 350F until slightly golden.)
- Cook until the pork turns slightly golden brown and put the pork on a paper towel over the plate.
- Turn the fire to medium high temperature around 375F. Double deep fry the pork which means deep fry the pork again.
- And, cook until it’s golden brown.
- In a pot, add 100% pineapple juice 1 cup. (You can use the pineapple juice from the can, make sure to choose 100% pineapple juice.)Then, add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, ¾ cup of brown sugar, 3 tablespoons of ketchup, ¼ teaspoon of salt. Mix it very well. Turn on a small & low fire and cook it until the sugar is melted. After, in a small container, add 3 tablespoons of cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of water and mix it well. Next, pour the cornstarch mixture into the sauce to thicken it and set them aside. To find out details and step by step instructions, click this sweet and sour sauce recipe.
- Pour 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil into the wok, turn on medium high fire. Add the cut onion and stir fry it.
- After that, add the cut green and red bell peppers. Stir fry them a little bit.
- Then, add the pineapple chunks and stir fry a little bit.
- Next, add deep fried pork.
- Lastly, pour the sweet and sour sauce over the deep fried pork. Stir them and make sure every deep fried pork is covered with the sauce. And, it’s ready to serve.
Notes
Cooking tips for how to make homemade best sweet and sour pork:
- I like to use rice flour and sweet potato starch to bread the pork because it makes the pork crunchy outside and soft inside. If you don’t have sweet potato starch. Try to use rice flour and all purpose flour. It works better than just all purpose flour.
- Dip the pork into the flour mixture, egg and flour mixture to bread the pork.
- Wait until the oil is hot enough before deep fry. You can use a thermometer to test it, it will be around 350-375 F. Or, use a wooden chopstick to test the oil. When you dip the wooden chopsticks into the oil, there will be little bubbles around the wooden chopsticks which means the oil is hot enough for deep frying.
- Don't over deep dried the pork because when you use rice flour and sweet potato starch as breading, it has lighter golden brown than regular flour.
- Double deep fry the pork and it will be crispy.
- Normally, I use the pineapple juice from the can of pineapple when I make this dish. Therefore, I often choose pineapple chunks in 100% pineapple juice.
- Lastly, make sure every deep fried pork is covered with the sauce.
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