How to Make Sweet and Sour Pork with Pineapple Easy Recipe

Pineapple and pork simply pair wonderfully together, especially in Asian-inspired dishes. Learn how to make sweet and sour pork with pineapple, which was love at first try for me. Surprise family and guests with a quick and easy dish that just hits the spot, and is also loaded with vegetables. Which better way to entice those in our family that don't particularly love vegetables?

By Clara Gonzalez - Last revised Sep 30, 2025. Original Feb 11, 2014.

Why I ❤️ it Recipe Ingredients Preparation

Sweet and sour pork.

Why I ❤️ it

There's the classic sweet and sour pork recipe of Chinese restaurants, and then there's this super easy recipe with pork and pineapple in a sweet and sour sauce that combines the complex flavor of sweet and sour pork dishes in a perfect balance of vegetables, fruit, and savory tastes.

There's no deep frying in this recipe, and the sweetness is kept at a reasonable level to make it a healthier alternative to what we can find on a Chinese restaurant menu, so it is perfect for everyday dinner. So if you're looking for easy recipes with an Asian flair, this is going to be one of your favorite dishes.

This free recipe contains Amazon affiliate links, and I receive a small commission when you purchase, at no cost to you. Thank you!

Utensils and tools

• Paper towel
• Large deep skillet

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pound [0.7 kg] of pork tenderloin, or boneless pork chops, thinly sliced
• ½ teaspoon of black pepper (freshly-cracked, or ground)
• 2 ½ teaspoons of salt, (or more, to taste), divided
• 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 large of white onion, cubed
• 2 green bell peppers, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 cup of diced green tomatoes, (optional, see notes)
• 2 cups of fresh pineapple, peeled and cubed
• ½ teaspoon of chili flakes, (optional)
• 3 tablespoons of cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce
• ¼ cup of rice vinegar, or 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
• 2 cups of pineapple juice
• 1 cup of chopped garlic chive, (see notes)
• 1 cup of chopped green onions

Preparation

Before starting, please make sure you have all the ingredients and utensils ready.

Step 1: Season the meat

Pat the pork pieces dry with a paper towel. Season with pepper and 2 teaspoons of salt.

Step 2: Cook

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the pork (careful with oil splatters!) and cook and stir until it turns golden brown. It may release a little bit of liquid at the beginning, but it will soon evaporate.

Step 3: Add ingredients

Stir in the onion, green pepper, and garlic to the fried pork, and cook and stir for 30 seconds, don't overdo it, we want crisp bell peppers in the end.

Stir in, the green tomatoes, and pineapple chunks. Cook and stir for 30 seconds or until they are heated through. Stir in the chili flakes.

Step 4: Make the sauce

In the meantime, make a cornstarch slurry by mixing corn starch, soy sauce, vinegar, and pineapple juice. Lower stove to medium heat and add the slurry to the pot and stir.

Once it breaks the boil, add garlic chive and green onions. Cook until these two wilts.

Step 5: Serving

Taste and season with more salt if you find it necessary. Remove from the heat and serve.

Variations

You can use thinly sliced pork belly for this recipe, in that case, remove any excess oil after browning. You can also use pork butt or pork shoulder.

Sprinkle with some sesame seeds if you like them.

Top tips

Dissolve two tablespoons of tomato paste in the slurry if you want a red sauce.

Cutting the pork into thin slices makes it cook faster, and you'll have dinner on the table in no time.

If you don't have chili flakes, use spicy sauce to taste.If you can't find garlic chives, substitute for equal amount of chives, the taste is different, but the dish will still be very good.

I only had green cherry tomatoes (from my potted garden), they turned out really good, but use whatever green tomatoes you find, or none. It's perfectly fine without it.

Serving suggestions

Serve each serving with a small bowl of white rice. You can make my preferred white rice, or a Chinese-style white rice if you prefer it.

Nutritional information

Calories: 382kcal - Carbohydrates: 29g - Protein: 27gFat: 18g - Saturated Fat: 4g - Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g - Monounsaturated Fat: 9g - Trans Fat: 0.1g - Cholesterol: 76mg - Sodium: 985mg - Potassium: 786mg - Fiber: 3g - Sugar: 17g - Vitamin A: 1442IU - Vitamin C: 74mg - Calcium: 56mg - Iron: 2mg

FAQs

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