Air fryer sweet and sour pork recipe | 咕噜肉 | Chinese takeout

Perhaps the most popular Chinese dish worldwide is sweet and sour pork. Its bold flavor is easily embraced by the food culture of most countries and loved by people of all ages. It is also easy to prepare, as it only involves deep-frying and doused in a sweet and sour sauce.

However, deep frying may not be the best option for home cooking, as it requires a lot of oil and is considered unhealthy. I will attempt to replace deep frying with air frying in this air fryer sweet and sour pork recipe. The result is nearly identical, although the pork may not be as crispy. Furthermore, using an air fryer cuts down on the oil you need, so it’s a healthier choice and way easier to clean up without all that extra oil.

🛒Ingredients needed for making the air fryer sweet and sour pork

Here is a summary of the key ingredients required to prepare air fryer sweet and sour pork.

• Pork. Pork belly is the most common cut of pork used for sweet and sour pork. The reason is that pork belly contains a fair amount of fat, which makes it exceptionally tasty after deep frying. However, besides pork belly, other pork that contains a small amount of fat are also suitable. You may use pork shoulder meat, collar butt. The pork should be cut into pieces about half to one inch in size. If you prefer a leaner option, you can choose tenderloin, but remember that the meat will be tougher and dryer.
• Vegetables. The pork is usually stir-fried with a variety of crunchy vegetables. The most common vegetables used in this recipe are onion, cucumber, and pineapple. Red bell peppers are often added as they become more popular in the West. These crunchy vegetables provide a nice contrast to the meaty texture of the pork. You can omit or substitute any of these vegetables with other crunchy options, such as zucchini.
• Sweet and sour sauce. The tangy sweet and sour sauce I make is created with honey, ketchup, lemon juice, salt, and water. There are no fixed rules on the ingredients, but it should have a balanced sweet and sour flavor. In China, maltose and plum sauce are commonly used instead of honey, and rice vinegar can be used instead of lemon juice. You can also consider substituting part of the tomato ketchup with chili sauce for a spicy flavor.
• Marinade. Marinating meat using salt and light soy sauce is a common way to improve its flavor in Chinese cooking. I marinate the pork with light soy sauce, salt, and cornstarch in this recipe. It does not need heavy seasonings because the pork will eventually be coated in the sweet and sour sauce.

👉 How to make Sweet and Sour Pork with air fryer

Below are the step-by-step instructions with photos for preparing air fryer sweet and sour pork. For further details, please see the attached video and check out the tips I’ve included after the recipe.

1. Cut the pork into bite-sized pieces, about half to one-inch cubes. Mix the pork in a bowl with light soy sauce, salt, and cornstarch. Let it marinate for at least 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Cut the pineapple, bell pepper, cucumber, and onions into bite-sized pieces similar to the pork.

3. After marinating the pork, add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and mix well. Shake off the excess cornstarch, then coat the pork with a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Set aside.

4. Preheat the air fryer to 240 degrees Celsius. Place the pork into the air fryer.

5. Air fry the pork for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

6. Whisk together lemon juice, honey, tomato ketchup, salt, and water in a bowl for the sweet and sour sauce.

7. Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet to stir-fry the onions. Then, add the cucumber, pineapple, and bell pepper. Stir-fry over medium-high heat for about a minute.

8. Next, mix the sweet and sour sauce with the vegetables.

9. Finally, return the pork pieces to the wok and stir-fry with the vegetables over medium to high heat briefly, about 20 seconds. Serve immediately.

💡Tips and notes for the best air-fried sweet and sour pork

1. Please note that I am using an air fryer with a tilt-and-rotate feature. This type of air fryer can rotate the meat inside at an angle, mimicking the action of stir-frying. If you do not have this type of air fryer, please stop your air fryer halfway through the cooking process and loosen the pieces of pork manually before continuing to cook. This will ensure that the pork cooks evenly.
2. I add only one tablespoon of oil to the pork before air-frying it, drastically reducing the amount required compared to deep-frying.
3. Coating the pork in wet batter is not suitable for air frying. I coat the pork in cornstarch before air frying it. 
4. I live in Malaysia, where we use a lot of red onions for cooking. Although there is no significant taste difference between red and yellow onions, I still prefer yellow onions because they are generally much easier to peel than red onions.
5. In Malaysia, fresh pineapple is popular and easy to find. I cooked sweet and sour pork using canned pineapple when I stayed with my son in New Zealand. After trying both types of pineapple, I found no significant difference. Furthermore, you can add the pineapple juice from the can to the sauce to improve the flavor.
6. If you do not have cornstarch, you can substitute it with potato starch or tapioca starch.

🆚 Does the air fryer method make sweet and sour pork as good as deep frying?

When comparing the taste of sweet and sour pork cooked with an air fryer versus deep frying, it depends on how you define “taste” and “flavor.” Both methods will have a similar taste profile if you’re strictly considering taste. However, if you also factor in crispiness, the air fryer won’t get the crispy pork you would get from a Chinese restaurant. The air-frying method involves less oil, resulting in less crispiness. Nevertheless, the advantage is that it’s healthier. Furthermore, when cooking at home, we often struggle with disposing of excess oil after deep frying!

🆒 How to store and reheat the air fryer sweet and sour pork?

The best way to store the sweet and sour pork is to ensure it cools completely before storing. Once cooled, divide the pork into portions and place them in an airtight container. For longer storage, you can freeze the pork in single layers in freezer-safe containers or bags for up to 3 months. 

To defrost the pork, place it in the refrigerator overnight or reheat it in the microwave or oven. Please note that the pork will not be as crispy after freezing, but it will still taste great.

📜 Other simple recipes complement Sweet and Sour Pork with air fryer

If you enjoy this air fryer Sweet and Sour Pork recipe, check out our related and complementary Chinese food recipes on this blog and my sister’s food blog Taste of Asian Food.

• Healthy Kung Pao chicken. Similar to sweet and sour pork. However, this is spicy and savory.
• Cheesy cauliflower soup – Easy-to-make soup that complements any meal and entrée.
• Mongolian beef– An American Chinese beef stir-fry not found in Mongolia. (Belief me, I just got back from Mongolia ✈️)