Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Pork
Learn how to make my Chinese grandma’s sweet and sour pork… but using the air fryer! Chinese sweet and sour pork is usually deep fried and then wok fried with the sauce. Using the air fryer simplifies this process while keeping its classic flavor.
What is Sweet and Sour Pork and Is it Really Chinese?
Chinese sweet and sour pork is a stir fry dish consisting of deep fried pork pieces with a sweet and tangy red sauce. My PauPau (or Popo) a.k.a. maternal grandmother made this all the time for us as kids. Actually, she still makes it to this day when we go over for dinner. Now that I think about it, how much of a bum am I for still allowing my 80-some year old grandmother to cook a multiple dish Chinese feast for me and my whole family and contributing nothing whatsoever? Sorry, PauPau.
Anyway, is sweet and sour pork really Chinese? I actually didn’t know the answer to this question until doing research for this blog post. I knew my grandma made it, but she also makes Chinese American dishes as well. Plus, it has some similar qualities to the beloved orange chicken at every Chinese American takeout. (Side note: non-Asian people always seem to freak out when my husband tells them his one of his favorite foods is orange chicken from Panda Express. Yes, Chinese Americans like Panda Express. It tastes good.)
But anyhow, YES, sweet and sour pork is a dish you can find in China! Maggie at Omnivore’s Cookbook talks about her experience with authentic sweet and sour pork at her blog post here.
What is sweet and sour sauce made of?
Ah, the mysterious Chinese sweet and sour sauce. It’s sweet, it’s tangy, and it’s red? You bet! So what’s the secret? Well, at least according to PauPau, it’s sugar, vinegar (I use rice vinegar), and ketchup! That’s it! Not so mysterious, after all, is it?
Other Cooking Notes:
For the pork, I actually buy pork that’s already cut into stir fry pieces at my local Asian market, because I am lazy. But you can use anything from pork shoulder to pork tenderloin. Just don’t use anything too fatty like pork belly, or too dry, like pork chops.
For serving, I usually use this as one of the proteins in a typical Chinese family style meal. In case you didn’t know, Chinese dinners are usually family style, often consisting of 4-5 different protein, veggie, and carb dishes, a soup, and rice, of course. Or at least, that’s how it goes for a family of 4… obviously bigger families need more dishes! If you’re looking for other Chinese recipes to serve with your sweet and sour pork, check these out:
Actually, every single one of those recipes is from my Paupau, so basically, it’ll be like eating with my family! Welcome, welcome!
Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Pork
Ingredients
For Air Frying
- 1 lb pork, cut in bite size pieces
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- oil spray
For the Wok
- 1 clove garlic, sliced
- 1 tsp ginger, sliced
- oil, for frying
- 1.5 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
- salt
Equipment
- Air fryer
Instructions
- Cut pork into bite size pieces, if needed (I buy my pork already cut for stir fry at the market).
- Mix flour and cornstarch in a shallow dish.
- Lightly beat eggs and pour into another shallow dish.
- Dip your pork in the beaten egg and then in the flour/cornstarch mixture.
- Put dredged pork in air fryer and spray with oil spray. Air fry at 400 degrees F for 12 minutes, no preheat necessary.
- While pork is cooking, mix sugar, ketchup, and rice vinegar. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch and water. Set aside.
- When pork is done in the air fryer, heat up oil in a wok.
- Add garlic and ginger to the wok. You'll know your oil is hot enough if your garlic and ginger are sizzling.
- Add pork to the wok. Pour your ketchup mixture over the pork and stir until everything is coated.
- Add cornstarch and water mixture to the wok and stir, creating a thick sauce. If your sauce gets too dry as the water gets cooked off, add more water as needed.
- Taste your sauce and adjust salt and other seasonings as needed. If you like a tangier sauce, add more vinegar. If you like it sweeter, add more ketchup and sugar, etc. Once you have adjusted the sauce to your liking, you are done!
