My recipe for Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Pork is amazing in the Air Fryer!! Where else do you get crispy pork surrounded by a sweet and sour sauce? This sweet and sour pork dinner in the air fryer will take you less than 15 minutes. And it is so much better than Chinese Takeout!

Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Pork

If you love ordering Sweet And Sour Pork, you might enjoy making it at home. The best part is the leftovers the next day! Plus it is a lot cheaper to make your own.

If you like Chinese food, as much as my family, I have a whole bunch of tried and true recipes. Some of my absolute favorites are Air Fryer Crab Rangoon and a great Copycat Recipe for Instant Pot Chinese Fried Rice.

This pork’s taste is the same as the version you would receive at any Chinese Restaurant, lightly and amazing, and so flavorful!

Easy Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Pork

I am so all about the ease of meals prepared in the air fryer. After all, that is so why I started using it, easy and delicious.  I love Chinese food, so making this dish in the air fryer was life-changing.  If you love Chinese food, you will absolutely love this recipe.

It is a simple sauce that is drizzled on top of the pork. The pork is crispy and tastes just like the real version at the Chinese Restaurants. 

The key to this recipe is to toss the pork with cornstarch, which will help it keep tender, moist, and absolutely delicious.

Ingredients Needed For Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Pork

Do you love Sweet and Sour Pork but struggle to replicate its deliciously crunchy fried goodness? Then why not try cooking it in an air fryer?

Air fryers make it easy to cook up crispy, tasty dishes while still being healthy. In this blog post, we’ll explain the simple ingredients needed for a perfect plate of Sweet and Sour Pork using an air fryer that your whole family will love. Let’s get started!

Ingredients Needed For Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Pork
  • Pork Tenderloin: Or useless boneless pork chops.
  • Cornstarch
  • Vegetables: Sweet Onion, Green Bell Pepper, and Red Bell Pepper
  • Pineapple: Use fresh pineapple Chunks or Canned pineapple chunks
  • Granulated Sugar: Use a sugar substitute or brown sugar
  • White Vinegar: Adds the sour taste, you can also use apple cider vinegar.
  • Ketchup
  • Kosher Salt and Freshly GroundBlack Pepper
  • Cooking Spray or Olive Oil
  • Serving Green Onions For Garnish

How To Prepare Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Pork

Do you have an air fryer gathering dust, and are looking for a way to put it to good use? Take your taste buds on an Asian-inspired journey with this delicious Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Pork recipe!

This quick and easy meal is perfect for busy weeknights when time is tight – all you need to do is marinate the pork, prepare the air fryer before adding in the pork cubes, set it to cook, and let it work its magic! Enjoy a restaurant-worthy main course that tastes healthier than takeout with no greasy mess afterward.

Coat the chicken with the cornstarch

Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F. Place the pork along with the salt and pepper in a medium-sized bo, and mix to combine. Add the cornstarch and toss the pieces until coated. Take the pieces out onto a plate, shaking off any excess cornstarch, and set them aside.

Air Fryer Roasted Pineapples and Peppers

Spray the air fryer’s basket with cooking spray, add the onion, bell peppers, and pineapple to the basket, spray the onions, onions, and peppers with cooking spray, and shake the basket to coat. Air Fry for 20 minutes, shaking the basket every 5 minutes, spraying with more cooking spray if it looks like it’s drying out. Air Fry until the vegetables are softened and begin to char slightly.

Once they are done cooking, place everything onto a plate and set aside.

Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin

Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F. Spray the air fryer with cooking spray. Place the pieces of the pork into the basket, not touching. You may need to do this in batches. Spray well with cooking spray and air fry for 5 minutes, flipping the pieces at the 3-minute mark

How To Prepare Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Pork

While the pork is cooking, make the sauce. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the water, sugar, vinegar, and ketchup, and whisk to combine fully. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water. Once the sauce is simmering, slowly wish in the cornstarch slurry. Let’s come back to a simmer to thicken.

How To Prepare Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Pork

Immediately add the cooked pork, onions, peppers, and pineapple to the skillet and toss with the sauce. Serve with a garnish of thinly sliced scallions.

Sweet and Sour Pork

Pro Tips For Making The Best Air Fryer Sweet And Sour Pork

  • One big thing I recommend is making sure you do evenly cut pieces of pork. If you don’t have evenly sliced pork you will find some pieces could be undercooked while other pork is overcooked. But by cutting up the pork evenly you get an even cook. 
  •  Batch cook your pork if you need to ensure the pork is spread out and not other pieces of pork touch. If your pork touches you can’t get an even cook on the pork. The pieces that touch will be undercooked a bit. 
  • Use the time in the recipe card as a guide. Depending on how big your pork is, and how your air fryer heats, it all factors into the cooking time. So use the cooking time as a guide, but make sure to check on your pork often. 

Frequently Asked Questions


Can I Use Frozen Pork Tenderloin?

No, they will not come out crispy. As they thaw, they would become watery, and it is best to defrost the pork tenderloin and cook from a thawed state.

How To Store

Easy, let the dish cool to room temperature. And then, place the leftover sweet and sour pork into an airtight container. Place the container into the refrigerator.

The leftover Sweet and Sour Pork will last about 2-3 days. 

How Do I Reheat Sweet and Sour Pork In Air Fryer

The best way to reheat this meal would be to place it in a microwave-safe dish. Place the dish into the microwave, microwave at 50% power for 3 to 4 minutes, and stir halfway.

If you do not own a microwave or wish to reheat in the air fryer, place the leftover pork (without the sauce) and reheat for 3 to 5 minutes at 330 degrees F, air fryer setting. 


What To Serve With Sweet and Sour Pork

Maybe you want to whip up classic white rice, cauliflower rice, or even some rice noodles. Essentially, you could pair this pork with almost anything that you felt sounded good together. 

I love making homemade Chinese Feast at my house. Some of my favorite dishes are

Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Pork
Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Pork on Plate

Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Pork

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings

Description

My recipe for Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Pork is amazing in the Air Fryer!! Where else do you get crispy pork surrounded by a sweet and sour sauce? This sweet and sour pork dinner in the air fryer will take you less than 15 minutes. And it is so much better than Chinese Takeout!

Ingredients 

  • 1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup sweet onion, diced into 1-inch
  • 1 large green bell pepper, diced into 1-inch
  • 1 large red bell pepper, diced into 1-inch
  • 8 ounces pineapple chunks, drained

Sweet and Sour Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup

Cornstarch Slurry:

  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch

Serving:

  • 1 stalk green onion, diced

Instructions

  • Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F. Place the pork along with the salt and pepper in a medium-sized bo, mix to combine. Add the cornstarch and toss the pieces until coated. Take the pieces out onto a plate, shaking off any excess cornstarch, and set them aside.
  • Spray the air fryer's basket with cooking spray, add the onion, bell peppers, and pineapple to the basket, spray the onions, onions, and peppers with cooking spray, and shake the basket to coat. Air Fry for 20 minutes, shaking the basket every 5 minutes, spraying with more cooking spray if it looks like it's drying out. Air Fry until the vegetables are softened and begin to char slightly.
  • Once they are done cooking, place everything onto a plate, and set it aside.
  • Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F. Spray the air fryer with cooking spray. Place the pieces of the pork into the basket, not touching. You may need to do this in batches. Spray well with cooking spray and air fry for 5 minutes, flipping the pieces at the 3-minute mark.
  • While the pork is cooking, make the sauce. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the water, sugar, vinegar, and ketchup, and whisk to combine fully. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water. Once the sauce is simmering, slowly wish in the cornstarch slurry. Let come back to a simmer to thicken.
  • Immediately add the cooked pork, onions, peppers, and pineapple to the skillet and toss with the sauce. Serve with a garnish of thinly sliced scallions.

Equipment

  • Air Fryer, Air Fryer Basket or Air Fryer Oven
  • Cooking Spray, or Non-stick Cooking Spray

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 342kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 25gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 717mgPotassium: 732mgFiber: 3gSugar: 38gVitamin A: 1536IUVitamin C: 93mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 2mg

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How To Prepare Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Pork


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How To Prepare Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Pork