Can you freeze sweet and sour pork?

You can, for up to 2 months, but the bell peppers come out soft and watery. The sauce and pork freeze fine on their own if you plan to add fresh peppers on reheating.

What can I use instead of pork tenderloin?

Boneless pork loin chops cut into strips work the same way, as do boneless skinless chicken thighs cooked to 165°F (74°C). Both need the same potato starch coating.

Do I have to use canned pineapple?

No, but canned is the point of this version and the juice goes into the sauce. With fresh pineapple, replace the juice with 3/4 cup water and add an extra tablespoon of sugar.

Mix the sauce and cut the pork and vegetables up to a day ahead and keep them covered in the refrigerator. The cooking itself takes under 15 minutes and does not improve by waiting.

How do I know the pork is done?

Whole cuts of pork need an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) and a 3 minute rest. In half-inch strips that is roughly 3 minutes per side in a hot skillet, but an instant-read thermometer settles it.

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Sweet and Sour Pork

Name: Sweet and Sour Pork
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 43 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1.3 lb pork tenderloin, about 570 g, cut into 1/2-inch strips; 2 tbsp potato starch, or cornstarch; 0.5 tsp salt; 0.3 tsp black pepper, freshly ground; 3 tbsp vegetable oil, divided; 1 pieces onion, cut into wedges; 2 pieces bell pepper, one red and one green, cut into 1-inch pieces; 3 clove garlic, thinly sliced; 1 tbsp ginger, peeled and finely grated; 3 pieces scallion, sliced, for serving; 1 can pineapple, 20 oz chunks in juice, drained, juice reserved; 5 tbsp ketchup; 3 tbsp rice vinegar; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 3 tbsp sugar; 1 tbsp potato starch, for thickening; 1 tsp sesame oil, stirred in at the end; 1.5 cup jasmine rice, cooked according to package directions

By MiddagsarkivetOctober 18, 2026

Time: 43 min
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 4 servings

Sweet and sour pork reached Nordic kitchens by way of the Chinese restaurants that opened in Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo in the 1960s and 70s, and it never left. The restaurant version is battered and deep fried. The home version, the one that actually gets cooked on a Wednesday, skips the frying entirely: pork strips tossed in potato starch, seared in a skillet, and finished in a sauce built from ketchup, vinegar and sugar.

A can of pineapple is not a compromise here, it is the standard. Nordic families have kept a can in the cupboard for this exact dinner for fifty years, and the syrup from the can goes into the sauce. Fresh pineapple works, but then you need a splash of water and a little more sugar to make up for it.

The sauce is sweet, and it is supposed to be. If you want it sharper, add vinegar at the end a teaspoon at a time rather than cutting the sugar, which is what holds the glaze together.

Skillet of sweet and sour pork with bell peppers and pineapple in a glossy red glaze, served with a bowl of white rice — AI generated image. The dish has not been photographed.

How to make it

1
Start the rice
Put the jasmine rice on to cook according to the package directions so it is ready when the stir fry is. Keep it covered off the heat.
20 min
2
Mix the sauce
Measure 3/4 cup of the reserved pineapple juice into a bowl, topping up with water if the can gave less. Whisk in the ketchup, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and 1 tablespoon potato starch until no lumps remain. Set it by the stove.
3
Coat the pork
Pat the pork strips dry, then toss them in a bowl with 2 tablespoons potato starch, the salt and the black pepper until each piece is lightly dusted.
4
Sear the pork
Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the pork in a single layer, working in two batches so it browns rather than steams, and cook about 3 minutes per side. Cook to an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C), then transfer to a plate and let it rest at least 3 minutes.
8 min
5
Fry the vegetables
Add the last tablespoon of oil to the empty skillet. Add the onion wedges and bell pepper and stir fry over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until the edges char but the peppers still have bite.
4 min
6
Add garlic and ginger
Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds, just until you can smell them.
1 min
7
Glaze
Whisk the sauce once more and pour it into the skillet. Bring it to a simmer and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, until it thickens and turns glossy.
2 min
8
Finish
Return the pork and any juices from the plate to the skillet, add the drained pineapple chunks, and toss for 1 minute to heat through. Stir in the sesame oil off the heat and taste for vinegar and salt.
2 min
9
Serve
Scatter the scallions over the top and serve straight from the skillet with the rice.

A couple of tips

Dry the pork well before it meets the potato starch. Wet meat gives a pasty coating instead of a thin crust.

Two batches, not one. A crowded skillet drops below searing temperature and the pork turns gray.

If the glaze tightens too much while the pork heats through, loosen it with a tablespoon of water at a time.

What you need

a large skillet or wok
an instant-read thermometer

Serving

Serve with jasmine rice and nothing else, or with a cucumber salad dressed in rice vinegar if you want something cold on the plate.

Storing it

Keeps 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water; the microwave turns the peppers limp.

Nutrition per serving

Calories	750 kcal
Fat	17 g
of which saturated	3 g
Carbohydrates	102 g
of which sugars	30 g
Fiber	4 g
Protein	44 g
Salt	2 g

Guideline values, worked out from the ingredients.

Questions and answers

Can you freeze sweet and sour pork?: You can, for up to 2 months, but the bell peppers come out soft and watery. The sauce and pork freeze fine on their own if you plan to add fresh peppers on reheating.
What can I use instead of pork tenderloin?: Boneless pork loin chops cut into strips work the same way, as do boneless skinless chicken thighs cooked to 165°F (74°C). Both need the same potato starch coating.
Do I have to use canned pineapple?: No, but canned is the point of this version and the juice goes into the sauce. With fresh pineapple, replace the juice with 3/4 cup water and add an extra tablespoon of sugar.
Can I make it ahead?: Mix the sauce and cut the pork and vegetables up to a day ahead and keep them covered in the refrigerator. The cooking itself takes under 15 minutes and does not improve by waiting.
How do I know the pork is done?: Whole cuts of pork need an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) and a 3 minute rest. In half-inch strips that is roughly 3 minutes per side in a hot skillet, but an instant-read thermometer settles it.

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How it was made

This recipe was written by a language model. Below is what it cost, how long it took and when each step ran, so you can see how the archive comes about.

Cost: $0.245
Time: 1 min 39 sec
Model calls: 5
Safety check: Passed

Date	Step	Model	Usage	Time	Cost
Oct 18, 2026	Wrote the recipe	anthropic/claude-opus-5	8,070 in · 3,398 out tokens	42.4 sec	$0.125
Oct 18, 2026	Checked food safety	anthropic/claude-sonnet-5	2,574 in · 19 out tokens	1.7 sec	$0.005
Oct 18, 2026	Made the picture	bfl/flux-2-max	1 image	33.8 sec	$0.070
Oct 18, 2026	Worked out the nutrition	anthropic/claude-opus-5	1,695 in · 1,291 out tokens	16.1 sec	$0.041
Oct 18, 2026	Set the collections	anthropic/claude-sonnet-5	1,473 in · 31 out tokens	1.4 sec	$0.003

Sweet and Sour Pork

How to make it

Start the rice

Mix the sauce

Coat the pork

Sear the pork

Fry the vegetables

Add garlic and ginger

Glaze

Finish

Serve