Island Pork has a flavor-packed sauce, tender pork, pineapple and peppers. This Sweet and Sour Pork Stir-Fry Recipe is sure to be a family favorite when served over a bed of rice.
We love this different spin on the traditional sweet and sour stir-fry. Instead of heavy, breaded and fried pork or chicken, this recipe uses a leaner cut of pork but still features all the flavor.
Island Pork – Sweet and Sour Pork Stir-Fry Recipe
Island Pork includes pineapple, peppers and pork cooked in a sweet and sour sauce. And, it takes 25 minutes or less from start to finish to get this dinner on the table.
For this Island Sweet and Sour Pork, we adapted a recipe from the Pot O’Gold cookbook passed down from our Grandma. She received this great church cookbook from her sister who lived in southeast Iowa. Check out our Great-Aunt Gertie’s Orange Julius recipe from the same cookbook.
When making this sweet and sour pork stir-fry, you have several options when it comes to the cut of pork to use.
What kind of pork to use in stir fry?
When making a pork stir-fry, we suggest using either a boneless pork shoulder, cubed pork loin or center cut pork chops.
Also, often times, you can find pork stir fry meat already cut into cubes or strips at the grocery store or your local butcher. This makes dinner even easier.
Take note that the pork – no matter what the cut – can get tough if cooked too long. We recommend only stir-frying until still pink in the inside, and then adding the sauce. It will finish cooking in the sweet and sour sauce.
Sweet and sour pork with pineapple ingredients
Canned Pineapple Chunks, drained with juices saved
Bell Pepper, any color
Pork, cubed (pork tenderloin, boneless pork chops or pork loin) or Pork stir-fry meat
Vegetable Oil
Cornstarch
Soy Sauce
Chicken Bouillon
Honey
Black Pepper
Garlic, minced
Notes About Sweet and Sour Pork Stir-Fry Recipe
- We used green pepper in our pork stir-fry with pineapple, but any color bell pepper works.
- Canned pineapple chunks or tidbits can be used. Or, if you have the pineapple rings on hand, use those and cut them into smaller pieces.
- Don’t discard the drained pineapple juice; you’ll need it for the sweet and sour pork stir fry sauce.
- Add enough water to the pineapple juice so that you have 3/4 cup liquid total.
- This pork stir-fry with pineapple tastes great served over white rice. We use a microwave rice cooker for perfectly cooked rice.
- Prefer shrimp or chicken stir-fry? Sub in your favorite protein for pork, if desired.
- Looking for a chicken stir fry recipe? Try our version. It has a special secret ingredient.
- Check out our Amazon Store for our favorite pantry essentials (crushed pineapple) and kitchen gadgets (microwave rice cooker).
How to Make Easy Sweet and Sour Pork with pineapple
- Drain juice from pineapple, saving the pineapple juice.
- Add enough water to reserved pineapple juice to make 3/4 cup liquid.
- To the pineapple liquid, add cornstarch, soy sauce, honey, bouillon, garlic and black pepper. Set aside.
- Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat; cook pork and peppers until pork is barely pink.
- Add the sauce and pineapple to the skillet, and stir until thick.
- Serve over rice.
For the full instructions and ingredient amounts for sweet and sour pork with pineapple, scroll to recipe card at the bottom of this post.
More Pork Recipes
We love pork recipes like this sweet and sour pork with pineapple. Check out these 10 old fashioned pork recipes.
Crock Pot Pork Roast with Gravy
Mom’s Baked Pork Chops and Potatoes
Cheesy Garlic and Brown Sugar Pork Chops
Instant Pot Pork Chops with Sauerkraut, Apples and Bacon
Fancy Baked Pork Chops in Deep Covered Baker
Island Pork - A Sweet and Sour Pork Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- 20 oz can pineapple chunks
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 pepper cubed (green, yellow or red)
- 3/4 pound boneless pork shoulder or cubed pork loin or center cut pork chops cubed
Instructions
- Drain pineapple, reserving the juice.
- Add water to the reserved pineapple juice to make 3/4 cup total.
- Add cornstarch, soy sauce, honey, chicken bouillon, garlic and black pepper to pineapple juice; set aside.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Cook pork and peppers, stirring constantly until pork is barely pink.
- Add the pineapple juice mixture and pineapple, and cook until thickened and bubbly, continuing to stir constantly.
- Serve over cooked, white rice.
Notes
- We used green pepper in our pork stir-fry with pineapple, but any color bell pepper works.
- Canned pineapple chunks or tidbits can be used. Or, if you have the pineapple rings on hand, use those and cut them into smaller pieces.
- Don't discard the drained pineapple juice; you'll need it for the sweet and sour pork stir fry sauce.
- Add enough water to the pineapple juice so that you have 3/4 cups liquid total.
- This pork stir-fry with pineapple tastes great served over white rice. We use a microwave rice cooker for perfectly cooked rice.
- Prefer shrimp or chicken stir-fry? Sub in your favorite protein for pork, if desired.
- Looking for a chicken stir fry recipe? Try our version. It has a special secret ingredient.
Nutrition
Did you add the pineapple chunks as well or is that the yellow pepper in the picture? No where in the instructions does it mention about the chunks.
Thank you for your help
So sorry about that! We left out when to add the pineapple chunks back in. We fixed the recipe. They go in when you add the pineapple juice mixture to the pork.
The preface states boiling pork first but nowhere in the recipe.?
We couldn’t find where we reference boiling the pork in the post; however, we do recommend simmering the pork in the sauces to ensure it’s cooked through!
Could another vegetable be substituted for the peppers? I want to make this tomorrow but only have broccoli on hand. Thank you;
Audrey – We haven’t substituted broccoli for the peppers but you certainly could. Just leave out the peppers. If you are using frozen broccoli, just let it thaw and dry it before adding it at the end when you add the pineapple sauce to the pork. If you are using fresh broccoli, it may take longer to cook so you may want to blanch it before adding. Good luck!