Why bother going out or ordering take out when you can make your favorite Chinese food at home?

This easy slow cooker sweet and sour pork recipe only takes 3 hours to cook and tastes delicious.

Sweet and Sour Pork with a mound of white rice served in a shallow teal colored bowl.

Sweet and tangy cubed lean pork is slow cooked with bell peppers, oriental vegetables, and pineapple chunks.

Serve this easy copycat take out recipe over fluffy white rice any time you have a craving for Chinese food.

Ingredients

This oriental pork recipe is a no breading sweet and sour pork. You'll need some lean pork.

I used boneless pork shoulder roast cut into cubes but you could also use thick cut boneless pork chops.

pork: cubed boneless pork shoulder roast
vegetables: red bell pepper, onion and a bag of frozen oriental vegetables
pineapple: pineapple chunks in syrup
sweet and sour sauce ingredients: dark brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, corn starch and water
ginger: ground ginger or minced fresh ginger

A picture of individual bowls with each ingredient needed to make Sweet and Sour Pork.

Recipe Prep

Prepping the ingredients that need to be cubed can be done the night before and refrigerated.

Cubing and cutting the vegetables ahead of cooking time can save you a lot of time in the kitchen.

When its time to cook all you need do is dump the ingredients into the slower.

Cut the boneless pork into 1 to 1 ½ inch cubes.
Core and seed the red bell pepper. Cut the pieces into 1 inch pieces.
Peel and roughly chop the onion into large pieces.
Pour the frozen oriental vegetables into a colander and run cold water over them until thawed. Drain well.

Step by Step Directions

Step 1: If you haven't prepped the ingredients ahead of time you will need to trim and cut the boneless pork into 1 to 2 inch cubes. Cut and chop the onion and thaw and drain the frozen oriental vegetables.

Step 2: Place the cubed pork, cubed bell pepper and chopped onion into the bottom of an 8 quart slow cooker. Then add the thawed and drain Asian vegetables.

Cubed pork and prepared vegetables in the bottom of a slow cooker.

Step 3: Open the can of sweetened pineapple chunks. Pour the fruit and syrup into the crock pot.

Pineapple chunks, cubed pork and vegetables in a large crock pot before slow cooking.

Step 4: Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar and ginger to the slow cooker.

Overhead image of adding sweet and sour sauce to the pork ingredients.

Step 5: Use a large spoon to toss the ingredients together to combine. Place the lid on the crock pot and cook on high for two hours.

Step 6: After 2 hours mix the cornstarch with the cold water and add to the slurry to the slow cooker.

A slow cooker filled with cooked pork and vegetables before adding a thickener.

Step 7: Recover and cook for 30 to 60 minutes until thickened. Do not over cook.

Cooked cubed pork and vegetables in a thickened sweet and sour sauce.

Serving Ideas

Serve the sweet and sour pork over tender white rice, lo mien noodles or with a side of fried rice.

A serving of Sweet and Sour Pork served in a shallow bowl with a mound of white rice.

Expert Recipe Tips

Pork: Use a lean cut of pork cut into 1 or 2 inch cubes that has a small amount of marbling. Pork loin is way too lean and can dry out very fast.
Asian vegetables: Use your favorite blend of Asian vegetables.
Cooking: Do not over cook the pork or it will be very dry.
Sweet and sour sauce ingredients: You can use rice wine vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar for a more authentic flavor.
Ginger: I prefer fresh ginger but was out and substituted ground ginger powder. If you have fresh ginger you and use it instead.