Sweet and Sour Pork Chow Mein

Boneless pork chop pieces with green bell pepper, red onion, and pineapple chunks with a sweet and sour sauce, served over chow mein noodles.

This Sweet and Sour Pork with Chow Mein Noodles offers a delicious mix of textures and flavors, featuring tender pork loin chops cooked with red onion and green bell pepper for a fresh crunch. A homemade sweet and sour sauce, made with brown sugar, pineapple juice, vinegar, and soy sauce, is poured over the pork and vegetables along with pineapple chunks, creating a tangy glaze that coats each ingredient. Served over chow mein noodles and optionally drizzled with soy sauce, this dish delivers a satisfying balance of sweetness, umami, and crunch in every bite.

Servings

2

Prep Time

15-20 minutes

Cook Time

20-25 minutes

Total Time

35-45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 boneless pork loin chops (16 ounces)
  • Kosher salt and black pepper (for seasoning pork)
  • 1 medium red onion, quartered and sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper, deseeded, halved, and sliced
  • 1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks, juice drained and reserved
  • 6 ounces dry chow mein noodles

For Sweet and Sour Sauce

  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • Reserved pineapple juice
  • 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Prepare Vegetables

Quarter and slice the red onion. Deseed, halve, and slice the green bell pepper.

Prepare Pork

Cut pork loin chops into bite-sized strips. Season pork with 2 teaspoons each of kosher salt and black pepper.

Prepare Sweet and Sour Sauce

In a saucepan, whisk together light brown sugar, cornstarch, reserved pineapple juice, vinegar, soy sauce, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking continuously. Cook for 1 additional minute once boiling, then remove from heat.

Cook Pork and Vegetables

In a skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Sauté onion and bell pepper for about 2 minutes. Add seasoned pork, stir, and cover. Cook for 5 minutes until pork is mostly done.

Cook Chow Mein Noodles

In a separate pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add chow mein noodles and boil for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse noodles under cool water.

Finish the Mixture

Pour sweet and sour sauce over pork and vegetables. Stir to combine. Add pineapple chunks and simmer for 10 minutes.

Assemble and Serve

Place chow mein noodles on serving plates or a platter. Spoon pork and pineapple mixture over noodles. Optionally, drizzle soy sauce for extra flavor. Serve and enjoy!

Cut the red onion into quarters and then slice.

De-seed the bell pepper cut and into strips and then cut the strips in half.

Drain the pineapple juice into a separate dish to use for the sauce set aside the pineapple chunks.

Cut the pork into strips and then cut the strips in half to make bite size pieces.

Toss the pork with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 2 teaspoons black pepper.

Prepare the sauce ingredients and prepare 2 quarts of water to boil the chow mein noodles.

Stir together the sauce ingredients in a small sauce pan. Heat to a boil, stirring constantly, and boil 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a medium skillet and add the onion and bell pepper about 2 minutes.

Add the pork and stir in. Cover and cook over medium heat about 5 minutes until the pork is mostly cooked.

Add the sauce and stir in. Add the pineapple and stir in. Simmer about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and add the chow mein noodles to boil for 3 minutes. Remove, drain, and rinse well.

Layer a base of the rinsed and drained chow mein noodles in a serving dish and spoon the pork and pineapple mixture over the noodles. Dash with extra soy sauce for more umami to balance the sweetness.