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 recipe is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that combines tender pork, sautéed onions and peppers, pineapple, and chow mein noodles in a tangy sweet and sour sauce. The pork is seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked with onions and peppers, then mixed with the sweet and sour sauce and pineapple chunks. Meanwhile, the chow mein noodles are boiled and rinsed, then served as a bed for the pork and pineapple mixture. The dish is topped with extra soy sauce for added flavor.

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

  1. Prep Vegetables:
    • Quarter and slice the red onion.
    • Deseed, halve, and slice the green bell pepper.
  2. Prep Pork:
    • Cut pork loin chops into strips, then halve the strips for bite-sized pieces.
    • Season pork with 2 teaspoons each of kosher salt and black pepper.
  3. Prepare Sweet and Sour Sauce:
    • In a saucepan, whisk together light brown sugar, cornstarch, reserved pineapple juice, vinegar, soy sauce, and salt.
    • Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, whisking continuously. Once boiling, cook for an additional minute, then remove from heat.
  4. Cook Pork and Vegetables:
    • In a medium skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons cooking oil over medium heat.
    • Add sliced onion and bell pepper, sautéing for approximately 2 minutes.
    • Introduce seasoned pork to the skillet, stir, and cover.
    • Cook for about 5 minutes or until pork is mostly done.
  5. Finish Pork Mixture:
    • Pour the prepared sweet and sour sauce over the pork and vegetables, stirring to combine.
    • Add pineapple chunks and simmer the mixture for about 10 minutes.
  6. 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.
    • Once cooked, drain and rinse the noodles well under cool water.
  7. Assemble and Serve:
    • Create a bed of chow mein noodles on serving plates or a large platter.
    • Spoon the pork and pineapple mixture over the noodles.
    • Optionally, drizzle additional soy sauce over the top for added umami flavor, balancing the dish’s sweetness. 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.