Easy Sweet And Sour Pork Stir Fry With Peaches

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This easy sweet and sour pork stir-fry with peaches has the perfect balance of sweetness and tang for a Chinese dish. It’s a straightforward homemade version of sweet and sour pork stir-fry that saves on takeout. Ordering out at Chinese restaurants can be super expensive these days, especially for families with many people to feed, which is why this easy pork stir fry with simple prep and cooking instructions is so welcome. It’s a pleasantly flavorful dish with budget-friendly pork pieces and fresh peaches that make a delicious meal the whole family will love.

A lineup of good takeout menu choices you can easily make at home is always good. Not only does it save on the pocketbook, but it keeps everyone happy. This Chinese food recipe is an easy winner. With fast-fried pork chops, green bell peppers, and onions, it’s a relatively low-cost meal option when you’re in the mood for Asian flavors. Served alone or on a bed of plain white rice, this dish is always a hit. 

Looking to add to your take-out-at-home menu lineup? Be sure to add our shrimp spring rolls to the list and our other stir-fry recipes. 

metal chopsticks holding pork and onion from a helping of sweet and sour pork on a blue and white plate

Why You Will Love This Easy Chinese Sweet And Sour Pork Recipe

Low-Cost. Ordering out can be very expensive. This recipe uses low-cost, fast-fried pork chops, bell peppers, and onions, all of which are very budget-friendly ingredients. 

The Perfectly Balanced Sauce. I don’t know about you, but having a homemade sweet and sour sauce can be a bit hit or miss, so I set out to make the best-balanced sauce out there. This one is ultra simple and has a really delicate tang with just the right amount of sweetness. 

Fast To Make. This recipe preps quickly with a few simple ingredients and its quick cooking make it ready in just half an hour. It’s perfect for any night of the week. 

Let’s Start The Prepping For This Pork Stir-fry

Okay, so you can use your wok on this one. However, if you don’t own a wok, a deep, large frying pan will also suffice. Start by prepping the ingredients. That will mean cutting up those thin, fast-fried pork chops into thin strips. Add the pork strips to a small bowl and season with soya sauce and oil. Toss the pork with the seasoning to coat it and let it sit while you prep everything else. 

Wash the green pepper and remove the seeds. You will also want to remove the whitish rib veins. Cut the green pepper into large chunks that mimic a takeout dish. 

Next, peel and mince the fresh garlic. We are only using one clove, so that’s a speedy process. Next, peel your onion and cut it into large chunks. Put the onion and peppers in a bowl because you will add them to the pork simultaneously. 

Wash, peel, and pit the peaches, then cut them into bite-sized pieces. Remember to keep them close in size to the other ingredients. Measure them and set them aside as they go in last.

Heat the wok on medium-high heat and add the sesame oil as well as the vegetable oil. Once hot, add the garlic; as it heats, the natural essence from the garlic will flavor the oil. Dump in the marinated pork pieces and stir around in the wok, allowing the oil to coat the sides of the wok and the meat to cook. Cook the meat alone in the wok until it is almost done. Then add in the green pepper and onions. You will want to cook the vegetables with meat until the green pepper looks like it is getting that lighter-cooked appearance. Approx. Four to five minutes. 

the green peppers and onions cooking with the pork for the stir fry in wok

While that happens, you can put out the small saucepan needed to make the sweet and sour sauce. In it, add the sugar, cornstarch, and salt over medium-high heat. Then, stir in the white vinegar and tomato paste. Bring the whole mixture to a rolling boil so that the cornstarch can thicken the sauce. 

adding the sweet and sour sauce to the pork stir fry

Meanwhile, keep stirring the stir-fry in the wok so that everything cooks evenly. Once the sauce has thickened, you can add it directly to the meat and vegetables. Add the peaches now and give the entire mixture a good stir. Let the stir-fry cook for a few minutes to allow the peaches to release some juice and get heated through. 

Once done, remove from the heat and serve alongside your other Chinese dishes or over a bed of white rice for a complete meal. 

Ingredients:

Fast-Fry Pork Chops: These thin-sliced pork chops are inexpensive and cook through fast, making them ideal for a tasty Chinese dish.

Soya Sauce: This ingredient adds a classic salty flavor to the pork before cooking.

Neutral Oil: Keeps the ingredients from sticking without overpowering the tangy sauce.

Fresh Garlic Clove: The essence of the garlic infuses the oil when heated, creating a more flavorful base for cooking the pork.

Onion: Regularly cooked onions are ideal as they are cost-effective and their flavor holds up well to the thick, sweet, and sour sauce.

Green Bell Pepper: This classic ingredient is still firm when cooked lightly in this Chinese dish. Its lovely, crisp flavor adds to the overall balance of the dish.

White Sugar is used predominantly to sweeten the sauce. Many other recipes use brown sugar, but it can be darker and not as clean of flavor, as the molasses in brown sugar can overpower the dish.

Cornstarch: Thickens the sweet and sour sauce to coat the other ingredients well.

Salt: Balances the sweetness in the sauce while enhancing the tomato paste’s natural flavor.

White Vinegar: This vinegar has an acidity level that makes it perfect for the sauce.

Tomato Paste: The red from the tomato paste adds a nice bit of color to the finished dish and a bit of tomato flavor to the sauce, creating a deeper, richer flavor.

Peaches: These bring a vibrancy to the finished dish and balance the sweetness with their natural fruit juice. 

the sauced sweet and sour pork stir fry in the wok

Substitutions And Add-Ins For This Easy Chinese Dish

Fast-Fry Pork Chops: Other pork cuts that will work are regular boneless loin chops or juicy pieces of pork tenderloin cut into thin strips/pieces. For a vegan version of the dish, switch out the pork for firm tofu. 

Soy sauce: This ingredient season the meat before cooking. If you don’t have it on hand, you can use tamari sauce, coconut aminos, or miso paste instead.

Neutral oil: I used regular vegetable oil; however, any oil that you would naturally use for cooking and that has a mild flavor will work.

Fresh Garlic Clove: If you don’t have this on hand, simply use a half tsp of garlic powder in the meat while cooking to replace it. You can omit it altogether if you don’t have either, and the flavor should be close to the original.

Onion: Regular low-cost cooking onions were used. However, if you wish to switch it up, any large onion will work. Remember, though, that the onion’s flavor must balance the sweetness of the dish, so a sweet onion will not likely be the best choice.

Green Bell Pepper: This is one instance where I actually recommend green bell peppers. The chunks of pepper remain crisp, and we avoid that unpleasant bitterness that a cooked green pepper can take on. If you don’t have green pepper but find yourself instead with red pepper, that will also work. You can also use shepherd’s peppers.

White Sugar:-Remains-

Cornstarch:-Remains-

Salt: This can be omitted if following a low-sodium diet. 

White Vinegar: This vinegar has 5% acetic acid, which is just right for balancing the sauce. The main point of the vinegar is to offset the sweetness and create that classic tang in a good sweet and sour sauce. You can replace it with another vinegar, but I can’t endorse its outcome as this recipe works perfectly with white vinegar. 

Tomato Paste: This is a low-cost ingredient that should be used sparingly. I recommend buying it in a resealable tube so you can use the rest in another dish. If not, any low-cost tomato paste will suffice.

Peaches: This recipe works best with fresh peaches. If you have frozen peaches, though, you can use them. Just thaw and cut them up the same way you would with fresh for the recipe. Other sweet and sour dishes that are more traditional feature pineapple. You can replace the peaches with canned pineapple tidbits or chunks if you prefer. Fresh pineapple will also work. However, the texture and flavor of the peaches are really pleasant in this recipe. 

Other tasty additions to this recipe include fresh produce such as snow peas, whole button mushrooms, broccoli florets, and bamboo shoots. 

Expert Tips, Serving And Storing Suggestions For The Sweet And Sour Pork

Tip #1:Slice Against the Grain. When cutting the pork into thin strips, slice against the grain. This ensures that the meat stays tender and cooks evenly.

Tip #2: Marinate for Flavor.  Before cooking, allow the pork to sit in the soy sauce and oil for at least 15 minutes to enhance its flavor and tenderness.

Tip #3: Mix the Cornstarch in Cold Liquid First. Before adding cornstarch to the sauce, mix it with cold water or vinegar first to avoid lumps and ensure a smooth sauce.

​To serve this simple sweet and sour pork stir-fry for a complete meal add a bed of white or brown rice. This tasty recipe also goes great with other classic Chinese dishes too. Luckily this large recipe feeds a small crowd because it’s really popular. 

​If you do have leftovers it reheats really well the next day for a quick lunch idea. 

​If you’ve tried this tasty Chinese sweet and sour pork stir-fry with it’s fresh peaches I would love to hear your thoughts. Please rate and leave a comment below. Your feedback helps me decide what to create in the future as well as to inform others what you liked or didn’t like about a particular recipe. 

featured image close up of sweet and sour pork stir fry

Easy Sweet And Sour Pork Stir Fry With Peaches

Amber Bondar
This fast to prep and cook sweet and sour pork stir-fry is the ultimate in Chinese take out at home. The light tangy sauce is the perfect pairing with savory fast fry pork chops and fresh peaches. Serve over a bed of rice for a complete dinner the whole family will love or reheat the next day for lunch time it's a winning dish everytime.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 8
Calories 376 kcal

Equipment

  • Large Wok
  • Small Saucepan
  • Small Bowl
  • Cutting board
  • Wooden Spoon Stirring Implement
  • knife
  • Tablespoon
  • Teaspoon

Ingredients
  

The Stir Fry Mixture

  • 2 lbs Pork Loin Chops Fast Fry
  • 2 Tbsp Soya Sauce
  • 6 Tbsp Neutral Oil
  • 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
  • 1 Lrg Garlic Clove Diced
  • 1 Lrg Green Bell Pepper Wash, Seeds Removed, Cut Into Chunks
  • 2 Med Onions Peeled Cut Into Chunks
  • 2 Cups Peaches Peeled And Cut Into Chunks

The Sweet And Sour Sauce

  • ½ Cup White Sugar
  • 2 Tbsp Cornstarch
  • ¼ Tsp Salt
  • Cup White Vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste

Instructions
 

The Pork Stir Fry

  • On a cutting board cut the fast fry pork loin chops into thin strips by cutting across the grain. Add to a small bowl.
    2 lbs Pork Loin Chops
  • Add the soya sauce and three tablespoons of oil to the pork and stir to coat. Let marinate for 15 minutes.
    2 Tbsp Soya Sauce, 6 Tbsp Neutral Oil
  • Peel the garlic and dice fine.
    1 Lrg Garlic
  • Wash, deseed and remove rib veins of the bell pepper. Cut into chunks.
    1 Lrg Green Bell Pepper
  • Peel and cut into large chunks the onions.
    2 Med Onions
  • Heat the wok on medium-high heat until hot. Add in the sesame oil and three tablespoons of neutral oil.
    1 Tbsp Sesame Oil, 6 Tbsp Neutral Oil
  • Add the diced garlic and once it starts cooking add in the pork.
    1 Lrg Garlic, 2 lbs Pork Loin Chops
  • Stir while the pork cooks until pork is nearly cooked through.
  • Add in the onion and peppers and cook for four to five minutes until peppers are starting to get lighter in color.
    1 Lrg Green Bell Pepper, 2 Med Onions

The Sweet & Sour Sauce

  • In a small saucepan make the sauce by adding the sugar, salt, cornstarch. Heat on medium high heat.
    ½ Cup White Sugar, 2 Tbsp Cornstarch, ¼ Tsp Salt
  • Add in the vinegar and the tomato paste stirring to remove lumps and keep it from sticking as it thickens.
    ⅓ Cup White Vinegar, 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
  • Bring the mixture to a boil so the sauce thickens.
  • Remove from heat and add to the stir fry.

Finishing the Sweet And Sour Pork Stir Fry

  • Mix the sauce into the other ingredients well. Add peaches and heat through.
    2 Cups Peaches
  • Once peaches are hot it's ready to serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 376kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 26gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 356mgPotassium: 567mgFiber: 1gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 192IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Asian, Chinese food, fast dinner ideas, take out recipe
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