Air Fryer Chinese Take Out Sweet 'N Sour Pork (2024)

By Jill Selkowitz / 7 Comments Updated / As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs I earn from qualifying purchases; see all disclosures.

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Air Fryer Chinese Take Out Sweet ‘N Sour Pork is a healthier option than the deep fried version and is made at home in less than 30 minutes.

Air Fryer Chinese Take Out Sweet 'N Sour Pork (1)

Air Fryer Chinese Take Out Sweet ‘N Sour Pork

Sweet ‘N Sour Pork has always been one of my favorite dishes at Chinese restaurants; the good ones, the cheap Take-Out ones and even Chinese buffets. There is just something about deep fried pieces of juicy pork, covered in Sweet ‘N Sour Saucethat always makes my mouth water. Yes, this Jewish girl loves Sweet ‘N Sour Pork. Actually, most of my Chinese Food choices are with pork. {Bowing head in shame} Oy!

Air Fryer Chinese Take Out Sweet 'N Sour Pork (2)

Cast of Ingredients for Air Fryer Chinese Take Out Sweet ‘N Sour Pork

Using the Air Fryer has really opened up a new door for me. I am not one to deep fry food as I don’t like all the grease and fat in my home. Best of all, I know what is in my food. I know my ingredients are fresh and that there is never any standing oil.

Air Fryer Chinese Take Out Sweet 'N Sour Pork (3)

Whisk together Eggs and Sesame Oil

In aMedium Mixing Bowl, whisk togethereggs anda drop of Pure Sesame Oil. The Sesame Oil is optional. I just like the slight taste it gives to the pork.

Air Fryer Chinese Take Out Sweet 'N Sour Pork (4)

Whisk together Potato Starch and Seasonings

In another Medium Bowl, mix together Potato Starch and the rest of the seasonings, which include Chinese Five Spice, Salt and Pepper.

Add thePork pieces to the Potato Starch and coat all pieces.

Air Fryer Chinese Take Out Sweet 'N Sour Pork (6)

Dip Pork into Egg Mixture

Using a fork or tongs, pick up one piece ofpork at a time and shake off any excess Potato Starch. The coating on thepork should be very light and translucent. Quickly dip thepork into the egg mixture and shake off excess. Dip thepork back into the Potato Starchfor another very light coat.

Properly Seasoned Air Fryer Basket

Please see my article on How to Prepare and Properly Season Your Air Fryer Basket. Using this method will help to prevent your Air Fryer Chinese Take Out Sweet ‘N Sour Pork from sticking to the basket.

Make sure never to use Pam when you season your Air Fryer Basket. It will leave behind a coating, that is impossible to remove. Coconut Oil, Crisco, Canola Oil, all work well.

Air Fryer Chinese Take Out Sweet 'N Sour Pork (8)

Place Pork Pieces into Air Fryer

After thoroughly shaking off any excess Potato Starch from the pork, place into your preparedAir Fryer basket. Sometimes, Iuse Parchment Steaming Papersto keep food from sticking to the bottom of the basket. I spray that as well.

Spraying my Air Fryer basket with my favorite Oil, helps in the cooking process. Spray the top of thepork with your favorite oil. This Olive Oil Sprayer / Mister for Cooking has made my life much easier, as it is a good performing Oil Mister. For this recipe, I like plain old Canola Oil. You will need to shake the Air FryerBasket a few times during cooking.

Simple Sweet ‘N Sour Sauce Recipe

While your Air Fryer Chinese Take Out Sweet ‘N Sour Pork is cooking, whisk up a batch of my Simple Sweet ‘N Sour Sauce Recipe. By the way, the above spoon isa Chinese soup spoon and there is a blue graphic on the spoon. It kind of looks like I used a dirty, nasty moldy spoon. 🙁 I promise, I did not. 🙂

Air Fryer Chinese Take Out Sweet 'N Sour Pork (10)

Air Fryer Chinese Take Out Sweet ‘N Sour Pork with Rice

I like to eat my Air Fryer Chinese Take Out Sweet ‘N Sour Pork with Fried Rice or Pressure Cooker Seasoned Vegetable Ghee Rice. Some people pour their Sweet ‘N Sour Sauce over their Pork Nuggetsand others dip. What do you do?

Try these incredible Air Fryer Crispy Honey Garlic Chicken Wingsand you will be hooked, for sure!

Kitchen Equipment and Essentials

Caring is sharing! If you would like to support This Old Gal, please share this recipe on Social Media, so that I can continue to bring you more wonderful recipes!

Here is the handy printable recipe:

Air Fryer Chinese Take Out Sweet 'N Sour Pork (11)

Air Fryer Chinese Take Out Sweet 'N Sour Pork

Print Pin Save Rate

Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Chinese

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes

Total Time: 27 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories:

Author: Jill Selkowitz

Ingredients

Other

  • Oil Mister
  • 1 prepared Simple Sweet ‘N Sour Sauce Recipe

Instructions

  • In one mixing bowl, combine the potato starch, salt, pepper and Chinese Five Spice.

  • In another mixing bowl, beat the eggs and add Sesame Oil.

  • Dredge thepork pieces into the Potato Starch and shake off any excess. Quickly dip each piece into the egg mixture, shake off excess and then back into the Potato Starch mixture.

  • CoatAir Fryer Basket with oil. Placepork pieces into basket and spray with oil.

  • Cook at 340 degrees for approximately 8-12 minutes (or until pork is cooked),, shaking the basket a couple of times.

  • Serve with my Simple Sweet ‘N Sour Sauce Recipe.

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© ThisOldGal.com - Sharing the recipe link to any of my recipes posts are both encouraged and appreciated. Unauthorized and improperly attributed or non-attributed use of this material, including screen shots, copy/paste of full recipes to any social media site, website, mobile application or service (e.g., copymethat, recipe keeper, pepper) or cookbook, without the requisite attribution or otherwise with express written permission from Jill Selkowitz is strictly prohibited. You may share a photo with a link back instead.

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Air Fryer Chinese Take Out Sweet 'N Sour Pork (12)

Air Fryer Chinese Take Out Sweet ‘N Sour Pork

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Air Fryer Chinese Take Out Sweet 'N Sour Pork (2024)

FAQs

Can you reheat sweet and sour pork in an air fryer? ›

Storage and Reheating

When reheating the Sweet and Sour Pork in the air fryer, the sauce will further caramelize and infuse into the crispy batter! Air fry at 350°F for 6-8 minutes or until warmed through and crispy. Alternatively, reheat in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes until warmed through.

How do you keep pork from drying out in an air fryer? ›

Using oil

Using oil in an air fryer is perfectly fine and helps the meat to remain moist and come out looking golden brown. However, a little oil in an air fryer does go a long way. With most cuts of pork, simply rubbing some oil into the meat will be all you need. You can use either regular olive oil or a spray oil.

What are the ingredients in sweet and sour pork? ›

Mix 1 cup water, 3/4 cup sugar, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, and salt in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in cooked pork, celery mixture, and pineapple chunks with juice. Return to a boil, then mix in remaining1/4 cup water and cornstarch.

How to do pork in the air fryer? ›

  1. Pat dry the pork loin then score the fat with a sharp. knife - I did this in a criss cross. ...
  2. Crush the fennel seeds and mix with the salt. Spread. ...
  3. Brush the pork all over lightly with oil (I used garlic. oil) then air fry for about 50 minutes at 180C.
  4. Let the pork rest briefly and then serve up with air.
Oct 11, 2022

How to reheat leftover Sweet and Sour Pork? ›

What's the best way to reheat Chinese takeout like crispy sweet and sour pork? Oven. Give it about five to ten minutes at 450. Sometimes, I'll even turn the oven to 500.

Can you reheat Chinese takeaway in an air fryer? ›

so anything crispy and fried, like, chicken balls, spring rolls, prawn toast. whatever. you can just stick in the air fryer. and it's really, really good for getting them crispy again.

Does an air fryer dry out pork? ›

Whether a childhood of overcooked pork chops left you with an adulthood aversion or you are their biggest fan, these flavorful Air Fryer Pork Chops will have you falling freshly in love. They're lightly crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside (NOT DRY), and ready in just 20 minutes.

How do you keep meat moist in an air fryer? ›

There's a simple solution to combat this: add a little extra oil or butter before heating. It may seem counter-intuitive to add something wet to the air fryer, which is traditionally a dry-heat cooking appliance, but that bit of moisture and fat will keep the meat basted and prevent it from losing its flavor.

What is Chinese sweet and sour sauce made of? ›

In a medium saucepan, combine pineapple juice, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and soy sauce and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in cornstarch slurry and cook until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

How do Chinese make pork so tender? ›

How do you tenderise pork for stir fry? Velveting is a Chinese technique that helps keep meat tender during stir frying. Adding cornstarch and bicarb to your meat during the marinating process helps to coat your meat, giving it a velvety feel that makes the meat feel extra soft.

Is sweet and sour pork authentic Chinese food? ›

Sweet and sour pork is a Chinese dish particularly popular in Westernised Cantonese cuisine and may be found worldwide. Several provinces in China produce various dishes that claim to be the ancestor, including a traditional Jiangsu dish called “pork in a sugar and vinegar sauce” (糖醋里脊; pinyin: táng cù lǐjǐ).

Do you wrap pork in foil in an air fryer? ›

If you cover the tenderloin, it will keep the delicious crust from forming. So for maximum flavor, you should leave your tenderloin uncovered when air frying.

Can you put foil in an air fryer? ›

Foil is safe to use in an air fryer so long as you follow three basic rules: never let foil touch the heating element; make sure the foil is weighted so it doesn't blow around the basket; and avoid contact with acidic ingredients, which can cause the foil to leach onto your food.

How to crackle pork in an air fryer? ›

Preheat the air fryer to 160°C then place the pork belly in the air fryer & cook for 30 minutes. Next, increase the temperature up to 200°C & air fry for an additional 10 minutes or until the crackling is crisp. Leave to rest for 10 minutes in a warm place before carving.

Can you reheat cooked pork in an air fryer? ›

Line the air fryer basket with aluminum foil or paper for easy cleanup. This is especially helpful when reheating fried or breaded pork chops. Check for Doneness. Always check the pork's internal temperature to ensure it's thoroughly heated and safe to eat.

How long to reheat Chinese roast pork in air fryer? ›

Store any leftover pork belly in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, and enjoy it within 4 days. You can reheat the pork belly in the air fryer at 375°F for 5 minutes or until warmed through.

How long to reheat sweet and sour chicken in air fryer? ›

To reheat, you have a few options: Air fryer: If you have an air fryer, you can reheat the chicken by placing it in the air fryer basket and air frying it at 350°F for 5-7 minutes, or until heated through and crispy.

Can I put a Chinese box in an air fryer? ›

All of the manufacturer's instructions specifically advise against it and read something like this: "Do not place any of the following materials in the air fryer: paper products, cardboard containers, plastic containers, and other materials not constructed of oven safe metal and glass pans."

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