Making your favorite takeout has never been easier! This Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Pork recipe puts flavorful Chinese-inspired cuisine on the table in less than 30 minutes!
Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Pork
Sweet and sour pork is one of my all-time favorite Chinese takeout meals!
Sometimes it seems intimidating to re-create those restaurant dishes at home because we don’t have the same tools or industrial stoves. However, the Instant Pot makes it easy to do AND it cooks in such a short amount of time! (No wonder it’s such a popular kitchen tool!)
This Instant Pot Sweet & Sour Pork recipe is spot-on in flavor and ready in less than 30 minutes. Plus, it’s WAY healthier than any takeout you’d order!
Just compare our version with lean pork and fresh veggies flavored with fruit juice, fresh ginger, and garlic to the breaded and deep-fried buffet classic. It’s a no-brainer!
So before you pick up the phone next time, try this guilt-free sweet & sour pork first! If your Chinese delivery place is like ours, I’ll bet you can cook this recipe before the delivery guy shows up!
Sweet & Sour Pork Ingredients
- Pineapple chunks in pineapple juice
- Cornstarch
- Honey
- Soy sauce
- Brown sugar
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Olive Oil
- Onion
- Red Pepper
- Boneless pork loin
- Cilantro (optional)
For your convenience I’ve included shop-able ad links to some of the products used to make this recipe; disclosure policy available here.
Kitchen Supplies Used to Make This Recipe
Free printable copy of this sweet & sour pork recipe with full ingredients and directions is available at the bottom of the post.
Keep reading for photo step-by-step instructions or click here to jump to printable recipe.
How to Make Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Pork
Separate the pineapple chunks and juice into two separate mixing bowls.
In the mixing bowl with the pineapple juice, add water, cornstarch, honey, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic. Whisk together until well combined and set aside.
TIP: We used fresh garlic and ginger for this recipe, but feel free to substitute powdered if that is what you have on hand.
Chop onions and peppers and cut pork into bite-size chunks.
Turn on Instant Pot to sauté mode and add the olive oil, onion, red peppers, and pork to Instant Pot. Sauté until pork browns on the outside.
Add pineapple chunks and stir, then pour sauce into pot over meat and veggies. Stir to coat all ingredients in the sauce.
Secure the lid to the instant pot and select manual high. Cook for 10 minutes.
When done cooking, let pressure natural release for 7 minutes. Turn the valve to vent.
Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro, if desired.
Perfect pairing: Serve over coconut cilantro rice – click here for the easy recipe!
Related: Be sure to try our Instant Pot Firecracker Chicken too!
Grab a free printable copy of our Instant Pot Sweet & Sour Pork Recipe:
Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Pork
Ingredients
- 1 can Pineapple chunks in pineapple juice 20 ounce can
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 Tablespoons honey
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon minced ginger
- 3 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 TB olive oil for cooking
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 red pepper chopped
- 2 pounds boneless pork loin
Instructions
- Separate the pineapple chunks and juice into two separate mixing bowls.
- In the mixing bowl with the pineapple juice, add water, cornstarch, honey, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic. Whisk together until well combined and set aside.
- Cut pork into bite-sized pieces.
- Turn on Instant Pot to sauté mode.
- Add the olive oil, onion, red peppers, and pork to Instant Pot. Sauté until pork browns on the outside.
- Add pineapple chunks and stir.
- Pour sauce into pot over meat and veggies and stir to coat.
- Secure the lid to the instant pot and select manual high, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Let pressure natural release for 7 minutes. Turn the valve to vent.
- Serve over rice.
- Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.
Notes
Nutrition
More of our favorite Asian-inspired recipes:
Spicy Chinese MaPo Tofu (Vegetarian)
Sweet Soy Asian Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Restaurant-Style Chicken Pad Thai
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- Grinch Punch - October 2, 2023
- Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup - September 28, 2023
Jen C says
I couldn’t make the recipe because my phone was overloaded with pop ups and the repeating options for other recipes. Sadly, the author, while getting a few pennies for my time, is no longer an option. Sorry soccer mom, I know people need to make $ but it was ridiculous trying to read the recipe with my phone blowing up with pop ups like a Fourth of July display.
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Hi Jen, thanks for the feedback. Creating and maintaining a food blog is more than a full time job. Each recipe takes days to create, test, photograph, perhaps shoot a video, edit, write up, proof, and share to all of the social media platforms. I employ a staff of at least 5 other women part-time, at any given time, so it is not only my family that this website helps support. If you think about all that goes into it, a few pennies for a view isn’t all that much. Most quality food blogs will also have the same type of ad structure (because many belong to the same ad network as our site). No one loves ads, but everyone loves free recipes available at a whim.