Sweet and sour pork is one of the most popular Chinese-American dishes in the United States. Unfortunately, this simple yet delicious combination of tender pork, vegetables, pineapple chunks and bright red sweet sauce can expand the waistline — but this sweet and sour pork recipe is low-carb, so you can enjoy all the flavors without the guilt. For even fewer carbs, replace the soy sauce with tamari, a soy sauce that contains less wheat.
Instead of deep-fried chunks of pork, our recipe does a simple stir-fry using a small amount of vegetable oil. This allows the flavor of the pork to come through while saving on calories. The usual suspects of bell peppers, sliced carrots and pineapple make this dish as authentic as possible, so don't skimp on them. Not a fan of pork? Make this with chicken breast or thigh meat. The meal is so delicious and easy to make, you might as well throw away the Chinese takeout menu!
Low-Carb Sweet and Sour Pork
4
20 minutes
15 minutes
35 minutes
1½ pounds lean pork tenderloin, cubed
1 small yellow onion, small diced
1 green bell pepper, cut into squares
1 large carrot, thinly sliced on a bias
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup pineapple chunks, fresh or canned and drained
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon chili sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon dark sesame oil
Sesame seeds
Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan or wok over high heat.
Add the cubed pork, and stir-fry until all the sides are browned, about 2 to 4 minutes.
Add the sliced onion, bell pepper and carrot to the pan. Sauté just until the vegetables start to become soft and the onion becomes translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add the minced garlic to the pan, and stir and sauté until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 30 to 60 seconds.
Reduce the heat to medium, and add the pineapple, soy sauce, hoisin sauce and chili sauce to the pan.
Stir to combine thoroughly. Allow the sauce to cook down and thicken, about 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat, and add the dark sesame oil. Stir to combine until fragrant.
Garnish with sesame seeds, and serve hot by itself or alongside a salad or whole-grain brown rice.