Description
Mouthwatering slow cooker sweet and sour pork delivers tangy Asian-inspired flavors that dance across your palate. Tender pork chunks glazed with zesty sauce promise a simple yet irresistible meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 2 pounds (907 grams) pork shoulder, cubed
Fruits and Vegetables:
- 1 cup pineapple chunks (fresh or canned)
- 1 bell pepper (red, green, or a mix), diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
Sauce and Seasoning:
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (for thickening, optional)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (for garnish)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Carefully cube the pork shoulder into uniform pieces to ensure even cooking in the slow cooker.
- Distribute pineapple chunks, bell peppers, and onions evenly over the pork, creating a flavorful base layer.
- Whisk together soy sauce, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, minced garlic, and grated ginger in a separate mixing bowl until thoroughly combined.
- Drizzle the prepared sauce over the meat and vegetables, gently mixing to coat all ingredients completely.
- Secure the slow cooker lid and cook on low temperature for 6-8 hours or high temperature for 3-4 hours until pork becomes fork-tender.
- During the final 30 minutes of cooking, create a cornstarch slurry by blending cornstarch with water, then stir into the sauce to enhance thickness and texture.
- Taste the sweet and sour pork and season with salt and pepper to elevate the overall flavor profile.
- Transfer the succulent pork to serving dishes, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and pair with steamed rice or noodles for a complete culinary experience.
Notes
- Choose fatty cuts like pork shoulder for maximum tenderness and rich flavor that melts in your mouth during slow cooking.
- Dice meat and vegetables uniformly to ensure even cooking and consistent texture throughout the dish.
- Adjust sauce sweetness by balancing vinegar and brown sugar according to personal taste preferences, creating a personalized sweet-sour profile.
- Use cornstarch sparingly when thickening sauce to prevent a gloppy consistency, adding gradually and stirring thoroughly for smooth results.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3-8 hours
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg