Tangsuyuk Korean Sweet and Sour Pork. Crispy fried pork deliciously smothered in a tangy sweet sauce accompanied with red bell peppers and onion. A savoury and addictive dish for dinner or lunch. Pairs deliciously with rice or you can have tangsuyuk and jajangmyeon! A combination that will truly hit the spot like no other! Ready in just 30 minutes and better than takeout!
This Korean fried pork with that delicious sweet and sour sauce is to die for! If you’re a big fan of sweet and sour pork, then you will love this dish! It’s similar to Chinese sweet and sour pork but no quite. The sauce is much lighter and the main star of tang su yuk is that yummy crunchy crispy battered pork.
You can have this dish with steamed rice and veggies or if you really want to get authentic, Koreans usually eat jajangmyeon tangsuyuk together! In fact, I actually have a jajangmyeon recipe if you click here and it’s really easy to make at home!
Easy to make!
My tangsuyuk recipe is super easy to make! Like super easy! You’re simply battering your pork, deep frying it and then boiling a simple sweet and sour sauce for it. Traditionally this crispy sweet and sour pork is served separately from the sauce to keep the pork crunchy.
The sweet and sour pork batter is only made of 4 ingredients: potato starch, egg, water and salt! That’s it!
In addition, the tang su yuk sauce is also very simple to make. You’ll just need water, cornstarch, soy sauce, white vinegar, and sugar! I bet you have most of the ingredients in your pantry already.
Tips for Sweet and Sour Pork Korean style
- Use pork loins for this recipe for a delicious texture. I find this to be the best cut for this recipe.
- Pat your pork loins dry with paper towel. This allows for the pork to adhere to the batter better. It also removes any odours from the pork that may linger and makes it tastier. Alternatively you can rinse your pork in cold water.
- Use fresh ingredients. This is a no brainer but when you use fresh ingredients, it will really elevate your dish to the next level.
- Double fry your crispy pork for extra crunchy texture!
FAQ for my Korean Tangsuyuk Recipe
Where can I buy potato starch?
Potato starch can be purchased at most Korean or Asian grocers in the dried food aisle.
What is the best cut of pork for sweet and sour?
Pork loins work very well for sweet and sour dishes. It offers a delicious chewy meatiness and is leaner in cut.
Can I use other vegetables?
Yes of course! You can add broccoli, carrots, celery or any hard vegetables. You could even add pineapples.
What is sweet and sour pork?
Sweet and sour pork is a crispy battered pork that has been deep fried and then covered in a thick tangy sweet sauce made of white vinegar, water, soy sauce and cornstarch. Some recipes may call to add pineapple juice or ketchup for additional colour.
Is tangsuyuk healthy?
I would not personally say it’s a health food as the pork is usually deep fried and covered in a salty sauce that contain sugar.
Is this similar to mandarin sweet and sour pork?
Yes tangsuyuk is similar to mandarin sweet and sour pork with regards to the texture but the sauce is different where it does not contain any citrus in it.
Is this similar to sweet and sour pork in Chinese cuisine?
Yes tangsuyuk is very similar to sweet and sour pork but the main difference is that Chinese sweet and Sour pork contains pineapples and the sauce contains pineapple juice. Some recipes for Chinese sweet and sour pork call for ketchup too.
Other recipes you may like!
SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN
SWEET & SOUR BATTERED MUSHROOMS
MONGOLIAN CHICKEN
HONEY SESAME CHICKEN
HONEY SESAME CHICKEN
PEKING PORK CHOPS
For this recipe
You will need the following ingredients for the best tang su yuk recipe:
335 grams pork loins, sliced into quarters
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cups oil, for deep frying
batter for sweet and sour pork:
1 cup potato starch
½ cup water
½ tsp salt
1 egg
tangsuyuk sauce:
2 tbsp soy sauce
¼ + ⅛ cup white vinegar
¾ water
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp sugar
How to make Tangsuyuk
In a large mixing bowl, mix your batter ingredients until well combined.
Pat your pork loins dry with paper towel. Slice your pork into bite size pieces and add pieces to batter. Mix until each piece is coated in batter. Note: it may be hard to mix as potato cornstarch naturally solidifies when left undisturbed. This is normal. However, when you mix it enough the batter will become loose again.
In another bowl, mix your Tangsuyuk sauce until well combined.
Then in a large wok or deep pan set over medium heat add cooking oil. Place a chopstick in the oil and when you see bubbles form, you are ready to fry your pork. Carefully add in each piece of battered pork. Fry for 5-6 minutes flipping it over until golden brown. Remove and transfer to a plate.
Then deep fry again for another 2-3 minutes until extra crispy and brown. Remove and transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
Remove the oil and leave 1 tsp in the pan. Over medium heat fry your bell peppers and onions until they have softened, about 2-3 minutes. Pour in your sauce and let this reduce until it has thickened. Then pour the sauce into a serving bowl.
Serve crispy pork and sauce separately and dip as needed. Or alternatively pour sauce over pork when ready to serve. Enjoy!
Give it a try!
Well I hope you give my Korean Tangsuyuk Recipe a try! It always excites me when you guys make my recipes and I hope this is one you try.
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Take care,
Christie
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Tangsuyuk Korean Sweet and Sour Pork
Ingredients
- 335 grams pork loins sliced into quarters
- 2 bell peppers chopped
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 2 cups vegetable oil for deep frying
batter for sweet and sour pork:
- 1 cup potato starch
- ½ cup water
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 egg
tangsuyuk sauce:
- 2 tbsp regular soy sauce
- ¼+ ⅛ cup white vinegar
- ¾ cup water
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp white granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, mix your batter ingredients until well combined.
- Pat your pork loins dry with paper towel. Slice your pork into bite size pieces and add pieces to batter. Mix until each piece is coated in batter. Note: it may be hard to mix as potato cornstarch naturally solidifies when left undisturbed. This is normal. However, when you mix it enough the batter will become loose again.
- In another bowl, mix your Tangsuyuk sauce until well combined.
- Then in a large wok or deep pan set over medium heat add cooking oil. Place a chopstick in the oil and when you see bubbles form, you are ready to fry your pork. Carefully add in each piece of battered pork. Fry for 5-6 minutes flipping it over until golden brown. Remove and transfer to a plate.
- Then deep fry again for another 2-3 minutes until extra crispy and brown. Remove and transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
- Remove the oil and leave 1 tsp in the pan. Over medium heat fry your bell peppers and onions until they have softened, about 2-3 minutes. Pour in your sauce and let this reduce until it has thickened. Then pour the sauce into a serving bowl.
- Serve crispy pork and sauce separately and dip as needed. Or alternatively pour sauce over pork when ready to serve. Enjoy!
NOTES
This pork looks so crispy delicious, Christie! We'd all love this one, even the kiddos. Sign me up!
Sweet and sour is my very favorite and that beautiful crispy pork looks absolutely tantalizing!
Hi there, what is the measurement of the water 8n the sauce? It only shows 3/4, is it 3/4 cup?
Hi Betsy! Thank you for bringing that to my attention! It should be 3/4 cups of water.