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    Home » Main Dishes » Sweet and Sour Pork Kabobs

    Sweet and Sour Pork Kabobs

    Published: Jul 10, 2019 · Modified: Mar 31, 2022 by Sula · This post may contain affiliate links · 24 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    (Also known as "Kebabs")

    For the love of Chinese takeout

    The first formal cooking class I took (aside from Junior High Home Economics) was for Chinese cooking. It was the 1980’s and I worked at a hospital that offered sports leagues and enrichment classes to employees. What fun!

    My co-workers and I, all lovers of Chinese take-out, signed up to learn how to make it ourselves, and we had a blast. But the real winners were the guys playing basketball in the same building. They worked in various departments of the hospital, and felt comfortable showing up at the door the minute they smelled us cooking. Nice guys, just kind of…. sweaty. We were glad to have some test subjects for our marvelous creations. 😀

    From that class, I saved a couple of recipes. One of them was sweet and sour pork. Over the years I’ve adapted the recipe and now use it three different ways. One is for making kabobs, a great way to get your fix for Chinese and to grill at the same time.

    Choose your cut of meat

    I’ve used different cuts of pork for this – pork loin from chops or a roast are lean and work well, but more recently I’ve been using country-style ribs. They require a little more trimming, but they freeze well so I always have some on hand. A quick “go to.”

    How to make sweet and sour pork kabobs

    kebab ingredients: carrots, onion, pineapple, green pepper, pork

    To start, cut the pork into one to two inch cubes and marinade in a simple mix of cooking sherry and soy sauce. Drain a can of pineapple slices with the juice reserved for use in the sauce. Cut an onion and a green bell pepper into large chunks.

    Carrots are cut into chunks and pre-cooked slightly in the microwave. There are a couple reasons for this. First, large pieces are needed to put on a skewer. Smaller pieces just fall apart. But large chucks of raw carrot will take forever to cook on a grill, plus it is almost impossible to push a bamboo skewer through them. Getting the cooking process started in advance solves both those problems.

    Make the sauce

    Once everything is prepped, it’s time to make the sauce. I like to put all the sauce ingredients in a small pan and, while it’s warming, use that time to assemble the kabobs on the skewers.

    Load the skewers

    assembled kebabs in a pan, before cooking

    There are a couple of ways to load the skewers. The classic and most visually appealing approach is to alternate the meat and vegetables. That produces a colorful looking meal all on one stick.

    If you’ve ever made kabobs, you know it’s tricky. Invariably, at least one of the ingredients cooks much faster than the meat and either falls off the skewer or turns into a chunk of charcoal. For this combination, the problem ingredient is pineapple.

    The issues with grilling pineapple

    I swear, the canned pineapple chucks used to be bigger. The chunks fall off the skewer almost as soon as they get hot. Canned pineapple tidbits are even smaller. Then, I tried slices, but slices are too thin. I even tried to “stack” the slices to provide more structure and support.

    chunks of grilled pineapple falling apart in a glass pan

    Sigh. These also fell apart.

    I considered using a fresh pineapple to cut my own large chunks, but that would not provide enough juice for the sauce, plus it’s more expensive and more work.

    pineapple rings cooking directly on grill grates

    Ultimately, the best solution is the simplest: Ignore the skewers and place the pineapple slices right on the grill. They cook beautifully and stay together!

    Grilling the sweet and sour pork kabobs

    Sweet and sour pork kabobs cooking on the grill

    When grilling, use some of the sauce to baste the ingredients to give them that delectable sweet and sour flavor. Once everything is cooked, the rest of the sauce is served with the meal, either for dipping or poured over rice and the cooked ingredients.

    Sweet and sour pork kabobs grilled and stacked in a glass pan

    I hope you give these sweet and sour pork kabobs a try – it’s a crowd pleaser for all ages!

    sweet and sour pork kabobs with rice in a bowl

    Try serving the grilled sweet and sour pork kabobs with rice and sauce for a delicious, satisfying and novel meal!

    sweet and sour pork kabobs on the grill
    5 from 42 votes
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    Sweet and Sour Pork Kabobs

    Grill your Chinese meal!
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time20 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American, Chinese
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 511kcal
    Author: Sula

    Ingredients

    • 2 lb pork loin or country-style ribs
    • ½ c sherry
    • 2 TB soy sauce
    • 1 can pineapple slices in juice
    • 1 green bell pepper cut into chunks
    • 2-3 large carrots peeled and cut into chunks
    • 1 large yellow onion peeled and cut into chunks

    Sauce

    • Reserved juice from canned pineapple
    • ⅓ c ketchup
    • 3 TB soy sauce
    • ¼ c sugar
    • 1½ TB vinegar
    • 1 c water
    • 3 TB cornstarch

    Instructions

    • Cut pork into 2 inch cubes and place into a bowl. Add ½ cup sherry and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Marinade for at least 30 minutes.
    • Important: If using bamboo skewers, pre-soak in water for at least 30 minutes.
    • Drain pineapple, reserving the drained juice for the sauce.
    • Peel and cut the carrots into large chunks. Place in a bowl, immerse in water. Microwave for 3-4 minutes to soften slightly.
    • Cut onion and pepper into large pieces.
    • In a small saucepan, add all sauce ingredients except cornstarch. Heat on low, stirring often, until smooth.
    • Increase heat on sauce and bring to a simmer. In a small jar or glass, mix 3 tablespoons cornstarch with about ¼ cup water. Add slowly to the sauce, stirring while adding. If desired, the amount of cornstarch can be adjusted to thicken the sauce to personal preference. Place about ¼ cup of the finished sauce in a small container to use for basting.
    • Place meat and vegetables (not pineapple! Grr...) on the skewers.
    • Heat grill to medium-high heat. Place skewers on the grill and cook for about 5 minutes each side, then turn. Use the reserve sauce to baste the skewers while cooking. Continue cooking and turning until all meat pieces are cooked (about 15-20 minutes total).
    • Place the pineapple slices directly on the grill grates to cook. Brush lightly with reserved sauce. Cook for 5-8 minutes per side.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 511kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 1063mg | Potassium: 660mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 3550IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg

    Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.

    pin for pork kabobs

    Once you try these sweet and sour pork kabobs, you'll want to have them again! Try with Easy Pasta Salad!

    You can get even more Chinese taste from your grill with Chinese Chicken on a Stick.

    « Grilled Beets - Red and Golden
    Caprese Pasta Salad »

    Filed Under: Main Dishes, Pork Tagged With: Carnivores, grill, meals

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Debra

      July 26, 2020 at 7:58 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks....love a quick and easy recipe for the grill in the summer.

      Reply
      • Sula

        July 27, 2020 at 7:49 am

        Yes, me too. And its a kid pleaser as well!

        Reply
    2. Chef Dennis

      July 25, 2020 at 9:05 am

      5 stars
      Those tasty kabobs are definitley going on my menu this weekend. Thanks for sharing your recipe with us

      Reply
      • Sula

        July 25, 2020 at 10:19 am

        You're welcome, enjoy!

        Reply
    3. Marina

      July 25, 2020 at 8:00 am

      5 stars
      Love sweet and sour flavours, great recipe!

      Reply
      • Sula

        July 25, 2020 at 8:03 am

        Thank you, we love them too!

        Reply
    4. Amy

      July 25, 2020 at 3:14 am

      5 stars
      Great recipe! Everyone really enjoyed it. I loved grilled pineapple! Just makes such a difference to dishes.

      Reply
      • Sula

        July 25, 2020 at 6:39 am

        Agreed, there's something a little magical about grilled pineapple!

        Reply
    5. Alexandra

      July 24, 2020 at 7:01 pm

      5 stars
      Such a great meal! Love serving with rice 🙂

      Reply
      • Sula

        July 25, 2020 at 6:39 am

        Oh yes, that's the perfect accompaniment

        Reply
    6. Kathryn's Kitchen blog

      July 24, 2020 at 5:24 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is even better than take out! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Sula

        July 25, 2020 at 6:38 am

        Thanks, it a favorite here for sure!

        Reply
    7. Leslie

      July 24, 2020 at 12:37 pm

      5 stars
      Great recipe! Thank you for adding the pineapple tips as well! So helpful!

      Reply
      • Sula

        July 24, 2020 at 4:43 pm

        Thank you, and you're welcome!

        Reply
    8. Emily Flint

      July 24, 2020 at 11:19 am

      5 stars
      These pork kabobs were so delicious and the homemade sauce was perfect! Thanks for all of the great tips, we will definitely be making these again!

      Reply
      • Sula

        July 24, 2020 at 4:43 pm

        Thanks, it's a family favorite at this house!

        Reply
    9. Estelle Forrest

      July 24, 2020 at 9:56 am

      5 stars
      This is perfect summertime food! Make it on the grill and enjoy!

      Reply
      • Sula

        July 24, 2020 at 4:44 pm

        Exactly!

        Reply
    10. andréa Janssen

      July 24, 2020 at 8:41 am

      5 stars
      Sweet and sour pork is one of my favorite recipes. It's so flavorful!

      Reply
      • Sula

        July 24, 2020 at 8:54 am

        Mine too!

        Reply
    11. Vincit

      August 24, 2019 at 6:40 pm

      5 stars
      Mmm. What a great meal!

      Reply
      • Sula

        August 31, 2019 at 6:48 pm

        Thank you, I'm glad you liked it!

        Reply
    12. Mitby Connor

      July 10, 2019 at 2:23 pm

      Fantastic recipes!

      Reply
      • Sula

        July 10, 2019 at 2:26 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply

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