Instant Pot Sweet ‘n Sour Pork Chops
User Reviews
5
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Total Time
52 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
493 kcal
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Course
Main Course
Instant Pot Sweet ‘n Sour Pork Chops
Description
This Instant Pot Sweet ‘n Sour Pork Chops recipe starts with pounding pork chops to tenderize them, followed by marinating in a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, salt, and sesame oil to enhance flavor and moisture. The pork chops are seared in oil to develop a browned exterior. The sauce combines pineapple chunks, onions, bell peppers, garlic, ketchup, vinegar, tomato paste, soy sauce, sugar, and Worcestershire sauce, yielding a layered sweet and tangy profile. The chops and sauce ingredients cook together under pressure, tenderizing the meat while melding the flavors.
After pressure cooking, a cornstarch and water slurry is added to thicken the sauce to a glossy consistency that coats the pork chops well. This dish is hearty and flavorful, suitable for serving over rice to balance the sauce. The combination of pineapple and vinegar provides a characteristic sweet and sour balance common in this preparation.
Marinating time can vary from 30 minutes to several hours for improved flavor. Make sure to brown the chops sufficiently for color and texture before pressure cooking to enhance taste.
Ingredients
- 4 (808g) pork chops pounded, boneless or bone-in
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) peanut oil or olive oil
- ⅔ cup (100g) pineapple chunks canned
- 1 (140g) green bell pepper chopped, or red bell pepper
- 1 (100g) onion chopped, small
- 3 (13g) garlic minced, cloves
- ¾ cup (188ml) water cold
- ¼ cup (60g) ketchup
- ¼ cup (60ml) white vinegar
- 1.5 tablespoon (21g) white sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) soy sauce regular
- 1 tablespoon (15g) tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) Worcestershire sauce
Marinade:
- ½ teaspoon (2.3g) white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon (1.25g) kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon (1.25ml) sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) soy sauce regular
Thickener:
- 2.5 tablespoons (22.5g) cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) water cold
Instructions
- Tenderize Pork Chops: Use the backend of a heavy knife or meat tenderizer to pound both sides of pork chops with all your might (see below photos as reference).
- Marinate Pork Chops: Marinate with ½ tsp white sugar, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp sesame oil, and 1 tbsp soy sauce for at least 30 minutes. If you are marinating for 1 1/2 - 8 hours, place them in the fridge.
- Prepare Instant Pot Pressure Cooker: Heat up pressure cooker over medium heat (Instant Pot: use Sauté Normal Function). Ensure your pot is as hot as it can be (Instant Pot: wait until indicator says HOT). This prevents pork chops from sticking to the pot.
- Brown Pork Chops: Add 1 tbsp (15ml) peanut oil. Ensure to coat oil over whole bottom of the pot. Brown 2 marinated pork chops for roughly 75 - 90 seconds per side (don’t constantly flip them). Remove and set aside. Repeat for remaining pork chops.
- Sauté Onions & Garlic: Add chopped onions, a pinch of kosher salt and ground black pepper if desired. Cook onions for roughly 1 minute until softened. Add minced garlic cloves and sauté for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Deglaze: Add ⅔ cup (188ml) cold water and deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom.
- Pressure Cook Pork Chops: Add ¼ cup (60ml) ketchup, ¼ cup (60ml) white vinegar, 1.5 tbsp (21g) white sugar, 1 tbsp (15ml) soy sauce, 1 tbsp (15g) tomato paste, and 1 tsp (5ml) Worcestershire sauce. Stir and mix well. Place pork chops + all meat juice in the pot. Pressure cook at High Pressure for 1 minute, then 10 minutes Natural Release.
- Make Sweet & Sour Sauce: Remove pork chops. Press Cancel button, then Sauté button to heat up the sauce. Add ⅔ cup (100g) pineapple chunks and chopped green/red pepper. Stir and cook for a minute.
- Thicken Sauce: Mix 2.5 tbsp (22.5g) cornstarch with 3 tbsp (45ml) cold water. Mix it in one third at a time until desired thickness. Taste the sweet ‘n sour sauce and season with more salt, sugar, or vinegar. For reference, we added 2 pinches of kosher salt. Turn off the heat. Add pork chops back in and coat them with the delicious sauce.
- Serve: Drizzle sweet ‘n sour sauce over pork chops, then enjoy!
Notes
- After trying the recipe, consider rating it in the comments to share your experience and feedback.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 493 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 493kcal | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | 35g | 12% |
| Protein | 46g | 92% |
| Fat | 9g | 14% |
| Saturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Cholesterol | 135mg | 45% |
| Sodium | 931mg | 39% |
| Potassium | 1100mg | 23% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 24g | 48% |
| Vitamin A | 315IU | 6% |
| Vitamin C | 41.3mg | 46% |
| Calcium | 45mg | 5% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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