Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin Roast with Peppers

Sweet and sour pork tenderloin roast, cooked in the oven to rosy pink perfection with lots of peppers and red onion, in a homemade sauce.

Cooking this wonderful dish is really easy, saute some veggies, sear the pork, mix together the sauce and then chuck it in the oven... and it's all done in under 30 minutes!

Sweet and Sour Pork Fillet

Growing up, sweet and sour pork meant one thing, a really astringent and sweet, lurid sauce with deep-fried pork balls.

Now I am not entirely sure that I ever really liked it, but I do adore sweet and sour dishes, and this recipe is my 4th take on sweet and sour pork.

Of course, I have sweet and sour pork balls, and sweet and sour chicken balls, although they contain much more pork than the batter-heavy options I remember growing up.

Then I turned my attention to sweet and sour pork chops, complete with a majestic pineapple ring.

This sideways glance at Chinese sweet and sour pork uses one of my favourite cuts of meat, pork tenderloin.

A meat that features in dishes as diverse as my Char Siu Pork and roast pork tenderloin, through to pork medallions with mustard and camembert sauce and pork tenderloin with prunes.

I take pork tenderloin or fillet and roast it in the oven with peppers and onions in a rich, sticky, sweet and sour sauce.

It's a quick dinner too, all told it will take you around 30 minutes to cook.

Arguably, it's also the healthiest my sweet and sour pork recipes are gonna get. It is not fried and uses the leanest cut of pork!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I really serve pork pink?

Yes! The minimum recommended serving temperature for pork tenderloin is 63°C or 145°F.

I aim to remove the meat from the oven when it has reached an internal temperature of 57-58°C. Which is around 135°F for those who work that way.

After 3-5 minutes of resting the pork will reach and hold a temperature of around 63°C (145°F). This is within the safe temperature zone for pork.

Can I cook this longer?

Absolutely! I am not a cook that looks down on people based on how they like their meat cooked.

I like to cook tenderloin so that it is pink because it is a very lean cut of pork, and as a result, it can dry and become chewy very quickly.

Do I have to use a meat thermometer?

No, but I swear by mine, and it does make cooking meat accurately much easier.

What is Chinkiang vinegar?

Chinkiang is a black rice wine vinegar, and I love the stuff! It appears in many of my Chinese takeaway-inspired recipes; it has a much rounder and more complex flavour than regular rice vinegar.

If you can't or don't want to source Chinkiang vinegar, feel free to sub in regular rice vinegar.

Serving Suggestions

This sweet and sour pork tenderloin makes for a great light main course, but if you want to bulk it out a little egg fried rice makes a great addition.

If you wanted com greens, my stir-fried broccoli would be great in Autumn and stir-fried asparagus makes an amazing side in spring.

I also confess to being rather partial to serving this recipe with some simple crispy fried potatoes or even salty straw potatoes.

It is equally as good with some simple soy sauce noodles!

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Hob/stovetop.
• Oven.
• 28cm or 11" (minimum) oven proof frying pan or skillet.
• Mixing bowl.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.
• A combination of weighing scales, measuring cups and spoons.
• Quick-read meat thermometer.
• Kitchen foil.