Tangsuyuk is a very popular Korean Chinese dish. It is crispy deep fried pork coated with sweet and sour sauce. The pork is crunchy and the sauce is irresistible!
I know you’re hungry and your patience is running short after looking at these crunchy sweet little bites. But hold on for a minute and let’s talk.
Tansuyuk / Tang soo yook / Tang su yuk (탕수육) is a very popular Korean Chinese dish known as Korean sweet and sour pork.
The pork is double deep fried and it’s crunchy. What’s more, the sauce! hmmmm
The right balance of sweetness and sourness is totally addictive and irresistible! OK, I’m in love.
Seriously, this is so good!
I order Tansuyuk whenever I go to my local Korean Chinese restaurant. I must say, it isn’t as good as my Tangsuyuk! It somewhat lacks in diversity and generosity. 😉
I must be upfront though. It’s not a quick 10 minutes recipe. You need to do some work (but it’s easy to follow through!) – Double deep frying in some heavy oil.
I know it doesn’t sound healthy but it’s unavoidable if you want crunchy sweet and sour pork! (Some might ask whether you can bake it in the oven? Well, I’m sure it won’t be the same, but you can go for it if you would like. Let us know how it turns out.)
And I will say this. The end result is totally worth it! Every minute of it! Anyway, I hope you try it soon.
P.S. Here are some good companion dishes you could enjoy with Tangsuyuk. Jajangmyeon (Korean black bean noodles), Jjampong (Korean spicy seafood noodle soup), and Korean radish pickles
The original recipe was posted on October 2006 and it’s been updated with new photographs.
Ingredients for Tangsuyuk, Serves 2 to 3
Meat
- 500 g / 1.1 pounds pork loin, cut into thin strips (about 1 cm x 5 cm)
*You can use beef or chicken instead. Use lean and tender parts of the meat.
Marinade
- 1 Tbsp rice wine (or any cooking wine)
- 1 tsp ginger powder (or minced ginger)
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- A few sprinkles ground black pepper
Batter
- 1 & 1/4 cup potato starch (or corn starch)
- 1 & 1/4 cup water
- 2 egg whites
Fruit and Vegetables
- 100 g / 3.5 ounces pineapple slices, cut into small chunks (I used canned pineapple)
- 1/2 onion (70 g / 2.5 ounces), cut into small chunks
- 1/2 green capsicum (50 g / 1.8 ounces), cut into small chunks
- 1/2 red capsicum (50 g / 1.8 ounces), cut into small chunks
- 1/4 English cucumber (50 g / 1.8 ounces), thinly sliced
- 1/4 carrot (30 g / 1 ounce), thinly sliced
*Other popular fruit and vegetable options: earwood mushrooms and apple
Sweet and sour sauce (mix these in a bowl)
- 200 ml water
- 200 ml pineapple juice (I used the juice from the canned pineapple)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Sauce thickening agent (mix these in a bowl)
- 2 Tbsp potato starch (or corn starch)
- 2 Tbsp water
Other
- Some vegetable oil for cooking and deep frying (I used rice bran oil)
*1 Tbsp = 15 ml, 1 Cup = 250 ml
How to Make Tangsuyuk
1.Make the tangsuyuk batter by combining the potato starch and water in a bowl. Mix them well. Leave it for about 1 hour (or until the starch sinks in the bowl completely) on the kitchen bench. When the starch and water separate, gently discard the water. Combine the starch with the egg whites. Mix them well. (It will be stiff at first, so you might want to use a fork or equivalent tool to mix.)
2. Combine the pork with the marinade and mix them well. Set aside (in the fridge) until needed.
3. Add the pork (from step 2) into the batter bowl (from step 1). Mix them well.
4. Fill a wok with a generous amount of oil and bring it to boil until it reaches 175 C / 350 F (or boiling). (It takes about 5 mins.) Add the battered pork into the wok one at a time and cook the meat. (It takes about 1 to 2 mins to cook.) Make sure the wok doesn’t get crowded. Scoop out the meat and move them onto kitchen paper to soak away the excess oil. Repeat this with the remaining meat.
5. In a separate pan, pour the sweet and sour sauce into the pot. Heat the sauce on medium high heat until it bubbles up. Add the carrots into the sauce and boil for 1 min. Add the remaining fruit and vegetables and boil the sauce a further 2 mins. Add the thickening agent and stir constantly until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat.
6. Return to the wok. Heat the oil again until it reaches 175 C / 350 F (or boiling). Deep fry all the meat (from step 4) briefly again to make it crispier. (The wok can be crowded this time.) Scoop out the meat and place it onto kitchen paper.
7. Serve the meat on a plate with the sweet and sour sauce over it. Alternatively, you can serve the meat on a plate and the sauce in a separate bowl. (FYI, some restaurants also serve a Korean dipping sauce for your fried meat. If you want, you can try the meat with it instead of the sweet and sour sauce.)
Note
- It tastes best when served immediately after cooking.
- If you are refrigerating Tangsuyuk, keep the sauce separate to the meat so that the crispness last a bit longer.
Tangsuyuk (Korean Sweet and Sour Pork)
Ingredients
MEAT
- 500 g pork loin (1.1 pounds), cut into thin strips (about 1 cm x 5 cm)
MARINADE
BATTER
- 1 1/4 cup potato starch (or corn starch)
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 2 egg whites
FRUIT AND VEGETABLES
- 100 g pineapple slices (3.5 ounces), cut into small chunks (I used canned pineapple)
- 1/2 onion (70 g / 2.5 ounces), cut into small chunks
- 1/2 green capsicum / bell peppers (50 g / 1.8 ounces), cut into small chunks
- 1/2 red capsicum / bell peppers (50 g / 1.8 ounces), cut into small chunks
- 1/4 English cucumber (50 g / 1.8 ounces), thinly sliced
- 1/4 carrot (30 g / 1 ounce), thinly sliced
SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE (MIX THESE IN A BOWL)
- 200 ml water
- 200 ml pineapple juice (I used the juice from the canned pineapple)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
SAUCE THICKENING AGENT (MIX THESE IN A BOWL)
- 2 Tbsp potato starch (or corn starch)
- 2 Tbsp water
OTHER
- Some vegetable oil for cooking and deep frying (I used rice bran oil)
Instructions
- Make the tangsuyuk batter by combining the potato starch and water in a bowl. Mix them well. Leave it for about 1 hour (or until the starch sinks in the bowl completely) on the kitchen bench. When the starch and water separate, gently discard the water. Combine the starch with the egg whites. Mix them well. (It will be stiff at first, so you might want to use a fork or equivalent tool to mix.)
- Combine the pork with the marinade and mix them well. Set aside (in the fridge) until needed.
- Add the pork (from step 2) into the batter bowl (from step 1). Mix them well.
- Fill a wok with a generous amount of oil and bring it to boil until it reaches 175 C / 350 F (or boiling). (It takes about 5 mins.) Add the battered pork into the wok one at a time and cook the meat. (It takes about 1 to 2 mins to cook.) Make sure the wok doesn't get crowded. Scoop out the meat and move them onto kitchen paper to soak away the excess oil. Repeat this with the remaining meat.
- In a separate pan, pour the sweet and sour sauce into the pot. Heat the sauce on medium high heat until it bubbles up. Add the carrots into the sauce and boil for 1 min. Add the remaining fruit and vegetables and boil the sauce a further 2 mins. Add the thickening agent and stir constantly until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat.
- Return to the wok. Heat the oil again until it reaches 175 C / 350 F (or boiling). Deep fry all the meat (from step 4) briefly again to make it crispier. (The wok can be crowded this time.) Scoop out the meat and place it onto kitchen paper.
- Serve the meat on a plate with the sweet and sour sauce over it. Alternatively, you can serve the meat on a plate and the sauce in a separate bowl. (FYI, some restaurants also serve a Korean dipping sauce for your fried meat. If you want, you can try the meat with it instead of the sweet and sour sauce.)
Notes
- For meat, you can use beef or chicken instead. Use lean and tender parts of the meat.
- Other popular fruit and vegetable options: earwood mushrooms and apple
- 1 Tbsp = 15 ml, 1 Cup = 250 ml
Nutrition Info (per serving)
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Tried it as my first recipe from you and it was awesome
I have been using a lot of your recipes and this is my favourite! It takes longer than others for the preparation but it’s totally worth it. Thank you for sharing.
Fantastic recipe! Delicious. Potato starch and double frying is the key. It was crunchy and scrumptious. Sauce has just right amount of sugar and vinegar. Can’t wait to try your jajangmyun recipe. Thank you.
Excellent! I’m so pleased to hear that. Hope you enjoy my jajangmyeon recipe as well! 🙂
Thank you for this recipe. I was absolutely craving for Tangsuyuk but due to the Covid 19 situation my favorite Korean restaurants were closed. By sheer luck I was able to google this recipe and found yours. The recipe was easy to follow and came out beautifully. I don’t have any rice wine so opted to substitute with Mirin instead. The taste was still authentic but I am sure if I had some rice wine it would have been more awesome.
Great to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
What banchan recipes would you recommend pairing with this to keep it somewhat healthy?
I’m not sure about “healthy”, but this dish is commonly served with radish pickles as well as a few noodles dishes. I mentioned them in the main post above. 🙂
You can always browse my banchan category for more ideas too. https://mykoreankitchen.com/recipes/#recipes+category:side-dishes-banchan
Hi! For the sauce can I substitute pineapple juice with vinegar?
I think that would be too much vinegar, don’t you think so? How about substituting with different fruit juice? Some suggests orange juice or mango juice with a bit of apple cider vinegar might work as a good pineapple juice substitute. But I haven’t tested it myself this way. 🙂
Thanks for sharing this to us. I am planning to cook it for my family.
Praying for you always. From PH ❤️
Great recipe. I like the sauce for Korean sweet sour pork more because it is not as sweet as the Chinese version. This is a keeper. Thanks.
Great to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Hello,
I was wondering if I could leave the eggs out or if there was a good substitute?
I really want to make this, but my kids are allergic to eggs. Please let me know, thank you!
Hi Sonya, if allergy is the problem, I’d leave it out.
I absolutely love this recipe, thank you!
My employer would make this at lunch for us along with Kim bop and fresh Kim chee. She spoiled us with her Korean specialties 😊
Thanks for the great tips too! 💖
Thanks Eve! Happy to hear that. 🙂
The stores are closed and my mouth is watering. 🙁
Thanks, Edward! You can always make it at home! Not too difficult. 🙂
OMG, I think you may have unlocked the secret behind my childhood memories of my Korean aunt serving this dish at our family celebrations in Germany. I never watched her make it, and I had no idea what it was called (for a long time I thought it may have been a pseudo-Korean dish that satisfied German tastes), but it was one of the culinary highlights for me as a child.
Now I must go and recreate the magic!
Hope you like it! 🙂
my son finished it, no left over’s
I LOVED IT, JUST WAITING FOR FAMILY TO COME SO THEY CAN ENJOY IT AS MUCH AS I DID
That’s great, Evelyn! Hope your family liked it as much as you did! 🙂
I’m making this tonight, I will be using chicken thighs instead of pork
Chicken thigh should be just fine for this recipe! Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Is there any alternative for the pineapple? I was gonna make it but I’m allergic to pineapple sadly.
You can try using apple and apple juice instead. I haven’t cooked it this way, but I think sweetness and tanginess of apple should be comparable.
Wow the food is looking too delicious!! I will definitely try to make this. It would be great if you share any Korean Chinese Food recipe.
Love to try that too. Thanks for sharing such an amazing blog post. I will definitely follow your blog posts.
How did you “carefully seperate” the water from the corn starch. As soon as I started to pour it, came back together.
wow, photos are amazing and i’m sure the taste is even better, can’t wait to make this dish.
thanks!
Thanks, Yaron! Hope you enjoy!
This did not disappoint! This will be my go to sweet and sour recipe.
Great! 🙂
Sue, this looks incredible! Can’t wait to make it.
Thanks. Enjoy!
OMG looks delicious. I am going to try it with chicken
Thanks, Wai! Hope you like it. 🙂
MADE IT AND IT WAS A HIT, NICE FLAVOR’S
LOOKS YUMMY, I WILL BE MAKING THIS FOR DINNER TONIGHT. I WILL LET YOU KNOW IF IT WAS GOOD.
Hope you like it! 🙂
IT WAS A HIT, VERY NICE FLAVOR’S , THE MEAT WAS YUMMY
Great! Thanks for the 5 stars! 🙂