Sweet and Sour Air Fryer Pork Belly Bites 🍍🥩

Craving classic Chinese sweet and sour pork without deep frying? These Air Fryer Pork Belly Bites deliver crispy, caramelized pork belly tossed in a vibrant tangy sauce with fresh pineapple and colorful bell peppers.

Skip the greasy wok and let your air fryer create perfectly crunchy pork belly. Paired with homemade sweet and sour glaze, this easy Asian weeknight dinner tastes like takeout but made healthier right at home!

📌 Recipe Overview

🍽 Course: Dinner, Main Meal, Appetizer 🌏 Cuisine: Chinese / Asian Style ⏱ Prep Time: 20 minutes 🔥 Cook Time: 40 minutes 👥 Servings: 4 🔑 Keywords: Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Pork, Pork Belly Bites, Chinese Takeout Recipe, Air Fryer Pork Belly, Pineapple Sweet Sour Pork

🧺 Ingredients

• 800g boneless pork belly, scored
• Sea salt, for sprinkling
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 brown onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 red capsicum, deseeded, coarsely chopped
• 1 green capsicum, deseeded, coarsely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4cm piece ginger, peeled, finely grated
• 227g can pineapple chunks in juice, drained (reserve juice)
• 125ml (½ cup) tomato sauce
• 60ml (¼ cup) rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• Steamed long grain rice, to serve

👩🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Place pork belly in a shallow dish. Leave uncovered in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight to dry out thoroughly. Cut pork belly into 3cm chunks.
2. Cook pork in two batches. Arrange half the pork pieces in the air fryer basket, spray generously with oil and sprinkle with salt. Cook at 200°C for 15 minutes until golden and crisp. Transfer cooked pork to a bowl and repeat with remaining pork.
3. Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add onion, red and green capsicum, stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until slightly softened. Toss in garlic and ginger, cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant. Turn heat to medium. Pour in reserved pineapple juice, tomato sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce and sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer. Add pork belly bites and pineapple chunks. Stir-fry for 1–2 minutes until everything is fully coated in sauce and heated through.
4. Spoon steamed long grain rice into serving bowls. Top generously with sweet and sour pork belly mixture and serve immediately.

💡 Pro Recipe Tips

✅ Drying the pork belly uncovered in the fridge overnight is critical – dry pork crisps up beautifully in the air fryer! ✅ Do not overcrowd your air fryer basket. Cook pork belly in batches to avoid steaming instead of crisping. ✅ Adjust sugar and vinegar amounts to tweak sweetness and tanginess of your sweet and sour sauce. ✅ For extra brightness, garnish with spring onions or sesame seeds before serving.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

✅ Healthier alternative to traditional deep-fried sweet and sour pork ✅ Crispy pork belly with sticky, glossy homemade sweet sour sauce ✅ Bursting with tropical pineapple and fresh vegetable flavor ✅ Perfect easy weeknight dinner that beats restaurant takeout ✅ Great for meal prep and leftovers taste fantastic the next day

These air fryer sweet and sour pork belly bites are packed with iconic Chinese flavor. Crispy pork, juicy pineapple and bright veggies coated in sticky sauce make this family favorite you’ll come back to time and time again!