Home-styleMedium 50 min serves 3

Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs (糖醋排骨)

Name: Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs (糖醋排骨)
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Home-style
Ingredients: pork ribs (spare ribs or baby back), cut into 5 cm pieces; rock sugar (or white sugar); Chinkiang black vinegar; light soy sauce; dark soy sauce (for color); Shaoxing wine; ginger, sliced into 3 pieces; scallion, cut into 3-inch sections; hot water; neutral oil; white sesame seeds (garnish)

糖醋排骨 · táng cù pái gǔ

家庭快手版 · Home version: 家常红烧法，糖醋比例 2:1。上海本帮风格偏甜，江浙做法会加少许醋提亮。

Sweet and sour ribs (糖醋排骨) are a cornerstone of Shanghai home cooking — glossy, sticky, and deeply savory-sweet. Unlike the crispy fried American version, this is a braise: ribs slow-cooked in a tangy-sweet sauce until the meat falls off the bone. It is the dish that appears at every family gathering along the Yangtze delta.

Recipe author: HǎoWèi Test Kitchen

Home-cooking research team

Reviewed by HǎoWèi editorial team · Last updated 2026-08-29

More pork recipes →Comfort Food

Ingredients

pork ribs (spare ribs or baby back), cut into 5 cm pieces猪肋排，切 5cm 段🛒 local600 g
rock sugar (or white sugar)冰糖（或白糖）🛒 local2 tbsp
Chinkiang black vinegar镇江香醋🏮 asian3 tbsp
light soy sauce生抽🏮 asian2 tbsp
dark soy sauce (for color)老抽（上色用）🏮 asian1 tbsp
Shaoxing wine料酒🏮 asian2 tbsp
ginger, sliced into 3 pieces生姜，拍扁 3 片🛒 local3 slices
scallion, cut into 3-inch sections大葱段，3 寸长🛒 local2 stalks
hot water热水🛒 local400 ml
neutral oil食用油🛒 local1 tbsp
white sesame seeds (garnish)白芝麻（装饰）🛒 local1 tsp

🌶️ Adjust to your taste

Pick a level and we'll show exactly how much to change — no more "适量".

Spice level

Saltiness

Oiliness

Make it vegetarian

Instructions

1Blanch ribs: put ribs in a pot with cold water, bring to a boil, skim scum, drain and rinse. This removes impurities and gamey odors.
冷水焯去腥
🔍 Look for 5 分钟 · 5 minutes
Visual: 水面浮起灰色泡沫Grey foam rises to the surface
You know it's right when: 冲洗后水变清Water runs clear after rinsing
2Caramelize sugar: heat oil in a wok over medium-low. Add rock sugar and stir constantly until it melts and turns amber (about 2 minutes). Do not walk away — it burns fast.
炒糖色关键
🔍 Look for Medium-low 2 分钟 · 2 minutes
Visual: 糖由白→浅金→深琥珀色Sugar melts, turns from white to pale gold to deep amber
You know it's right when: 琥珀色冒小泡——立即离火Amber color with small bubbles — pull off heat immediately
3Add blanched ribs to the caramelized sugar. Toss quickly to coat every piece in the glaze.
快速裹糖色
🔍 Look for Medium heat
Visual: 排骨变红亮褐色Ribs turn glossy reddish-brown
You know it's right when: 每块均匀上色Every piece evenly colored
4Add Shaoxing wine, light soy, dark soy, ginger, and scallion. Stir 30 seconds to release aroma.
调味爆香
🔍 Look for Medium-high 30 秒 · 30 seconds
Visual: 酱汁冒泡，香气升腾Sauce bubbles vigorously, aromatic steam rises
You know it's right when: 酒气散尽，酱油香出来Wine smell dissipates, soy fragrance emerges
5Pour in hot water until ribs are just submerged. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat. Cover and simmer 35 minutes.
热水慢焖
🔍 Look for Low heat 35 分钟 · 35 minutes
Visual: 酱汁微沸，偶有气泡破裂Gentle bubbles break the surface occasionally
You know it's right when: 肉从骨端微微收缩Meat pulls back slightly from bone ends
6Add vinegar and increase heat to medium-high. Uncover and reduce sauce until it coats the ribs in a thick glossy glaze (about 5-8 minutes).
加醋收汁
🔍 Look for Medium-high 5-8 分钟 · 5-8 minutes
Visual: 汁变浓稠如糖浆，勺背挂汁Sauce thickens to a syrupy consistency, coats the back of a spoon
You know it's right when: 铲划锅底痕迹清晰Sauce leaves a clean trail when stirred
7Garnish with sesame seeds. Serve immediately while the glaze is still glossy and warm.
芝麻提香
🔍 Look for
Visual: 釉面深琥珀色光泽，热气腾腾Glaze has a deep amber shine, steam rising
You know it's right when: 趁热吃，凉了釉会凝固变硬Eat immediately — glaze sets as it cools

Tips

· Rock sugar gives a glossier, less cloying sweetness than white sugar. If unavailable, white sugar works but the glaze will not be as shiny.
· The vinegar is added at the end — late vinegar preserves its bright tang. Early vinegar gets cooked away.
· The ribs are done when the meat easily separates from the bone with gentle pressure.
· Leftover ribs reheat beautifully in a steamer — the glaze re-glosses.

Sources & references

Quantities, technique notes, and substitution ratios are cross-checked against established Chinese cookery references and standard food-science sources.

Read our editorial policy
Fuchsia Dunlop, Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking
USDA FoodData Central — ingredient nutrition and portion data
Traditional Chinese family-kitchen practice and regional taste records

Common questions

Can I skip Shaoxing wine? What's the substitute?

Dry sherry is the closest 1:1 swap (fidelity ~80%). No sherry? Use a splash of white wine plus a little water, or just skip it and add a tiny extra pinch of sugar — the wine's job is depth and removing meat's gamey notes, and a good marinade covers most of it.

Source: HǎoWèi substitution engine

What's the difference between light and dark soy sauce?

Light soy (生抽) is the everyday salty seasoning — thin and salty, used in most recipes. Dark soy (老抽) is thicker, darker, slightly sweet, and used mostly for color (braises, fried rice). If you only buy one, get light soy. For dark soy's color: 1 tbsp light soy + a pinch of sugar + a few drops of molasses.

Source: HǎoWèi pantry guide

Is there a vegan substitute for oyster sauce?

Yes — 'mushroom oyster sauce' (often labeled vegetarian/vegan) is sold in most Asian grocers and increasingly in mainstream supermarkets. It behaves 1:1 and adds the same glossy umami. Watch labels if you're also gluten-free; most brands are GF, some aren't.

Source: HǎoWèi substitution engine

Ingredient swaps

Can't find an Asian-market staple? Use these.

Swap: light soy sauce
→ regular soy sauce
Ratio: 1:1 · Slightly saltier — dial salt back by a pinch.
Swap: Shaoxing wine
→ dry sherry or mirin (less sweet)
Ratio: 1:1 · Both add the same warm fermented depth.

Don't make these mistakes

The traps every home cook hits — and how to avoid them.

✗ Crowding the pan — ingredients steam instead of sear.
✓ Fix: Cook in batches; give each piece room to brown.
✗ Adding sauce too early — the wok cools and flavors dull.
✓ Fix: Push food up the wok wall, add sauce to the hot center, toss fast.