Zesty and tangy and incredibly flavorful, our sweet and sour sauce is easy to make and so much better than the store bought versions. Made with seven simple ingredients this delicious sauce can be ready to use in about 20 minutes.
Don’t get fooled by recipes, that don’t cook the sauce, the flavor of those sauces, pale in comparison to this sauce.
They actually do use sweet and sour sauce in Asian cuisine, although the variations differ significantly from our Westernized version.
It gained popularity in Chinese restaurants across the US with dishes like sweet and sour pork and sweet and sour chicken.
You can use our easy-to-make sweet and sour sauce as a dipping sauce for egg rolls, spring rolls and crab rangoon. It can also be used to make sweet and sour chicken, beef, and pork. Just stir fry some veggies, strips of cooked meats. then add this delicious sauce to make sweet and sour dishes better than Chinese takeout!
If you enjoying making homemade sauces, try our Korean BBQ Sauce and Mumbo Sauce recipes. They’re OMG delicous!
Ingredients to Make Sweet and Sour Sauce
Start by gathering the ingredients needed to make our sweet and sour sauce recipe. In culinary terms, this is called the Mise en Place, which translates into “Everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also helps ensure you have all of the ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
Can I Make Substitutions or Additions to the Recipe?
Yes, you can. We used pineapple juice to make the recipe, but you could also use orange juice. Some recipes use tomato paste, instead of ketchup, but you may have to add a little more sugar to make up for the sugar in the ketchup.
You can add additional spices for a more robust sauce. Onion powder, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes make good additions. For a spicier sauce you can add sriracha or sweet chili sauce to the mixture.
The best thing about this easy recipe, is there are no chemicals or artifical ingredients you’ll find in store-bought sauce.
How to Make Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Add corn starch to the water to a small bowl.
- Mix together to create a cornstarch slurry. Set aside until needed.
- Add the ketchup, rice vinegar, and brown sugar to a small pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
- Whisk to combine breaking up any chunks of brown sugar. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
*Apple cider vinegar or white vinegar can be substituted for the rice wine vinegar.
- Add the soy sauce and pineapple juice to the mixture. Whisk to combine.
- Add the cornstarch slurry and whisk to combine.
- Reduce to low heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- The sauce will begin to thicken as it reduces.
*For a more vibrant red color you can add red food coloring to the sweet and sour sauce.
If you’re not using the sweet and sour sauce right away, let it cool then store it refrigerated in a glass jar or airtight container.
Our sweet and sour sauce is the perfect dipping sauce for pot stickers, chicken tenders and chicken nuggets. Just make sure to make extra, because your family is going to love it!
And you’re going to love all the delicious dishes you’ll be able to make using it as a sweet and sour stir fry sauce!
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes, you can. Arrowroot, potato starch and tapicoa starch can be used instead. Simmering the sauce for longer, letting it reduce will thicken the sauce naturally, but the flavors may be too strong if you let it reduce that much.
Absolutely, my favorite way to store sauces that I use in small amounts is to freeze them in ice cube trays. Pop them out when frozen and store in a ziplock bag for up to two months.
That’s an easy fix. Add more brown sugar, honey, or ketchup to make it less tangy.
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Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce regular or low sodium
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Add corn starch to the water and mix together to create a cornstarch slurry and set aside until needed.
- Add the ketchup, rice vinegar, and brown sugar to a sauce pan over medium heat, whisking to combine and break up any chunks of brown sugar. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the soy sauce and pineapple juice to the mixture and whisk to combine.
- Simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes until the sauces reduces and begins to thicken.
Rose says
Can you use lemon juice instead of pineapple juice
Chef Dennis Littley says
Lemon juice will be too tart for the sauce and it won’t have the same flavor