Easy homemade sweet and sour sauce perfect complement to all of your favorite dishes.
Jump to RecipeTable of Contents
- WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE RECIPE
- SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS
- How to Make Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce
- HOW TO SERVE SWEET SOUR SAUCE
- SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE FAQs
- More You’ll Love
- JUMP TO RECIPE
This easy, homemade sweet and sour sauce is the perfect addition to your next Asian-inspired meal. The homemade version uses fresh pineapple, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar for a balanced flavor that is ideal for use in stir-fries, on grilled chicken or pork, or as a dipping sauce.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE RECIPE
This sweet and sour sauce is so easy to make and uses basic ingredients with no extras. It is rich and flavorful and perfect for dipping all your favorite dishes.
SWEET & SOUR SAUCE INGREDIENTS
You’ll need:
- 6-ounce can pineapple juice
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 to 2 drops red food coloring (optional)
SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS
SUGAR: You can substitute white sugar for brown sugar in this easy recipe.
VINEGAR: The vinegar adds that great tang and apple cider vinegar is just right in this recipe, but you can also use rice vinegar or white vinegar.
How to Make Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce
STEP ONE: Whisk together pineapple juice, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, and light brown sugar in a small saucepan.
STEP TWO: Heat sauce over medium heat until it comes to a simmer and all of the ingredients are combined.
STEP THREE: Stir together the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Pour the slurry into the simmering sweet and sour sauce, whisking until the sauce thickens.
OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS
The cornstarch slurry thickens up this red sauce to a great dipping consistency. Whisk in additional cornstarch slurry while simmering for a thicker sauce.
STEP FOUR: Adjust the red color as desired by adding a drop of red food coloring.
PRO TIP:
The red food coloring is optional. The sauce will be delicious without it but if you want it to resemble the sweet and sour sauce from a Chinese restaurant, adding the food coloring will do the trick.
STEP FIVE: Remove sauce from heat.
HOW TO SERVE SWEET SOUR SAUCE
This sauce is so versatile, you can use it for so many dishes. Dip egg rolls, spring rolls, or chicken nuggets in this tasty sauce.
You can also drizzle it on top of our egg roll in a bowl or use it to make sweet and sour pork, chicken or sweet and sour meatballs.
Check out more recipes for our favorite Asian foods including fried rice and chicken lo mein
MORE ASIAN DISH RECIPES
Chicken Dinner Ideas
Simple Orange Chicken Recipe
Chicken Dinner Ideas
Sesame Chicken
SWEET & SOUR SAUCE STORAGE
IN THE FRIDGE: Store this delicious sweet and sour sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks.
IN THE FREEZER: You can store homemade sweet and sour sauce in the freezer for up to three months in an airtight container.
With an amazing sweet and sour flavor, this sauce is a delicious alternative to take out. It has a much better flavor than the kind you get at the grocery store or restaurant and only takes a handful of pantry ingredients to make a batch.
SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE FAQs
Can I freeze homemade sweet and sour sauce?
This great recipe can be frozen for up to three months in an airtight container.
How do I store this homemade sauce?
Keep the sauce in a sealed storage container in the fridge for up to three weeks.
How do you thicken sweet and sour sauce?
For a thicker consistency, you can add additional cornstarch slurry. To make a thinner sauce, start with only a little bit of the cornstarch slurry until you reach the perfect consistency.
Does Chinese sweet and sour sauce need to be refrigerated?
Sweet and sour sauce needs to be stored in a sealed container in the fridge. It will keep for 2-3 weeks.
What is the difference between sweet and sour sauce and duck sauce?
Sweet and sour sauce and duck sauce are very similar, but sweet and sour sauce tends to be tangier and sweeter than duck sauce and while duck sauce has a thicker, jelly-like consistency.
More You’ll Love
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- Bang Bang Shrimp
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Sweet and Sour Sauce
5 from 3 votes
Easy homemade sweet and sour sauce perfect complement to all of your favorite dishes.
Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes minutes
Total Time 10 minutes minutes
Servings 2 cups
Ingredients
- 6 ounces pineapple juice
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 to 2 drops red food coloring, optional
Instructions
Whisk together pineapple juice, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, and light brown sugar in a small saucepan.
Heat sauce over medium heat until it comes to a simmer and all of the ingredients are combined.
Stir together the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Pour the slurry into the simmering sweet and sour sauce, whisking until the sauce thickens.
Adjust color as desired by adding a drop of red food coloring.
Remove from heat.
Notes
- The cornstarch slurry thickens up this red sauce to a great dipping consistency. Whisk in additional cornstarch slurry while simmering for a thicker sauce.
- The red food coloring is optional. The sauce will be delicious without it but if you want it to resemble the sweet and sour sauce from a Chinese restaurant, adding the food coloring will do the trick.
Nutrition
Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 726mg | Potassium: 356mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 57g | Vitamin A: 312IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 1mg
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This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!
Stephanie KeepingPublisher
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Stefanie KnausPhotographer
Rhadonda SedgwickCreative Director
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