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BEST Sweet and Sour Sauce

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There are so many ways to enjoy this popular and versatile sauce.  And with only 5 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep/cook time, this delicious Sweet and Sour Sauce recipe couldn’t be simpler!

chinese asian sweet sour sauce recipe best easy fast quick pineapple juice takeout restaurant

Get ready for a fast, simple, and deeeelicious Sweet & Sour Sauce!

This sweet and sour sauce is perfect as a dipping sauce for potstickers, egg rolls, chicken nuggets and anything else your heart desires.  Use also to incorporate into your favorite Chinese dishes like sweet & sour chicken, pork or shrimp, sweet & sour meatballs, Asian salad dressings, and as a glaze for grilled chicken and pork, etc.

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BEFORE WE GET TO THE RECIPE

DON’T FORGET TO TRY THESE OTHER GREAT CHINESE CONDIMENTS:

 

Homemade Hoisin Sauce

homemade hoisin sauce recipe chinese authentic traditional best asian

Homemade Black Bean Sauce (aka Black Bean Garlic Sauce

or Black Bean Paste)

homemade chinese black bean sauce paste garlic recipe authentic traditional best asian

Homemade Chinese Plum Sauce (Duck Sauce)

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

best teriyaki sauce recipe homemade authentic traditional mirin japanese asian chinese

 

Ready to make some Sweet and Sour Sauce?

Let’s get started!

chinese asian sweet sour sauce recipe best easy fast quick pineapple juice takeout restaurant

Add all of the ingredients except for the cornstarch slurry in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.

chinese asian sweet sour sauce recipe best easy fast quick pineapple juice takeout restaurant

Stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer for another minute until thickened.

chinese asian sweet sour sauce recipe best easy fast quick pineapple juice takeout restaurant

You can stop at this point or, if you want, you can add 2-3 drops of food coloring to make your sweet and sour sauce look the way it does at the Chinese takeout.  Check out this all-natural food coloring.

chinese asian sweet sour sauce recipe best easy fast quick pineapple juice takeout restaurant

Let the sauce cool completely.

Enjoy!

chinese asian sweet sour sauce recipe best easy fast quick pineapple juice takeout restaurant

Print Recipe
4.98 from 48 votes

Best Sweet & Sour Sauce

Making your own couldn't be any easier!  Plus it's free of junk ingredients and tastes MUCH better than store-bought!
Prep Time2 mins
Cook Time3 mins
Total Time5 mins
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 52kcal
Author: Kimberly Killebrew

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Place all of the ingredients, except for the cornstarch slurry, in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer for another minute until thickened, stirring constantly. If using red food coloring, stir it in.
  • Let the sauce cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.

Video

Notes

* Freshly squeezed pineapple juice contains enzymes that will break down the cornstarch and prevent the sauce from remaining thick, so either use canned or bottled
Calories: 52kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Sodium: 154mg | Potassium: 47mg | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 0.3% | Vitamin C: 2% | Calcium: 1.1% | Iron: 1%

 

 

143 Responses

  2. I made this tonight to slather on some grilled chicken, pineapple and vegetable kabobs. Everyone loved them and had seconds. Awesome sauce, will become my go-to recipe from now on.

    Reply

  3. Hi Kimberley,
    Double header.
    How long do you think the dill dressing will keep in the fridge before the dill flavour starts to deteriorate ?
    Do you use pasteurised pineapple juice ? I´d briefly considered fresh but won’t that destroy the starch ?
    Both of these will feature on our stall at the local Buddhist temple festival during Thai New Year if that’s OK ?
    Happy Spring,
    Best Paul.

    Reply

    • Hi Paul, that’s a great point about the pineapple juice, I’ve made a note about it in the recipe. So yes, use canned/bottled pineapple juice. For the dill dressing, I would probably use it within a couple of days for optimal flavor.

      Reply

  8. I made this last night to go with our egg rolls and chow mein and it was delicious! It was as easy and quick as you said it was and the flavor is perfect. I don’t usually use food coloring but I figured a couple of drops divided by several people wouldn’t hurt anyone. Beautiful silky red sauce with a fantastic flavor. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Fantastic, Cori, thanks so much! I very rarely use food coloring either, in fact this is probably only one of two recipes on my whole site that mentions it. But I agree with you – a tiny bit on rare occasions is fine.

      Reply

      • This lasts 2-3 weeks in a fridge or I have to refrigerate the sauce for that long to get best flavor?

        Reply

        • Hi Giovanni, it will last that long in the fridge, meaning it should be used within 2-3 weeks so it doesn’t go bad.

          Reply

  18. I don’t know WHY I thought sweet and sour sauce was a complicated dish to make, but my goodness, now that I have your recipe, I can make ALL the things to incorporate it with and have an at home sauce! Win!

    Reply

    • What is the ounces on the pineapple juice?? For crying out loud i bought the rice vinegar and pineapple juice (46 oz can so we can drink the rest) today not realizing the actual amount wasn’t noted.

      Reply

      • The amount is noted, it’s one cup. If you Google that you’ll see it’s 8 ounces.

        Reply

  23. I’ve made this twice so far, as a dipping sauce and as a glaze for grilled chicken and pork – awesome stuff! I agree, it is the best recipe and hands down my favorite, thank you!

    Reply

  25. EXCELLENT! Made crab Rangoon last night then realized I did not have any sweet and sour. Will never buy pre-made again.

    Reply

    • Awesome, Sue!! I know, it just makes no sense to buy it when you can throw it together so easily. Thank you! :)

      Reply

  26. THE BEST sweet and sour sauce! I’ve tried many, storebought and homemade. Yours is my go-to from now on.

    Reply

  27. Have you ever made a double batch? I want to make sweet and sour chicken and my family likes extra sauce. Can’t wait to try!

    Reply

    • Hi Ana, yes you can. It will change the flavor profile though and may overpower some of the other flavors – if you’re going to use orange juice I’d suggest using less of it.

      Reply

  32. Kimberly, I am planning on making boneless country style pork ribs in a slow cooker. Would I be able to use this sweet and sour sauce to cook them? Would it break down
    after maybe 8 hours in a slow cooker. Thank you.
    I will be making this regardless. Looks great.

    Reply

    • Hi Jim! Yes, cornstarch breaks down pretty quickly. Plus the juices from the pork ribs will add to the liquid content and the sauce will be watery. But that’s no problem at all: Simply make the sweet & sour sauce without the cornstarch, slow cook the ribs in it, and then add the cornstarch at the very end (you’ll need to use more cornstarch because of the additional liquid from the ribs). There are two ways you can do this: Simply stir the cornstarch/water mixture directly into the slow cooker and let it cook a few more minutes until thickened, or pour the liquid from the slow cooker into a stock pot, add the cornstarch/water to it, bring to a light boil until thickened, and then add it back to the ribs. Give the sauce a taste, it will probably need more salt because of the additional liquid from the pork ribs. Happy cooking!

      Reply

  35. I love the splash of the liquid as the sugar goes in, just proving that you can still make a mess as much as us mortals :¬)

    Reply

    • Well, for one, everyone in China, Japan, Korea, etc. And here in the U.S. you can find it in virtually every large grocery store.

      Reply

  37. This is the best sweet and sour sauce I’ve ever had! Just finished the first batch and making another one today. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Hi Amanda, no, you can use it immediately but it will “keep” in the fridge for up to 3 weeks, meaning you have about 3 weeks to use it before it spoils.

      Reply

  40. I made this sauce for my sweet and sour pork, it was amazing and so easy. I will never buy store bought again.

    Reply

  45. This is prhaps the best and easiest sweet-sour sauce recipe I have read on the internet. I added a dash of homemade tamarind puree to the mixture while boiling because I like this tangy sourness a lot. And it came out just like I had expected – sweet and more sour. Also, I used bottled Minute Maid pineapple juice (filtered, of course) and did not use artifical coloring. I like to keep everything homeamde as long as possible, and this one just turned out perfect! Thanks for the recipe, Kimberly. Kudos!!!

    Reply

  47. I like the sliding scale for number of servings, and the quantities then adjust accordingly. However the amount of cornstarch doesn’t. Sure that would change too? It starts off at 16 servings but I want to make enough for only four. There are only the two of us in the house and four servings would be ample. Hoping you can comment.

    Reply

    • Hi Ted, sorry about that, there must be a glitch in the software. The easiest thing to though do would be to just cut the recipe in half. The serving size noted is only about a couple of tablespoons, so in other words it doesn’t make a ton. Halving the recipe will be a good amount for 4 people.

      Reply

  50. Lovely sauce but I’m wondering how long it will last? I put it in old maple syrup bottles in the fridge. bottle in the fridge. BTW I used the juice from canned pineapple slices as it’s all I had in the cupboard. Cheers.

    Reply

    • Thanks, Jon! Canned pineapple juice is perfect. I generally recommend the sauce be eaten within 3 weeks.

      Reply

  56. I haven’t tried this recipe yet. but here’s a little tip for people who want the colour but don’t want to use food colouring.
    beetroot juice, out of the can or jar. it doesn’t look like it would be the right colour. but it is. my local Chinese restaurant owner told me that one, and its good.
    im going to give five stars because it has so many all ready.

    Reply

    • Thanks for the tip, Rhys. The food coloring that I recommend here is a natural one that’s made out of beetroot powder and yes, beetroot juice would be a good alternative.

      Reply

  57. Hi Kimberly I’m going to make this tonight and I’m looking in my cupboards and I don’t have cornstarch. Would flour work as a substitute?

    Reply

    • Hi Erin, I don’t recommend flour for this sauce. Cornstarch is invisible and results in a clear sauce, flour will make it both murky and you’ll be able to taste the flour.

      Reply

  58. Maybe I missed it; cause there’s so many ads and pictures it won’t even finish loading but I noticed there’s no exact measurement for the pineapple juice. I couldn’t find anything other than a massive 46 oz can so I had to eyeball it. Correct measurements would be helpful. But if I missed it ; please disregard :) thx for the recipe!

    Reply

    • Hi Marci, the recipe with the quantities for all the ingredients and directions is in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. 1 cup of pineapple juice.

      Reply

    • To freeze it you’ll need to omit the cornstarch and then add it in later when you thaw and reheat it (bring it back to a boil, add the cornstarch/water mixture and let it boil for a minute or so until thickened).

      Reply

  62. Do you think this would work with no pineapple juice? Maybe just use water? I know it won’t have that delicious acidic bite but I’m moving cross country in a few days so I don’t want to buy anything.

    Reply

  63. OMG, I just try this recipe to the letter and it is a complete hit. I used it on baked chicken and fried chicken. My family loves it. Thank you!!!!

    Reply

  64. Made this with regular vinegar and a mix of dark brown and white sugar, it came out fabulous! Hubby said it was a little sour, to which I recalled its sweet and sour chicken, lol. This is the recipe I’ll be using from now on!

    Reply

      • We had a lot of leftover salt and pepper pork chop from our party so I decided to make this sauce. I added slices of different color bell peppers, onion, carrots, celery and pineapple. Turns out very good and It’s a big hit. My family loves my sweet and sour pork chop. So easy to make. Thank you for sharing your recipe.

        Reply

  65. Your portion calculator does not rework the quantity of cornstarch slurry. At low serving amounts there’s more slurry than sauce!!

    Reply

    • Hi David, yes, if you’re changing the quantities of the ingredients the cornstarch slurry needs to be adjusted manually, sorry for the inconvenience.

      Reply

  66. This is my very favorite sweet and sour sauce recipe. Its so simple and yet the taste is so amazing. I had lost the recipe and couldn’t find it until I saw it on your website. I’m so glad to find this recipe again, can’t thank you enough !! It’s the best !!!

    Reply

  67. Such wonderful sounding recipes, but, site developers, please include text anchors and labels in your source code for us blind cooks. Pictures of text are a no-go. WE NEED TEXT.

    Reply

  68. Thank you for this recipe for Sweet & Sour sauce! I have been looking for a good one for a long time. This one is way better than good!

    Reply

  69. Who would a thought that at 75 years young I’m enjoying new recipes ! Thanks Pintrest ! And thanks for this awesome recipe. We loved this sauce with home made egg rolls, Delicious, “never too old to learn” thanks so much

    Reply

    • I am so happy to hear that, Margaret, thank you!

      On a side note, I know some Van Leuven’s here in WA State. I don’t know how common the name is but you very well may have some relatives here :)

      Reply

  71. Thanks Kimberley. And my final question before I make it tomorrow…I don’t have measuring cups, so can I just convert the cup measurements in to tablespoon measurements?? Gareth

    Reply

  74. I went dark, yes I used dark soy sauce instead of light and ended up having to alter the recipe ever so slightly with a little tomato puree, lemon juice, and a slight sprinkle of Chinese five spice and cayenne pepper but good lord, it turned out amazing! I also added strips of carrot wedges of pineapple and a diced green pepper.

    Reply

  75. Amazing,just like takeaway. I added (jullien) thin strips of carrot, celery, peppers and chunks of pineapple to sauteed chicken breast, then made the sauce over it in the pan. Served with egg fried rice the family LOVED it.
    I just discovered your site. Thank you so much for your amazing recepies and adding nutritional info to them.

    Reply

    • Thanks so much, Faith, I’m glad you found us and am so happy you enjoyed the sweet and sour sauce – your dinner creation sounds delicious!

      Reply

  77. This really is the best sauce!! I would prefer this over any recipe a Chinese restaurant would provide to it’s patrons.

    Reply

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Unless otherwise stated, all images, content and recipes are original and are the sole property of Kimberly Killebrew, daringgourmet.com. No photographs or other content may be used without prior written consent.

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