Look no further for what is consistently ranked the BEST sweet and sour sauce recipe on the web! There are so many ways to enjoy this popular and versatile sauce (see blog post for ideas) and it takes just 5 ingredients and only 5 minutes of prep/cook time. This homemade sweet and sour sauce couldn’t be simpler to make and it tastes so much better than store-bought or takeout!
What is Sweet and Sour Sauce?
Sweet and sour sauce is a popular condiment made, just as its name suggests, by combining sweet and sour flavor components (a sugar and a vinegar) with a thickener to make a sauce that is used for dipping, drizzling, and incorporated into dishes. Chinese food and sweet and sour sauce go hand in hand and for that reason you’ll find it served in every Chinese restaurant and at every takeout. If you’ve never made your own, it’s time to get on board because not only is it incredibly easy, it tastes WAY better than store-bought and what you get at your local takeout. Plus it’s free of preservatives, chemicals and junk ingredients.
How To Use Sweet and Sour Sauce
Sweet and sour sauce features a balanced combination of sweet and tangy flavors, making it a versatile condiment that can be used in various ways to enhance the flavor of your dishes. Here are a few ways to use it:
- Dipping Sauce: This is the ultimate dipping sauce for things like potstickers, egg rolls, spring rolls, wontons, dumplings, tempura, fish sticks, and chicken nuggets. Pour the sauce into small bowls to serve alongside your favorite foods and snacks.
- Stir-Fry Sauce: Use this as a base for stir-frying vegetables, meat, or tofu. Stir fry your meat/tofu and veggies and then add the sauce towards the end of the cooking process. Toss everything together and serve it over steamed rice or noodles.
- Marinade: Add the sauce to the meat or tofu before grilling, let it marinate for at least 30 minutes, then proceed with grilling.
- Glaze: This works great as a glaze for grilled or roasted meats and seafood like chicken, pork, fish and shrimp. Brush the sauce over the meat during the last few minutes of cooking for a tasty, caramelized glaze. This also works great for things like baked chicken drumsticks and wings.
- Salad Dressing: Mix some of this sauce with your salad oil, and add a dash of toasted sesame oil if you like, to make an Asian-inspired salad dressing for your greens.
- Sandwich Spread: Use this as a spread for your sandwiches and wraps for an Asian twist. It goes particular well with chicken, turkey and pork.
- Pizza Sauce: Get creative and drizzle this over your pizza for an Asian twist, for example chicken or ham, pineapple, peppers, and onions.
Sweet and Sour Sauce Ingredients
You need just five ingredients to make the best sweet and sour sauce: pineapple juice, vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce and ketchup. Then to thicken it you’ll need some cornstarch and water.
Do I Have To Use Red Food Coloring?
Not at all! You can make this without food coloring. One of the advantage of making homemade anything is that you don’t have to include the junk ingredients that the store-bought stuff often uses. The red food coloring is purely for aesthetics and tastes exactly the same without it. If you prefer the red color but don’t want to use chemicals in your food there are natural food coloring options and I provide a link to one option in the recipe card below.
Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe
Let’s get started!
Get your ingredients ready to go because making this sauce goes fast. Measure out your pineapple juice, vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce and ketchup. Prepare the cornstarch slurry and set it aside.
Add 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.
You can stop at this point or, if you want, you can add 2-3 drops of food coloring to make your sauce look the way it does at the Chinese takeout. Check out this all-natural food coloring.
Let the sauce cool completely. Store it in an airtight jar in the fridge where it will keep for up to 3 weeks.
Enjoy!
Watch How to Make It
For more phenomenal homemade Asian sauces be sure to try our:
- Teriyaki Sauce
- Yum Yum Sauce
- Hoisin Sauce
- Black Bean Sauce
- Eel Sauce
- Plum Sauce
- Asian Salad Dressing
- Kecap Manis
- Sweet Chili Sauce
- Ponzu Sauce
- Char Siu Sauce
- Ginger Sauce
BEST Sweet and Sour Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup canned pineapple juice , see note
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- OR brown sugar alternative (for low sugar option)
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar , found in the Asian or general vinegar section of any grocery store, or you can substitute apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari (GF)
- For the Cornstarch Slurry: 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
- Optional: 2-3 drops all-natural red food coloring (the one I've linked to is natural, colored with beets. It's in powdered form, simply stir some in to a couple of teaspoons of water and add it to the sauce)
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 where it will keep for 2-3 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet April 9, 2017
Kathy Greathouse says
Best sweet and sour sauce. Even someone who didn’t like sweet and sour sauce loved it. Thanks for the recipe. Will definitely try more of your recipes. ❤️
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you so much, Kathy, and I hope you enjoy the other recipes you try!
Wini says
Thank you for this recipe! Now I no longer need to go to the grocery store especially for the bottled Sweet and Sour Sauce as each ingredient is a pantry staple. This recipe saves me not only time but money. Again, thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
You’re so welcome, Wini, I’m happy you enjoyed it and hooray for no more store-bought sauce!
Shauna says
Delicious! I steamed green bell peppers, carrot slices, snow peas and broccoli to add to it after it was thick. I also stirred in the pineapple chunks. I served it over breaded chicken pieces (we call the adult chicken nuggets) and rice. It was delicious. Thanks.
Karen says
Delicious sauce & easy. I always add less soy sauce than called for, as I’m not wild about it. Others can always add to their dish.
J J says
I would not add the soy. No matter what it turns the sauce brown and adds an odd flavor. I tried adding the red food die asks it only helped slightly. I should have gone with my gut and not used it. Sorry. Not a good review.
Dalila Sousa says
This sounds amazing. Goal is to make sweet & sour pork for dinner tonight. Question. Can you substitute pineapple juice for apple juice or will that change be too drastic? My son doesn’t like pineapple. I don’t think he will know what I used, but if I can use apple would be easier. Thanks.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Dalila, sure you can use apple juice. It will alter the flavor, yes, but I think it will still taste good. Happy cooking!
Bec says
You can’t taste the pineapple juice. The other ingredients blend it out. This is spot on good!! Ive been looking for a recipe that would compliment my homemade shrimp egg rolls.
Lisa p. says
I love it! So easy and turned out perfect.
ann Winder says
I loved this it is easy and tastes so good.
Eleanor says
Thank you, a tasty and healthy sauce. Am going to use it to make sweet and sour pork.
Shari Z says
Wow, this is incredibly good! I’d been looking for a S&S sauce that is spot on for the sauce our favorite restaurant (in a town we moved from) served. Nothing like that even comes close here! Tastes wonderful with homemade egg rolls and any dish needing S&S sauce to be complete! Thanks so much.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Shari, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Sarah Pichulo says
My favorite sweet and sour sauce recipe! If you add the cornstarch to the mixture when it is cold and whisk it in, there is no need to make a slurry. Just throw it all in the pan and whisk. Great recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, thank you so much for the feedback, Sarah!
Homechef says
Absolutely adored it! Poured over a generous serving of homecooked fried rice. Switched the whole meal up five notches!
Thanks !
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad, Homechef, thank you!
Alexandra says
Absolutely delicious! I poured these over homemade vegan meatballs and it turned out fantastic, everyone at the party kept going back for more!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Alexandra, I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it!
Natisse' D Benefield says
The best sauce I ever tasted & could eat it everyday in some meat.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you so much, Natisse’!
Donna says
How much pineapple juice do I use??
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Donna, the recipe calls for 1 cup of pineapple juice.
Anonymous says
It’s 250ml of pineapple juice if your doing just the one lot