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:Â 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. Â 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 SauceÂ
- 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
Cara says
Even my horribly picky husband loved this. Definitely a keeper.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, Cara, thank you!
Anonymous says
Hi could this sauve be frozen
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
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).
Marci says
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!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
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.
Erin says
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?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
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.
Rhys says
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.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
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.
Judy Halvorsen says
Delicious, will be making this again.
T. Foster says
Great recipe, thanks so much!
Daniel says
Great stuff, thank you!
Nelson says
Delicious, will be making this from now on!
Doug Wilton says
Second time making this so good!
Jon says
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.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Jon! Canned pineapple juice is perfect. I generally recommend the sauce be eaten within 3 weeks.
Annie L. says
EXCELLENT SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE, THANK YOU!!
Teryl says
Awesome recipe, easy and fantastic flavor!
Ted Green says
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.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
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.
Ted Green says
Many thanks Kimberly :)
Carissa says
Excellent recipe, will be making it again!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, Carissa, thank you!