BEST Sweet and Sour Sauce

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Look no further for what is consistently ranked the BEST sweet and sour sauce recipe on the web – just check out the rave reviews!  It takes just 6 ingredients and 5 minutes to make and the result is a delicious and versatile homemade sweet and sour sauce that beats anything 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, you’re in for a treat. I’m a huge fan of homemade condiments because it gives you full control over what goes in it and what stays out, it enables you to customize it to your tastes (e.g., add or omit ingredients, reduce the salt) and it tastes so much better than store-bought or what you get at the takeout.

Sweet and Sour Sauce Ingredients

Simple and quick to make, you will need just six ingredients to make the best sweet and sour sauce recipe. Let’s take a look at what’s in it:

• Pineapple juice: adds flavor, tang, and sweetness.
• Rice vinegar: provides the contrasting “sour”.
• Brown sugar: adds depth of flavor and sweetness.
• Soy sauce or tamari: adds the savory umami component (I recommend tamari for a better flavor).
• Ketchup: adds flavor and sweetness.
• Cornstarch and water: for thickening the sauce.

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. 

Storage and Freezing

Stored in an airtight jar in the fridge sweet and sour sauce will keep for up to 3 weeks. I’m often asked if this sauce can be frozen. As with all condiments thickened with cornstarch, it does not freeze well because cornstarch tends to break down when frozen and thawed.

How To Use It

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 that I like 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.

For more phenomenal homemade Asian sauces try my:

• 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

Originally published on The Daring Gourmet April 9, 2017