Sweet And Sour Sauce – a homemade version of the popular, tangy sauce. With only a handful of ingredients and 5 minutes of your time, this sweet and sour sauce beats any store bought or take out you can find.
Sweet and sour sauce is one of the most common sauces used in Asian, American and European cuisine. Dating all the way back to the middle ages, it is still one of the most popular and well known sauces to date. Extremely versatile and easy to make – this is a recipe you’ll want on hand.
In the same time it would take you to get in your car, drive to the store and spend excess money on a generic sauce, you can have this sweet and tangy wonder whipped up with ingredients you most likely already have at home! This sweet and sour sauce will become your new favourite! Even better; you have bragging rights, you made a wondrous sauce from scratch – all by yourself.
Ingredients
Keep scrolling down to the recipe card for full ingredient amounts and instructions or click the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of the page!
- Sugar – Granulated.
- White Vinegar – For the sourness. Lemon or lime juice are the two most common substitutes for white vinegar. You can also use rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar or malt vinegar but the taste of your sauce might be a tad different.
- Water
- Soy Sauce – I used low sodium.
- Ketchup – I used store bought.
- Cornstarch – Used as a thickening agent. It can be substituted with flour, arrowroot, potato starch, or tapioca.
- Pineapple Juice – Canned, boxed or fresh.
How to Make Sweet and Sour Sauce
Making this sauce could NOT be any easier!
- Mix Ingredients – Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan over medium heat and whisk until combined.
- Stir & Finish – Stir continuously until the mixture thickens, 3 to 5 minutes. Adjust with sugar, salt or vinegar as needed.
How To Serve It
Sweet and sour sauce is extremely versatile and can be used in many ways such as a marinade, dip or glaze. It is the perfect sauce to toss with meatballs, chicken, tempura, or even over rice! Slather over ribs, use on chicken or pork to create a beautiful asian inspired dish or use it as a dip for chicken fingers, nuggets, gyoza or dumplings! The possibilities of this sauce are endless.
Can I Make This in Advance?
Yes! Another bonus of this fabulous sauce is you can make it in advance! Since it won’t have any preservatives, the vinegar will help it keep its shelf life for longer. Store in an airtight container or jar in your fridge for up to a week!
For a longer shelf life, store your sauce for up to 3 months in the freezer. Make sure to store it tightly secured in an airtight container. Take it out and defrost when you are ready to use.
How to Store
Make sure to store your sauce in the fridge immediately after use. Don’t leave it out in the open or it will lose it’s coloring, aroma, and flavor. Homemade sweet and sour sauce won’t last as long as store bought because it doesn’t have any preservatives in it – so make sure to use it up!
Did You Like This Recipe? Try These!
- Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Chimichurri Sauce
- Asian Glazed Chicken Fingers
- Quick and Easy Beef Stir Fry
- Sticky Honey Soy Chicken Wings
- Crockpot Sweet and Tangy Asian Meatballs
- Korean Fried Chicken
Craving More? Follow Along:
Sweet And Sour Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce low sodium
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan over medium heat and whisk until combined.
- Stir continously until the mixture thickens. Adjust with sugar, salt or vinegar as needed.
Tips & Notes:
- Should yield about 3/4 cup sauce.
- Store for a week in an airtight container or jar.
Made this a few days ago and it was amazing. I used half brown sugar and half white, but that’s just because I remember my grandmother telling me brown is healthier (although she never explained how haha!) Served this with battered chicken and egg fried rice and it was better than any takeaway I’ve had for years! Instant favourite in my house
Glad you liked it!