Easy Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe + Video
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This Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce has more flavor than you can possibly wrap your mouth around. Make a batch tonight in less than 15 minutes! It’s the best dipping sauce for egg rolls, chicken nuggets, and more!
This sweet and sour recipe is a staple in most Chinese restaurants, so why not follow the simple steps on the recipe card and make it at home?
The next time that you’re craving that sauce taste and flavor, this easy homemade sweet sauce will be waiting.
I love making it for Chinese food dipping sauce, but you can honestly pair this with any of your favorite food options.
It would be good with a sweet and sour chicken recipe, sweet and sour meatballs, or a good homemade sauce to pair even with white rice.
A little bit of this tangy flavor goes a long way, which is great for adding to various Asian cuisine and even sometimes to Mexican recipes.
The sauce can be used for multiple cuisines and even made spicy by adding in some red pepper flakes.
Keep this easy recipe handy and keep the pantry staples on hand to be able to make it when that craving hits!
Table of Contents
Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce
Often referred to as “liquid gold” in my house, this easy and quick sweet and sour sauce has an incredible depth of flavor that most others miss out on.
The secret is the combination of brown sugar and pineapple which adds extra layers and dimension to every bite.
Homemade sauces and dips are so easy to make, and I love knowing exactly what is in each one. Plus, I can swap things out based on preference or what’s in my pantry!
RECIPE VIDEO
Learn how to make sweet and sour sauce by watching the video in this post!
If you enjoy this sweet & sour sauce recipe, you’ll love my tangy pineapple barbecue as well.
Plus, I’ve got plenty more homemade sauces to choose from no matter what you’re craving!
What is in sweet and sour sauce?
The best part about this easy sweet and sour sauce is that it’s made with pantry ingredients you may already have on hand!
- pineapple juice
- granulated and brown sugar
- apple cider vinegar
- ketchup
- soy sauce
- cornstarch and water (for slurry)
It’s also easy to customize sweet & sour sauce if you don’t want to make a special trip to the store!
Replace the pineapple juice with a mixture of orange and lemon juice, and opt for tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce to make it gluten-free.
Don’t have apple cider vinegar? Use rice vinegar or white vinegar instead, with just a little extra sugar. Make it the best way for you!
As you can see, it’s a great recipe where you can customize that sweet and sour flavor to be perfect for your own personal consumption.
This is a perfect example of why delicious sauces should be made at home!
How do you make sweet and sour sauce?
- Whisk together equal parts water and cornstarch to create a slurry and set aside. This combination helps to thicken the mixture at the end.
- Combine the remaining ingredients in a saucepan on the stove.
- Boil for about 1 minute, then stir in the slurry and simmer for another 5 minutes until thick and shiny.
- Keep a close eye on the sauce, and stir frequently so it doesn’t scald along the bottom of the pan.
Serving Suggestions
We like to pair this quick sweet and sour sauce most often with meatballs or crispy pork, but you can use it for whatever strikes your fancy!
Mix it into a simple stir fry or brush it over grilled chops and shrimp skewers. It’s especially delicious with crab rangoons, potstickers, or my chicken spring rolls.
In fact, you can keep a jar of sweet & sour sauce in the refrigerator and spoon some over a bowl of fried rice for a quick and easy snack!
Anything that it would be served with at a local Chinese restaurant can easily be copied for your kitchen.
Have fun creating yummy sweet and sour dishes or creating your own fun new recipes!
Quick Sweet and Sour Sauce FAQ
When kept in a sealed jar or other airtight container, this easy sweet and sour sauce should stay fresh for 2 to 3 weeks. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Be sure to leave some space at the top of the container in case it expands.
That is entirely up to you, though it is perfectly safe to use cold. To reheat it by itself, microwave sweet & sour sauce in bursts or pop it back on the stove until warmed through. Otherwise, combine it with your food and warm everything all at the same time.
Absolutely! Simply multiply the listed amounts according to how much you will need, whether it is double or even quadruple. You will need to use a larger pan or pot for extra big batches, and I recommend storing this quick sweet and sour sauce in several smaller containers instead of one large one. Not only is it better from a food safety standpoint, but you can toss extras in the freezer if you won’t be able to use them before they go bad.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Easy Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe + Video
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
- 6 ounces pineapple juice
- 6 ounces water
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
Instructions
- To a small bowl, add 1/4 cup corn starch and 1/4 cup water. Whisk until combined and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, whisk to combine remaining ingredients. Bring sauce to a boil, cook for one minute, then whisk in cornstarch mixture. Cook until sauce is thick and shiny, about 5 minutes.
- Remove pan from heat and set aside until ready to serve, or cool and refrigerate for later use.
Video
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published October 2012, updated and republished August 2024
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We’re Donna and Chad, the dream team behind The Slow Roasted Italian. Our focus is on taking complicated OUT of the kitchen. Life is busy enough, making meals should be fast and easy, to help make your life as simple as possible. Read More >>
I am so going to make this sauce. It is just the matter of my memory, whether i remember to buy pineapple juice next time I am in the store.
I used orange juice. worked just as well. very Yummy.
No pineapple juice like me? I opened a can of pineapple from the pantry, used some of the juice in the sauce, some of the cut up pineapple in the dish and put the rest in the fridge for another day.
I'm thinking this would be great with grilled chicken!
So good.
Also yummy to use (can)mandarin oranges (juice for liquid)& fruit for topping~combo btween sweet sour sauce & orange sauce
That sounds amazing. I will try that next time I make the sauce. Thanks for the tip! XOXO Donna
Sooooo, after tasting this about 25 times, I decided to freeze some before I ” tasted” it to the last drop. Found another use for my silicone muffin liners. Froze silicone lined muffin tins filled with sauce. So easy to peel off and put in freezer bags.
The exact same recipe taught to me in California, by a friend's wife, who was Philippino, and when I made it for her, she said it was better than her mothers. This has been my "go to" sweet and sour for 30 years, and my family and extended family, all love it and beg me to make it.
I made this tonight & put it over meatballs. My husband cleaned his plate & grabbed a piece of bread to get every drop. He said this sauce is better than his favorite Chinese restaurant's. I made a double batch so he has some for tomorrow. Thanks!
I tried this tonight and it was delicious. I stir fryed some chicken and veggies then topped with this sauce. My question is can you, or have you tried to freeze? It really makes a lot and would like to save for another use.
We have family allergy to pineapple so sweet and sour sauces are hard to do…is there a sub to this you suggest for the pineapple juice??
I am not sure, but I would think even tho it would be a somewhat different taste overall. I would try using mango juice for the replacement of pineapple.
I use Schwan's Pineapple Orange drink concentrate-it has no pineapple in it.
try maraschino cherry juice
Others in replies above stated subbing orange juice or juice from canned mandarin oranges.
u can freeze homemade sauce for long periods (i have and it comes out fine).. u can substitute any fruit juice if ur allergie.. be creative.. use orange juice or peach, apricot or maybe apple or cranberry.. i've never tried this recipe.. sounds like a lot of cider to use! i usually use about 3 tablespoons of rice vinegar.. your main ingredients are sugar, water, vinegar, fruit juice of some kind, soy sauce, then corn starch as a thickening agent and some recipes use ketchup or not.. try grinding up chopped onions, pineapples and green pepper in it for variety too.
Made this. Would not use apple cider vinegar again. it overpowers the taste. I might try it with rice vinegar and cut down on the amount to 2 – 3 tablespoons. Also add canned pineapple chunks, fresh green pepper and sliced carrots. Do not overcook the peppers and carrots. Steam until crisp.
I love this sauce and I do not find the apple cider vinegar overpowering at all, I guess it's just a matter of personal taste. I also add some cut up red, yellow & orange sweet peppers mainly for color and I use pineapple chunks when I have them, I love pineapple. I am usually only cooking 2 so I have a nice amount left over 🙂 Today I used it with pork chunks and later this week I'll use it with chicken 🙂
Can you do in slow cooker?
Thank you.
My husband and I absolutely love this sauce. It will be my "go to" sweet & sour sauce from now on. I have used it on chicken, pork tenderloin, made sweet & soup pork chunks etc. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!
Donna, this sauce was "cray-cray" good. I, like Norma…put an array of sweet peppers in and it just adds some eye candy when serving guests. Everyone loves this sauce and comments are over the top !!!
Has anyone tried canning this sauce? With that amount of sugar and vinegar it should work fine I would think.
can I use pineapple juice out of canned pineapples? Chunk or sliced?
This sauce turned out great, and the kids love using it too. Definitely keeping this one to use more often.
I tried this recipe and for my liking it was a little too sweet for me and the apple cider vinegar was a bit strong. I really just tasted sweet pineapple and apple cider vinegar so to add a kick I added some sriracha sauce and it came out just fine.
Best sauce ever! Never again grape jelly!
This recipe is awesome.
Hi Diane!
We’re so glad that you enjoyed the recipe!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn