This homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce is so much better than store-bought! Whenever you’re craving takeout, but don’t want to leave your kitchen, this sauce will become your new go-to.
With just a few minutes of your time, you’ll you’ll have the best sweet and sour sauce to toss with whatever meat or veggie you crave that day.
Homemade sauces are the way to go if you want super tasty and super customizable. You’ll find plenty on GypsyPlate, from marinara and pesto to remoulade, chipotle mayo and more. This time, we’re brining you this Chinese restaurant classic…
Seriously, is there any more popular Chinese takeout dish than sweet and sour chicken? It may be the quintessential American Chinese main. And it all comes down to the sauce…
Sweet and Sour Sauce
The red sweet and sour sauce we all know and love isn’t actually authentic Chinese. The original is believed to have been a simple mixture of sugar and vinegar.
As is often the case with food, sweet and sour sauce changed as it traveled. The red sauce we are all used to likely emerged in the west. Now, it’s a staple in all Western Chinese restaurants.
Ingredients
- Brown Sugar
- Vinegar
- Pineapple Juice
- Ketchup
- Soy Sauce
- Cornstarch
How to make homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce
This couldn’t get much easier. Mix all ingredients in a small pan and heat over medium high heat. Bring to a simmer for about five minutes.
Make a slurry out of cornstarch and water. Add it to the sauce pan and simmer till the sauce thickens.
Easy, huh?
But it’s not red enough!
Don’t worry! Store bought sweet and sour sauce, as well as that used in restaurants, is artificially colored. Though it won’t make any difference to the flavor, you can always mix in 2-3 drops of red food coloring to get that take out look.
How to use Sweet and Sour Sauce
Of course, it’s most commonly eaten along with crispy fried chicken, pork or shrimp.
You can also use it as a tasty dipping sauce. Think egg rolls, crab Rangoon, chicken nuggets or even French fries.
We just made a great batch of sweet and sour meatballs. Stay tuned, that recipe is going to be our next post!
Storage
We usually make enough for whatever meal we’re cooking that day. But if you want to make it ahead of time, or make a big batch for multiple dishes, you can refrigerate sweet and sour sauce in an airtight container for 2-3 weeks.
So friends, are you ready to make this great sauce in your own kitchen? It’s a breeze to make, and tastes so much better than anything in a jar. If you have a few minutes, mix up a batch and then get woking!
Sweet and Sour Sauce, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
Try these other great flavor enhancers!
Jamaican Jerk Marinade
Montreal Steak Seasoning
Homemade Sofrito
Chermoula Marinade
Mojo Marinade
Vindaloo Paste
Creole Mustard
Salsa Verde
Sweet and Sour Sauce
This homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce only takes a few minutes to make and is so much better than store-bought!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 3 Tbsp ketchup
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tsp corn starch
- 2 Tbsp water
Instructions
- Mix brown sugar, pineapple juice, vinegar, ketchup and soy sauce in a small pan over medium high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook five minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine corn starch and water to create a slurry.
- Add cornstarch slurry to sauce pan. Mix well and simmer over medium low heat until sauce thickens, about two more minutes.
Notes
- If you wish to achieve the red color you see in Chinese takeout restaurants, you can add 2-3 drops of red food coloring.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 97Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 376mgCarbohydrates 24gFiber 0gSugar 19gProtein 1g
Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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