Looking for a quick and delicious sweet and sour sauce recipe that you can make at home? Look no further! This recipe only requires a few simple ingredients and takes just minutes to prepare.
Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce
Why use bottled sauce when homemade sauce takes less than ten minutes to make? It tastes so much better on all your favorite stir-fry dishes, veggies, and appetizers. Use half the sauce for some crab rangoon and freeze the rest. You can’t go wrong.
Ingredients Needed
- Olive oil: just a little bit to saute the garlic in
- Garlic: fresh, of course, for a little flavor boost
- Pineapple juice: I buy the small cans so I can use the rest with other recipes like pineapple chicken.
- Apple cider vinegar: can substitute rice vinegar
- Soy sauce: preferably low-sodium
- Brown sugar
- Ketchup: preferably organic
- Cornstarch: to thicken the sauce
How to Make Sweet and Sour Sauce
This is the nutshell version of the recipe, please see the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and instructions.
Heat a little olive oil in a saucepan over low heat. Saute the garlic for about 1 minute while stirring. Add the pineapple juice, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, and ketchup. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir to dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved, reduce to a gentle boil. Mix the cornstarch and water and whisk it into the saucepan. Continue cooking on a gentle boil until thickened. This will only take 1-2 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- If you prefer, you can add Hoisin sauce instead of Ketchup. which is very often referred to as Chinese ketchup.
- The brown sugar can be replaced with honey or agave; however, the taste will be slightly altered.
- You can store the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze it for up to 2 months.
Ways to Use Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Dipping sauce for: crab rangoon, potstickers, coconut shrimp, and egg rolls
- Sauce for your favorite Asian recipes: sweet and sour chicken, sweet and sour pork, or pineapple chicken
- Over: white or brown rice, ramen noodles, steamed broccoli, or stir-fried veggies
Try These Other Homemade Sauces
- Enchilada sauce
- Yum yum sauce
- Homemade barbecue sauce
- Buffalo sauce
- Boom boom sauce
- Southern comeback sauce
Sweet and Sour Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup cold water
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over low heat. Saute the garlic for 1 minute while stirring.
- Add the pineapple juice, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, and ketchup. Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring to dissolve the sugar.
- Once the sugar is dissolved, reduce to a gentle boil. Mix the cornstarch and water together and whisk it into the saucepan. Continue cooking on a gentle boil until thickened. This will only take 1-2 minutes.
Notes
- If you prefer, you can add Hoisin sauce instead of Ketchup. which is very often referred to as Chinese ketchup.
- The brown sugar can be replaced with honey or agave; however, the taste will be slightly altered.
- Store the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 2 months.
Karen
I love this sweet and sour sauce. The sauce is very versatile and can be eaten with almost anything. Thanks for the recipe.
Catalina
This Sweet and Sour Sauce is perfect! It has the right balance of tangy and sweet, and it pairs wonderfully with chicken and veggies. I’m so glad I found this recipe – it’s now a staple in my kitchen!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Catalina! We love it too!
Samantha D
Great sauce! Easy to make and so much BETTER than bottled!
Krystle
We love this easy sauce, so much better than anything from the store. It went perfectly with our crab rangoon.
Beth Pierce
Thank you Krystle! I am so glad that you enjoyed it!
Tisha
It’s a perfect way to elevate your dishes and enjoy a homemade touch that beats store-bought options every time.
Beth Pierce
Agreed, Tisha!
Claudia
Nice! I have a chicken nugget recipe that this is going to be perfect with. I have several other recipes I can’t wait to make it with, as well.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Claudia! Enjoy!
Sandra
This is my favorite sweet and sour sauce recipe to make! Quick, easy and just perfect sauce for anything fried or stir fry!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Sandra!
Erin
This sauce is a winner! Can’t believe how simple it was to make, and tastes amazing on all my stir fry dishes! It’s now a staple in my kitchen for adding a burst of flavors to my meals!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Erin! I am so happy that you like it!
Melissa
Oh my favorite – easy to prep and so delicious!
Nikki W
This sweet and sour sauce was delicious. Thanks for this recipe! We loved it with your cream cheese wontons!
Sonia
This sweet and sour sauce recipe is a game-changer! It’s so easy to make and tastes amazing. I love that I can whip it up in just a few minutes with the basic ingredients I already have in my pantry. Plus, it’s much better than anything store-bought!
Ramil Hinolan
This sweet and sour sauce recipe was easy to prepare! Can I use it with meat dishes like chicken or pork?
Beth Pierce
Yes you certainly can.
Michelle
I love sweet and sour sauce; it’s the best for so many deep-fried foods. I have to try making this myself, I always buy it.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Michelle! Enjoy!
LisaLisa
I like adding sweet and sour sauce to my chicken, but I have yet to make my own. I’m going to try this recipe out over the weekend. Thanks
Beth Pierce
Thanks, LisaLisa! Let me know what you think.
Elizabeth Flores
As someone who just enjoyed some home made lumpias today with some friends, I would have loved to have been able to make this before hand. Thank you for the instructions on how to make this. will definitely be doing this next time.
Catherine Kay
This sweet and sour sauce was fantastic! The recipe was straightforward and the tips for balancing the flavors were super helpful.