The Best Sweet and Sour Sauce has only 5 ingredients and is ready in minutes! This super easy recipe can be served alongside some of your favorite meals!
You need a Sweet and Sour Sauce recipe in your arsenal. Not only is it delicious, but it is also a very versatile sauce, and you can use it in many different ways!
HERE IS WHAT OUR READERS ARE SAYING:
“I normally don’t comment on recipes I find but I had to on this one. I have use ALOT of different recipes for sweet and sour sauce that I find on the internet. This recipe is FAR the best I have ever made. Great taste and Great color too. I will definitely stick with this one.” – Dianne
Use it as a dipping sauce or a glaze stirred into some of your favorite dishes. It’s a great copycat Chinese takeout recipe that you can make at home.
Like I said this sweet and sour recipe is super versatile and you can pretty much use it in or with anything that you want to have a sweet and sour taste to it.
Sweet and Sour Chicken is obviously a huge staple at your local Chinese Restaurant, and this is the perfect copycat!
All that sweet and tangy flavor, and thickened with a cornstarch slurry, you will totally impress your guests with this one!
Just think of all the things you can do with it! Sweet and sour pork, dip your chicken nuggets, sweet and sour meatballs, stir fry, crab rangoons… The list goes on!
If you are a fan of homemade sauces instead of store-bought then this Sweet and Sour Sauce is one that you need to keep on hand, not only because it’s delicious but because it’s just simple.
Some of our favorite sauce recipes on our site include: Homemade BBQ Sauce, Easy Homemade Tartar Sauce and Homemade Mayonnaise.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- With minimal ingredients and 5 minutes, this is super easy.
- Double this recipe to have more on hand for other dishes.
- This can be used in or with so many different foods.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):
Cornstarch Slurry
HOW TO MAKE SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE:
- In a small saucepan, add the sugar, vinegar, and water.
- Place over medium heat, whisking constantly until sugar is melted. Add the ketchup whisk to combine.
- In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Bring the vinegar mixture to a slow boil, slowly stream in the cornstarch slurry while whisking constantly until it thickens to your liking. You may not use it all.
- Cook until thickened, about 30 seconds. Let the sauce cool, or not. Serve.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
HOW DO I THICKEN SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE?
Use a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce plus a little time boiling.
If the recipe is not as thick as you want it to be you can add a little more of the slurry at a time until you reach your desired thickness.
ALTERNATIVES AND ADD-INS:
This super simple sauce has only five ingredients.
However, you can still make it your own by adding a few things!
A few dashes of hot sauce or sriracha would be SO good. Or, even some sweet chili paste would go wonderfully in this sauce.
Or, even a pinch of chili flakes or star anise would be good too! Add a dash of Chinese 5 spice for an unexpected twist.
Add even more sweet and sour flavors with some fresh pineapple juice! Isn’t Asian cuisine fun?
WHAT CAN I USE THIS SAUCE IN/FOR?
This is great as a dipping sauce, a glaze, or even mixed into recipes.
Some of our favorite recipes to use this with include:
There are many more uses for this great recipe, but these are some of the more frequent recipes that we use it with!
HOW DOES IT GET ITS RED COLOR?
In our easy homemade sweet and sour sauce, we use ketchup, which not only adds a lot of flavor but also gives it its signature red color.
A lot of other recipes and restaurants will add red food coloring to it, but thankfully we found a way around that!
HOW TO STORE:
This can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
This can also be frozen, placed in a freezer container, and kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To defrost, remove to the refrigerator overnight until thawed.
You can reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop if you want it warm.
- You can thicken this to your liking, and add more of the slurry for a thicker consistency.
- This versatile condiment can be served with various different dishes, see some of my favorites above.
- Try it on different things to find your favorite food. Veggies are a perfect example!
- Double this recipe to serve more people or to keep it on hand for later use.
- This can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
Love a good homemade sauce that is just like your favorite takeout?
Then you absolutely must make our Sweet and Sour Sauce!
If you like this recipe, you might also like: