I’ve tested a lot of sweet and sour sauces, and this is the one I always come back to. My recipe uses pineapple juice for that perfect tangy-sweet balance , and it’s ready in minutes with pantry staples.

Someone dipping a spoon in sweet and sour sauce. - 1

A Reader’s Review

Delicious! The best sweet and sour sauce ever. Family loves it. 5 stars!

The Sauce That Does It All

  • Fast, Easy, and Seriously Tasty: You can whip this up in just minutes, and the flavor payoff is huge.
  • Takes Every Bite Up a Notch: From chicken to shrimp , this sauce brings the perfect tangy twist.
  • Zesty, Saucy Versatility. Drizzle it on stir-fries , toss it with meatballs , or spoon it over rice bowls .

Ingredients In Sweet and Sour Sauce

Overhead shot of labeled sweet and sour sauce ingredients. - 2
  • Don’t Use FRESH Pineapple Juice: When you are making this recipe, use canned or bottled pineapple juice. Fresh pineapple juice has a higher acid content and will break down the sauce. This will change up the taste and the consistency.
  • Add Some Kick: If you want to add a bit of extra spice, try slowly adding in a tiny bit of chili flakes to taste.
  • Stir Fry : If you want to use this sauce in a meat dish or stir fry , then I suggest doubling the recipe!
  • Vinegar: If you don’t have rice vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar in its place.

How to Make Sweet And Sour Sauce!

Making this sweet and sour sauce recipe will take you less than 10 minutes! It’s so simple and easy that you will never go back to buying this dipping sauce at the store again!

  1. Mix and Heat: In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together the pineapple juice, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and soy sauce. Boil for 1-2 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved.
  2. Make the Slurry: In a small bowl, whisk together the water and cornstarch to make a slurry.
  3. Thicken and Simmer: Add the cornstarch slurry to the saucepan and whisk it in. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce to medium-low.
  4. Cool: Continue cooking and whisking for about 5 minutes until it thickens slightly. Remove the sauce from the heat and allow it to cool. Note that the sweet and sour sauce will thicken more as it cools.
All of the ingredients added to a pan on the stove. - 3

How to Store Leftovers

  • In the Refrigerator: My easy homemade sweet and sour sauce keeps for 2 weeks in the fridge, so go ahead, plan a few meals around it.
  • Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing this sauce, since we use cornstarch as a thickening agent, which can break down after freezing.

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Ingredients1x2x3x

  • ▢ 1 (6-ounce) can pineapple juice
  • ▢ ¼ cup rice vinegar
  • ▢ ½ cup brown sugar
  • ▢ ¼ cup ketchup
  • ▢ 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • ▢ 2 tablespoons water
  • ▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

  • In a saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together the 1 (6-ounce) can pineapple juice , ¼ cup rice vinegar , ½ cup brown sugar , ¼ cup ketchup , and 3 tablespoons soy sauce . Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved.
  • In a small bowl whisk together the 2 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon cornstarch to make a slurry.
  • Add the cornstarch slurry to the saucepan and whisk it in. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce to medium-low.
  • Continue cooking and whisking for about 5 minutes until it thickens slightly. Remove the sauce from heat and allow it to cool. Note that it will thicken more as it cools.

Video

Notes

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Someone dipping an egg roll in to the sweet and sour sauce. - 4

More Delicious Homemade Sauces

I love using my homemade sweet and sour sauce for dipping my homemade Chinese food, like shrimp egg rolls or spring rolls . Or using it for sweet and sour chicken . Here are a few more sauces we use on repeat!

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Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce - 13

Sweet and Sour Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 (6-ounce) can pineapple juice
  • ¼ cup rice vinegar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup ketchup
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

  • In a saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together the 1 (6-ounce) can pineapple juice , ¼ cup rice vinegar , ½ cup brown sugar , ¼ cup ketchup , and 3 tablespoons soy sauce . Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved.
  • In a small bowl whisk together the 2 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon cornstarch to make a slurry.
  • Add the cornstarch slurry to the saucepan and whisk it in. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce to medium-low.
  • Continue cooking and whisking for about 5 minutes until it thickens slightly. Remove the sauce from heat and allow it to cool. Note that it will thicken more as it cools.

Video

Notes

Nutrition

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Sweet and Sour Sauce https://therecipecritic.com/sweet-and-sour-sauce/