The Best Sweet and Sour Sauce

The Best Sweet and Sour Sauce, only 5 ingredients and ready in minutes! A super easy recipe that you can serve alongside some of your favorite meals!

Sweet and Sour Sauce is something you need in your recipe arsenal. Not only is it delicious, but it is also very versatile and you can use it in many different ways!

Use it as a dipping sauce or a glaze stirred into some of your favorite dishes. It’s a great copycat takeout recipe that you can make at home.

Like I said this 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 definitely the perfect copycat! Sweet and tangy and thickened with a cornstarch slurry, you will totally impress your guests with this one!

If you are a fan of homemade sauces instead of store-bought then this is one that you need to keep on hand, not only because it’s delicious but it’s just simple.

Some of our favorite sauce recipes that we have 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.

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE:

1. In a small saucepan, add the sugar, vinegar, and water. 
2. Place over medium heat, whisking constantly until sugar is melted. Add the ketchup whisk to combine.
3. 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. 
4. Cook until thickened, about 30 seconds. Serve.

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 is a super simple sauce with only five ingredients. 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.

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:

• Baked Cream Cheese Wonton Cups
• Potstickers
• Crab Rangoon
• Egg Rolls
• Fried Rice

There are a ton more uses for this sauce, but these are some of our normal recipes that we use it with!

HOW TO STORE:

This can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to 1 week.

This can also be frozen, placed in a freezer container and it will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To defrost, remove to the refrigerator overnight until thawed, you can reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop if you want it warm.

TIPS AND TRICKS:

• You can thicken this to your liking, and add more of the slurry for a thicker consistency.
• This can be served with various different dishes, see some of my favorites above.
• 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 The Best Sweet and Sour Sauce!

If you like this recipe you might also like:

• The Best Sweet and Sour Chicken
• Beef and Broccoli
• Chicken Lettuce Wraps

If you’ve tried THE BEST SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE let me know in the comments how it turned out! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!

Rate this Recipe

The Best Sweet and Sour Sauce

4.68 from 46 votes

Course Condiment

Servings 6 servings

The Best Sweet and Sour Sauce, only 5 ingredients and ready in minutes! A super easy recipe that you can serve alongside some of your favorite meals!

Print Recipe

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 5 mins

Total Time 10 mins

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ⅓ cup white vinegar
• ▢ ⅔ cup water
• ▢ 2 ½ tablespoons ketchup

Cornstarch Slurry:

• ▢ 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• ▢ 2 tablespoons water

Instructions

• 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.
• Cook until thickened, about 30 seconds. Serve.

Notes

1. You can thicken this to your liking, add more of the sluffy for a thicker consistency.
2. This can be served with various different dishes, see some of my favorites above.
3. Double this recipe to serve more people or to keep on hand for later use.
4. This can be frozen, see above on how to do that.

Nutrition

Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 59mg | Potassium: 18mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 32IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

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