This post may contain affiliate links.
Sweet and Sour Sauce uses 5 pantry ingredients and comes together in under 10 minutes, and Maddie still talks about the Saturday afternoon I poured a fresh batch over her popcorn chicken and she dipped every single bite twice. If you’ve already loved our Best Fried Sweet and Sour Chicken, this is the glossy red sauce that makes the whole plate sing.
It pours like a takeout dream over chicken, rice, gyoza, and just about anything that needs a tangy red glaze.
Sweet and Sour Sauce Quick Look
- 🕐 Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🍴 Cook Time: 5 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 10 minutes
- 🍽 Serving: 6 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 120kcal
- 🌶 Flavor Profile: Sweet, tangy, glossy (with a savory ketchup base)
- ✋ Difficulty: Beginner, on par with our homemade popcorn chicken
Quick Answer
Combine granulated sugar, white vinegar, and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly until the sugar fully dissolves. Whisk in ketchup until smooth and glossy. In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch with cold water to make a slurry, then bring the sauce to a slow boil and stream in the slurry while whisking until the sauce thickens, about 30 seconds. The sauce is ready in 10 minutes flat using 5 pantry staples, and stores well in the fridge for dipping or glazing.
Jump to:
- Sweet and Sour Sauce Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Sweet and Sour Sauce FAQs
- Other Recommended Easy Sauce and Asian Recipes
- Sweet and Sour Sauce
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- 5 ingredients, all pantry staples. You already own everything (sugar, vinegar, water, ketchup, cornstarch). No specialty Asian aisle hunt required. Most restaurant copycats need pineapple juice, soy sauce, hoisin, or rice vinegar, this version is true Americanized takeout style.
- White vinegar over rice vinegar. White vinegar sharper acidity cuts the sugar perfectly for that signature glossy tang. Rice vinegar is too mild and produces a flat, one-note sauce.
- Ketchup as the color base. Pure tomato paste makes the sauce too thick and savory. Ketchup brings the right level of vinegar-sweetened tomato color and a smoother body, hitting the iconic orange-red appearance without food coloring.
- Cornstarch slurry, not roux. A flour roux makes a gravy. A cornstarch slurry stays glossy and transparent as it thickens, which is what gives sweet and sour sauce its signature shiny finish that a roux-thickened sauce never achieves.
- Stream slurry into BOILING sauce. Cornstarch needs heat above 200 degrees Fahrenheit to activate. Pouring it into warm-but-not-boiling sauce gives you starchy clumps. Slow boil plus slow stream plus constant whisk equals clean thickening every time.
- 30 seconds after slurry is plenty. Over-cooking cornstarch past 1 minute breaks down the thickening structure (it goes back to thin and weeping). Pull the sauce as soon as it coats the back of a spoon.
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 used a lot of different sweet and sour sauce recipes that I find on the internet, and this recipe is by far the best I have ever made. Great taste and great color, too. I will definitely stick with this one.
~ Diann
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in 10 minutes flat. Five pantry ingredients, one saucepan, one whisk, and you have a glossy red dipping sauce that rivals the takeout pouches you’ve been hoarding in the fridge drawer.
- Endlessly customizable. Cornstarch slurry is the only thickener, so you control the consistency. Want it pourable for stir fry? Stop early. Want it dippy for nuggets? Cook longer. Easy.
- Plays nicely with everything. Drizzle it over our Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken, dip frozen gyoza in it, brush it on grilled wings, or stir it into fried rice. One sauce, a dozen wins.
Key Ingredients
- Granulated Sugar: The backbone of the “sweet” half. Plain white sugar dissolves cleanly without changing the color or muddying the tangy flavor, which is exactly what we want here.
- White Vinegar: The “sour” half. Standard distilled white vinegar gives the sharp bite that cuts through fried chicken or rich dumplings. Do not swap apple cider vinegar unless you want a mellower, fruitier finish.
- Ketchup: Carries the red color AND adds a savory tomato note that keeps the sauce from tasting one note sweet. Any standard ketchup works. Heinz, Hunt’s, store brand, all fine.
- Cornstarch: The thickener. Mixed with cold water into a slurry first so it streams smoothly into the hot sauce without clumping. Skip this and you have sweet and sour syrup, not sauce.
- Water: Two roles: thins the base mixture so the sugar dissolves evenly, and makes the cornstarch slurry. Tap water is fine.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
- Pineapple juice swap: Replace the water with pineapple juice for a fruitier, more restaurant style sauce. Pairs perfectly with our Best Fried Sweet and Sour Chicken.
- Soy sauce splash: Stir in 1 teaspoon of low sodium soy sauce at the end for a deeper savory note. Great when you’re using the sauce on rice or noodles.
- Spicy version: Add 1 teaspoon of sriracha or a pinch of red pepper flakes with the ketchup. Now it’s perfect for drizzling over popcorn chicken.
- Apple cider vinegar: Sub the white vinegar 1 for 1 for a milder, slightly fruity tang. The sauce will taste rounder, less sharp.
- Brown sugar swap: Use light brown sugar instead of white for a caramel note and slightly darker red color. Same amount.
How to Make Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Add the sugar, vinegar, and water to a small saucepan.
- Place over medium heat and whisk constantly until the sugar is melted, then add the ketchup and whisk to combine.
- In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of cold water into a smooth slurry. Bring the sauce to a slow boil, then slowly stream in the slurry while whisking constantly.
- Cook for about 30 seconds until the sauce thickens to your liking. You may not need all the slurry. Serve warm or chilled.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Whisk constantly when adding the slurry. Cornstarch hates a still pan. If you dump it in and stop whisking, you get gummy lumps instead of a glossy sauce.
- Start with less slurry than you think. The sauce keeps thickening as it cools. Pull it off heat when it coats the back of a spoon and rest for 1 minute before judging consistency.
- Use a small saucepan. A 1 quart pan keeps the liquid deep enough to whisk properly. A wide pan evaporates the water too fast and throws off the balance.
- Store leftovers in a glass jar. Lasts 7 to 10 days in the fridge. Sauce thickens up cold. Reheat over low heat with a splash of water to loosen if you want it pourable again.
- Freeze in ice cube trays. Two tablespoon cubes thaw in minutes. Perfect for single serving dipping nights with our Trader Joe’s frozen gyoza in air fryer.
- Double the batch. Same effort, twice the sauce. Goes fast in our house, especially on stir fry nights.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This is one of those quiet workhorse sauces that earns a permanent spot in your weekly rotation. Pour it over our Best Fried Sweet and Sour Chicken for the full classic combo, or skip the deep fry and drizzle it on the much easier Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken.
Use it as a dipping sauce for homemade popcorn chicken, air fryer gyoza, or baked cream cheese wonton cups. Each one turns a 15 minute snack into a takeout style dinner.
For a full meal, brush it over grilled chicken thighs or stir a few spoonfuls into our teriyaki chicken fried rice right at the end. The glaze coats every grain and turns leftover takeout night into something genuinely worth making.
Sweet and Sour Sauce FAQs
A classic Sweet and Sour Sauce needs just five pantry ingredients: granulated sugar, white vinegar, water, ketchup, and a cornstarch slurry. The sugar and vinegar make the sweet and sour base, ketchup adds color and a savory note, and the cornstarch slurry gives that glossy thick finish.
You thicken Sweet and Sour Sauce with a cornstarch slurry. Whisk 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water until smooth, then slowly stream it into the simmering sauce while whisking constantly. Cook for about 30 seconds until it coats the back of a spoon.
Stored in a sealed glass jar, this Sweet and Sour Sauce lasts 7 to 10 days in the refrigerator. It thickens up cold, so reheat over low heat with a small splash of water if you want it pourable again.
Yes, freeze this Sweet and Sour Sauce in two tablespoon portions using an ice cube tray. Once frozen, transfer the cubes to a freezer bag. They thaw in minutes for single serving dipping nights and keep for up to 3 months.
Sweet and Sour Sauce is perfect for dipping fried chicken, popcorn chicken, gyoza, wonton cups, egg rolls, and chicken nuggets. You can also pour it over stir fry, brush it on grilled meats, or stir a few spoonfuls into fried rice at the end of cooking.
A lumpy Sweet and Sour Sauce almost always means the cornstarch was added without making a slurry first or the pan was not being whisked when the slurry hit. Always mix cornstarch with cold water first, then stream slowly into the hot sauce while whisking constantly.
Other Recommended Easy Sauce and Asian Recipes
If you tried this Sweet and Sour Sauce, please leave a ⭐ rating below and drop a comment with what you served it on. Your reviews help other home cooks decide what to try next, and we love hearing how you used it in your kitchen!
Sweet and Sour Sauce
Ingredients
- 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.¾ cup granulated sugar, ⅓ cup white vinegar, ⅔ cup water
- Place over medium heat, whisking constantly until sugar is melted. Add the ketchup whisk to combine.2 ½ tablespoons ketchup
- 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.3 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water
- Cook until thickened, about 30 seconds. Serve.
Video
Notes
- 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.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
Follow @ThisSillyGirlsKitchen on Instagram and @danadevolk on Pinterest for more!
Switch up dipping sauce night with another copycat, try our Chick-Fil-A Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce Recipe.
Dunk a sweet and sour dessert treat, or pair our Homemade Lady Finger Cookies Recipe (savoiardi).
Pair this sweet and sour sauce with a crispy tempura side, try our Tempura Vegetables Recipe (With Soy Dipping Sauce).
For a quick dipping sauce that complements the batter shell, mix up our homemade sweet and sour sauce, the puffy battered Sunday-dinner classic.
This recipe was great! Super easy and made the perfect sweet and sour sauce like we get from our local Chinese restaurant! Love it!
Wow! Really easy and really good. I added1/2 tea of sesame oil, but it would be good without it too.
I am the queen of Pinterest fails, but this recipe actually turned out exactly the way I hoped it would. My kids are very picky about their sauce being too sweet or too sour. This was just right. Great recipe!
Easy and tastes like the restaurants. Thanks
I replaced the water with pineapple juice from a can of tidbits. I also added one extra spoonful of ketchup for darker color and used monk sugar. Absolutely delicious.
Great so easy, don’t think I will buy a jar again thanks
Subbed pineapple juice for the water. Came out marvelous
Thanks
That tip was in the notes, but I updated the recipe.
Flavor is good but WAY too thick. I thought “man that’s a lot of cornstarch slurry for this amount of liquid… but decided to trust the recipe thinking “It can’t be too bad. Right?” Big mistake. I could hardly dip in this sauce it was so thick!
The recipe should say “Add cornstarch slurry in small amounts while whisking UNTIL desired consistency is achieved.”
Super easy! Taste better than bottled.
It was very ketchup-y.
I’ve made a similar sauce using apricot jam, which came out very well.
Nice Info
Thanks for the recipe. It was fantastic! Although I cut back on the cornstarch. It is definitely a keeper! I made sweet and sour chicken with a tempura batter.
So simple with simple ingredients and a remarkable flavor
Sooooo amazing I personally like half as much ketchup than what it calls for. I like that the longer you heat it the more it will thicken so pull it off heat just before it’s the thickness you want. I chose to use classic monk fruit sugar in place of regular sugar. it’s delicious and diabetic friendly along with good immunity properties in monk fruit.