Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe (2024)

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ByMerissa

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If you’ve wanted to create your own Asian-inspired sauces to go with stir-fries and other delicious dishes, you’ve got to try this Sweet and Sour Sauce without pineapple!

Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe (1)

Table of Contents

Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe Without Pineapple

Asian food has to be one of my favorite types of cuisine. I love the balance that good Asian food has. When I first started learning to make Asian sauces (instead of just pouring them out of a jar), my mom taught me to pay attention to the balance of five basic tastes: savory, sweet, sour, bitter, and salty.

Trying to balance these five tastes equally will ensure you can create delicious sauces every time. Most sweet and sour recipes that try to do this will use pineapple juice or pineapple chunks in their recipe, but this one is much easier and much more frugal!

After experimenting with several variations, I have found a super easy but delicious sweet and sour sauce recipe. It might be worth mentioning that you can create this sweet-and-sour sauce recipe in only 5 minutes! There is no red food coloring in this sauce and the flavor is so much better than store-bought. You are going to love it!

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How to Use Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce

This sauce would be perfect as a dipping sauce for chicken, chicken nuggets, shrimp, or homemade egg rolls. You could also use it as a drizzle over your favorite stir fry recipe or a glaze over a ham.

If you use this sauce to top dried chicken pieces over some stir-fried vegetables, you will have a delicious sweet and sour chicken with a flavor rivaling your favorite Chinese restaurants!

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Ingredients in Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe

  • Cornstarch. You can use another starch (arrowroot, potato starch, tapioca starch) if you don’t want to use cornstarch.
  • Water.
  • Rice Vinegar. This can be replaced with apple cider vinegar if you don’t have any rice vinegar.
  • Brown Sugar. Can be replaced with honey or maple syrup if you don’t want to use cane sugar. The flavor is a little different but still good!
  • Ketchup. If you don’t want to use ketchup from the store, try homemade ketchup!
  • Soy Sauce. Some substitutions for soy sauce are coconut aminos or tamari sauce. You could also use Homemade Soy Sauce.
  • Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

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Instructions for Making Sweet and Sour Sauce without Pineapple

Mix together cornstarch and water in a small bowl, and set aside. Add the remaining ingredients to a small sauce pan, and bring to a boil.

Add in the cornstarch slurry (as a thickening agent) and mix thoroughly. Continue cooking for an extra minute or two until the sauce is thick. Remove from heat and enjoy!

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You can also add in 1/2 cup diced fresh pineapples, chopped onions or chopped bell peppers for a chunkier sauce. But all of those ingredients are optional. If you are looking for a simple sauce, you can stick with it as written.

My picky-eating toddler loves this sauce so much I can actually get her to eat a couple of bites of chicken and vegetables if she has this sauce to dip it in. And since I can make it so quickly, with ingredients I generally have on hand, it’s a perfect recipe for hectic weeknights.

Need to print this Sweet and Sour Sauce recipe for your Recipe Binder? Grab it below!

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Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe (7)

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Sweet and Sour Sauce Without Pineapple

How to make your own sweet and sour sauce without using pineapple in the recipe.

CourseMain Course

CuisineChinese

KeywordSweet and Sour Sauce Recipe

Servings 1 meal

Calories 517 kcal

Creator Merissa

Ingredients

  • 1tbspcornstarchor another starch
  • 2tbspwater
  • 2/3cuprice vinegaror cider vinegar
  • 1/2cupbrown sugar
  • 2tbspketchup
  • 2tspsoy sauceor coconut aminos

Instructions

  1. Mix together cornstarch and water in a small bowl, and set aside. Add remaining ingredients to a small saucepan, and bring to a boil.

  2. Add in cornstarch mixture (as a thickening agent) and mix thoroughly. Continue cooking an extra minute or two, until sauce is thick. Remove from heat and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Sweet and Sour Sauce Without Pineapple

Amount Per Serving

Calories 517

% Daily Value*

Fat 0.04g0%

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.02g

Sodium 979mg43%

Potassium 260mg7%

Carbohydrates 124g41%

Fiber 0.3g1%

Sugar 113g126%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 154IU3%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 109mg11%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Storing Sweet and Sour Sauce

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If you plan to make homemade sauces, you need some glass bottles. They fit perfectly in your fridge doors and work great for pouring sauces. They even come with the little “dropper” top (that is removable), so you don’t pour out way too much at once!

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More Homemade Sauces

  • Ketchup
  • Homemade BBQ Sauce
  • Worcestershire Sauce Recipe
  • Homemade Hot Sauce
  • Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe
  • The Tastiest Gluten Free Stir Fry Sauce
  • Easy Orange Sauce Recipe

Have you ever made your own sweet and sour sauce (without pineapple) recipe? What is your favorite food to dip in sweet and sour sauce?

Did you make this recipe and enjoy it? Leave a star rating on the recipe card and be sure to share with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and through Email using the sharing buttons below!

Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe (10)Merissa has been blogging about and living the simple life since 2009 and has internationally published 2 books on the topic. You can read about Merissa’s journey from penniless to the 100-acre farm and ministry on theAbout Page. You can send her a message any time from theContact Page.

This recipe for Sweet and Sour Sauce without pineapple was originally published on Little House Living in March 2014. It has been updated as of March 2023.

Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe (11)

Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is traditional sweet and sour sauce made of? ›

While sweet and sour can be found in diverse forms in China, the American version builds upon the simple mixture of sugar, vinegar, and spices with the addition of fruit juice—most commonly pineapple—and ketchup, giving the sauce both its red hue and uniquely Western flavor.

How can I thicken sweet and sour sauce without cornstarch? ›

2. Tapioca starch: Derived from the cassava root, tapioca starch serves as an excellent replacement for cornstarch. It possesses a slight sweetness and efficiently thickens sauces. Tapioca starch is particularly well-suited for fruit-based sweet and sour sauces, as it enhances the natural sweetness of the fruit.

Why isn't my sweet and sour sauce thickening? ›

Yes, but you may need more flour than what the recipe calls for in cornstarch. The cornstarch is just used to thicken the sauce; flour will also thicken the sauce, just not as well.

What is the actual Flavour of sweet and sour sauce? ›

Sweet and sour sauce tastes just like it sounds. A little bit sweet and a little bit sour at the same time. You will also have notes from whatever you flavour it with. The sweet and sour tastes can be made with a simple sugar and vinegar mix.

What is a substitute for vinegar in sweet and sour sauce? ›

Lemon or lime juice are the two most common substitutes for white vinegar. You can also use rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar or malt vinegar but the taste of your sauce might be a tad different. Soy Sauce – I used low sodium. Ketchup – I used store bought.

Can I use flour instead of cornstarch in sweet and sour sauce? ›

Can I use flour instead of cornstarch in sweet and sour sauce? You can, but there's a good chance you'll need to use more flour. That's because flour doesn't thicken as well as cornstarch.

How long will homemade sweet and sour sauce last? ›

How long will homemade sweet and sour sauce keep in the fridge? This sweet and sour sauce recipe should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. If you are storing the sauce straight after cooking, let it cool to room temperature first.

What can I use instead of cornstarch? ›

6 Cornstarch Substitutes for All Your Cooking and Baking Needs
  • Potato Starch. Potato starch is the cornstarch substitute favorite of associate food editor Kendra Vaculin. ...
  • Rice Flour. ...
  • All-Purpose Flour. ...
  • Tapioca Flour. ...
  • Arrowroot Powder. ...
  • Xanthan Gum.
Jun 13, 2022

How do you balance sweet-and-sour sauce? ›

Adjust the flavor balance of your sauce: If too tart or acidic, add 1/4 tsp. sugar and stir well. If too bland or sweet, add 1/4 tsp. red wine vinegar and stir well.

How do you make sweet-and-sour sauce less watery? ›

Use Flour and Water

Combine 2 tablespoons flour with every 1/4 cup cold water and whisk until smooth. Add the mixture to your sauce over medium heat, and continue to stir and cook until you've reached your desired consistency. Test with a spoon.

What if my sweet-and-sour sauce is too liquid? ›

If you're dealing with a stir-fry sauce or gravy that's just a little too runny, make a cornstarch slurry with two parts water and one part starch (adding it directly to your sauce will cause it to clump), then whisk it into your hot sauce, keeping in mind your sauce will further thicken as it cools.

What is sweet and sour triple? ›

Sweet and Sour Triple (dinner)

Shrimp, chicken and pork with sweet sour sauce.

What sweet and sour does mcdonalds use? ›

McDonald's Sweet 'N Sour sauce recipe blends flavors of apricot and peach with savory spices and leaves a slight lingering heat. This is the perfect sweet and sour sauce for dipping Chicken McNuggets® in when you want something slightly sweet with a touch of heat.

Which fruit is both sweet and sour in taste? ›

The fruit that is commonly known for being both sweet and sour at the same time is the pineapple. Pineapples have a unique flavor profile that combines sweetness with a tangy, acidic taste.

Is sweet and sour sauce authentic Chinese? ›

Some authors say that the original sweet and sour sauce (traditional Chinese: 糖醋醬; simplified Chinese: 糖醋酱; pinyin: tángcùjiàng) came from the Chinese province of Henan, but the sauce in this area is a light vinegar and sugar mixture not resembling what most people, including the Chinese, would call sweet and sour.

What is the main ingredient in McDonald's sweet and sour sauce? ›

Ingredients: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Apricot Puree Concentrate And/or Peach Puree Concentrate, Distilled Vinegar, Contains 2% Or Less: Soy Sauce (water, Soybeans, Wheat, Salt), Salt, Modified Food Starch, Sherry Wine Powder, Dextrose, Soybean Oil, Xanthan Gum, Spices, Sodium Benzoate (preservative), Natural ...

Why is Chinese sweet and sour sauce so red? ›

At its core, a base sweet and sour sauce is made with a balance of sugar and vinegar, and to get the bright red color, most restaurants will use red food coloring.

What is sweet and sour chicken made of Chinese food? ›

Sweet and sour chicken, one of the most popular Chinese takeout dishes, is made of puffy, golden brown pieces of fried chicken nuggets with pineapple chunks, onion, bell pepper, carrot, and a side of iconic red, sweet and sour sauce.

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