Chinese sweet and sour sauce

Simple and delicious homemade Chinese sweet and sour sauce is great to serve as a dipping sauce or make a sweet and sour pork dish. This Chinese sweet and sour sauce recipe has a few ingredients and it takes around 10 minutes!

Love sauces? Check out these sauces: teriyaki sauce, chili oil, Thai sweet chili sauce, ginger scallion sauce, black pepper sauce and XO sauce recipes.

What is sweet and sour sauce?

Sweet and sour sauce originated from China. And, it is used as dipping sauce for fish and some meat dishes. Besides, it is a popular sauce among American Chinese foods.

Most of the time it is used as a dipping sauce like deep fried wonton wrappers, deep fried wontons. And, other deep fried dishes such as sweet and sour pork , sweet and sour chicken or egg rolls. 

What’s in sweet and sour sauce?

This simple and delicious homemade sweet and sour sauce recipe has a few ingredients: 100% pineapple juice, vinegar, salt, ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch and water. 

You can adjust the amount of cornstarch depending on how thick the sauce you want. When I use it as a dipping sauce for deep fried wonton or egg rolls, I like to use 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. However, when I make a sweet and sour pork dish, I like the sauce thicker. Therefore, I use 3 tablespoons of cornstarch to thicken the sauce. 

Cooking tips for how to make Chinese sweet and sour sauce:

• I use 100% pineapple juice. Different brands of pineapple juice may taste slightly different, thus you can add more sugar if needed.
• Add brown sugar, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, salt and pineapple juice. Then, stir it very well. Turn on low and small fire. Keep stirring until the sugar melts. 
• After that, in a small container mix cornstarch and water well. You can adjust the cornstarch mixture depending on how thick you want the sauce to be. (I like to use 2 tablespoons of cornstarch when I use the sauce as dipping sauce. However, when I make a sweet and sour pork dish, I like the sauce thicker. Therefore, I use 3 tablespoons of cornstarch to thicken the sauce.)

FAQs:

What kind of pineapple juice do you use?

I like to use 100% pineapple juice from a can of pineapple or soda can sized 100% pineapple juice such as Jumex and Dole brands. 

How do you store sweet & sauce sauce?

Put the sauce in a glass container with a lid on and you can store them in the fridge for up to a week. 

Can the sauce be left out?

This is homemade sauce and for food safety, it’s better to keep them in the fridge.

Can you freeze Chinese sweet & sour sauce?

Yes, you can store them in a glass jar and freeze it up to a few months. 

Instructions for how to make sweet sour sauce:

1. Pour 1 cup of 100% pineapple juice into the pot. 

2. After, put ¾ cup of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, 3 tablespoons of ketchup, ¼ teaspoon of salt. Stir and mix it well.

3. Then, turn on small and low fire. Let it simmer for a few minutes until the sugar is melted. 

4. In a small container, add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of water and mix it well. (For dipping sauce, I like to use 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. However, when I make a sweet and sour pork dish, I like the sauce thicker. Therefore, I use 3 tablespoons of cornstarch to thicken the sauce.)

5. Next, slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the sauce and keep stirring when pouring the mixture until the sauce is thickened.

Enjoy this simple and tasty homemade Chinese sweet sour sauce recipe! Also, check out these lo mien, kimchi fried rice and red bean paste rice cake recipes. 

You May Also Like These Recipes:

• Cinnamon honey butter
• Homemade garlic chili sauce 
• Orange chicken 
• Tonkatsu deep fried pork chop

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