Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe (2024)

Recipes

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!

Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe (2)

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!

Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe (3)

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!

Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe (6)

Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe (7)

3.86 from 7 votes

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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!

Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe (9)

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 authentic 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 to make sweet and sour sauce less vinegary? ›

a little baking soda (a pinch at a time) will help tone down the pH harshness (bitterness) a little water, broth or other suitable liquid to dilute the vinegar. a little oil (if it works in the recipe) to dilute the vinegar, and/or. a little sugar (if it works in the recipe)

What can I substitute for pineapple juice in sweet and sour sauce? ›

It's also easy to customize sweet & sour sauce if you don't want to make a special trip to the store! Replace the pineapple juice with a mixture of orange and lemon juice, and opt for tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce to make it gluten-free.

What if sweet and sour sauce is too sweet? ›

If too bland or sweet, add 1/4 tsp. red wine vinegar and stir well.

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 ...

How to thicken homemade sweet and sour sauce? ›

If the sauce isn't thick enough, you can add one more tablespoon of cornstarch and whisk it in. But remember, the sauce will thicken even more as it cools down. So only add more cornstarch if the sauce is way too thin. Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

How do you reduce the acidity in sweet and sour sauce? ›

Tip: Sugar can also soften acidic flavors, as in a sweet-and-sour sauce. To see how, make an overly sour vinaigrette, then whisk in sugar a pinch at a time until the vinaigrette tastes less harsh but not sweet.

How long does 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 you use instead of rice wine vinegar? ›

Rice Vinegar Substitutes
  • Apple Cider Vinegar. The closest match to rice vinegar's sweet-to-sour ratio is apple cider vinegar. ...
  • White Wine Vinegar. White wine vinegar is your next best option behind apple cider vinegar. ...
  • Champagne Vinegar. ...
  • Sherry Vinegar. ...
  • Lemon or Lime Juice. ...
  • Mirin (Rice Wine)
Jun 29, 2023

What is another name for sweet and sour sauce? ›

Agrodolce — Italian for “sour, sweet,” this reduction of sugar and vinegar can be enjoyed on a variety of foods. See recipe below. Chakalaka — A South African relish made with chiles, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage vinegar, spices (like masala) and traditionally eaten with braai (barbecue).

What can I use if I don't have sweet and sour mix? ›

What is a good substitute for sweet and sour mix?
  • Juices – lemonade, limeade, margarita mix, orange juice + pineapple juice with no simple syrup.
  • Sodas – lemon-lime soda + ginger ale and a splash of lemon or lime juice.

Can I use canned pineapple instead of fresh pineapple? ›

In many cases, canned pineapple can be substituted for fresh pineapple (and vice versa) in equal measure, which is good to know when you only need a small amount of pineapple for a recipe.

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

In China, the sauces are traditionally made by mixing sugar or honey with a sour liquid such as rice vinegar or soy sauce and spices such as ginger and cloves. Sometimes a paste made from tomatoes is used, but this is rare and normally restricted to Western cooking.

Should sweet and sour sauce be hot or cold? ›

Heat over a medium-high heat. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Turn off the heat and pour into a serving bowl. Serve hot, warm or cold.

How do you know if sweet and sour mix is bad? ›

There are several ways to tell if your sweet and sour mix has gone bad. If there's a noticeable change in color or texture (the mix appears cloudy, clumpy, or thick), or there's mold growth, it's time to discard the mix. Also, give it a sniff - if the smell is off or fermented, it's gone bad.

Is sweet and sour authentic Chinese? ›

Sweet and sour pork is a Chinese dish particularly popular in Westernised Cantonese cuisine and may be found worldwide. Several provinces in China produce various dishes that claim to be the ancestor, including a traditional Jiangsu dish called “pork in a sugar and vinegar sauce” (糖醋里脊; pinyin: táng cù lǐjǐ).

What is sweet and sour dressing made of? ›

In a blender or salad dressing shaker, combine oil, sugar, vinegar, onion, salt, mustard, and celery seed. Blend or shake until emulsified.

Is Polynesian and sweet and sour sauce the same? ›

As for the consistency of Chick-fil-A's Polynesian Sauce, it's apparently a bit thinner than sweet and sour sauce, but still perfect for dipping. As explained by a Redditor, "I highly recommend nuggets with Polynesian."

What is sweet and sour mix made of? ›

Sour mix (also known as sweet and sour mix) is a mixer that is yellow-green in color and is used in many co*cktails. It is made from approximately equal parts lemon and/or lime juice and simple syrup and shaken vigorously with ice. This produces a pearly-white liquid with a pronounced flavor.

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