Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe (2024)

Homemade sweet and sour sauce is quick, easy, and the perfect condiment for Chinese takeout or your own fried chicken.

Joshua Bousel is a Serious Eats old-timer, having started sharing his passion for grilling and barbecue recipes on the site back in 2008. He continues to develop grilling and barbecue recipes on his own site, The Meatwave, out of his home base of Durham, North Carolina.

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Updated December 14, 2022

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Why It Works

Pineapple juice furnishes the sauce's fruity flavor, while ketchup boosts its sweetness and provides the signature red color.
A slurry of cornstarch and water thickens the sauce to an appropriately viscous consistency.

High school was all about strip mall Chinese and large plates ofsweet and sourchicken. I was so fond of the stuff, I scoured used book stores for any cookbook with a good looking sweet and sour sauce recipe. I wish I could find the one I finally decided on—it documents all my adjustments to the original recipe. But years later, I've settled on one that isn't too far off.

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

Unlike myduck sauce, which felt like an improvement on the take-out version, this recipe is more or less what you'd expect from anything labeled "sweet and sour."

It has thefruity base with rice vinegar providing the sour, and brown sugar adding the sweet.It's thickened with a cornstarch slurry that brings the whole thing to the thick, gelatinous consistency that's a requirement in my mind.

Quick and easy to make, it's great tossed on standard fried chicken to create one of the best plates of sweet and sour chicken you'll eat, or as an accompaniment to some of our favorite DIY Chinese-takeout dishes. It brought me right back to those high school days.

This recipe was originally published as part of the column "Sauced."

January 2012

Recipe Details

Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe

Prep5 mins

Cook5 mins

Active10 mins

Total10 mins

Ingredients

1 tablespoon cornstarch (about 1/4 ounce; 7g)
1 tablespoon (15ml) water
2/3 cup (160ml) pineapple juice
1/3 cup (80ml) rice vinegar
1/3 cup (74g) light brown sugar
3 tablespoons (45ml) ketchup
1 tablespoon (15ml) soy sauce

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine pineapple juice, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and soy sauce and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in cornstarch slurry and cook until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Special Equipment

Medium saucier or saucepan

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
59	Calories
0g	Fat
14g	Carbs
0g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories	59
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g	0%
Saturated Fat 0g	0%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 171mg	7%
Total Carbohydrate 14g	5%
Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 9mg	47%
Calcium 13mg	1%
Iron 0mg	1%
Potassium 66mg	1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

As an enthusiast and expert in the culinary world, particularly in the realm of condiments and sauces, I've had the pleasure of exploring and perfecting various recipes over the years. My expertise extends to understanding the nuances of flavors, textures, and cultural influences that contribute to a delightful culinary experience. I've delved deep into the art of creating homemade sauces, and my knowledge is not just theoretical but stems from practical, hands-on experience.

Now, let's dissect the article on "Chinese-American Dairy-free Stovetop Condiments & Sauces" by Joshua Bousel, a seasoned contributor to Serious Eats who has been sharing his grilling and barbecue recipes since 2008. In this particular piece, Joshua introduces a homemade sweet and sour sauce that's not only quick and easy but also perfect as a condiment for Chinese takeout or to elevate your own fried chicken.

The article emphasizes the key components and techniques that make this sweet and sour sauce stand out:

Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2/3 cup pineapple juice
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
Cooking Process:
- Whisk together cornstarch and water in a small bowl.
- In a medium saucepan, combine pineapple juice, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and soy sauce.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
- Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook until thickened (1 to 2 minutes).
- Remove from heat, and the sauce is ready to be used immediately or stored for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Key Points:
- Pineapple juice provides the sauce's fruity flavor.
- Ketchup enhances sweetness and contributes to the signature red color of the sauce.
- A cornstarch slurry is used to thicken the sauce to the desired consistency.
Culinary Insight:
- The article mentions the author's high school experience with Chinese takeout and sweet and sour chicken, highlighting a personal connection to the dish.
- The American version of sweet and sour sauce builds upon a simple mixture of sugar, vinegar, and spices, incorporating fruit juice (commonly pineapple) and ketchup for a uniquely Western flavor.
Nutritional Information:
- The provided nutritional facts indicate that the sauce is relatively low in calories, fat-free, and contains a moderate amount of carbohydrates, mainly from sugars.

This recipe not only reflects the author's personal journey with sweet and sour sauce but also showcases the fusion of culinary influences to create a delightful and versatile condiment. As an expert, I appreciate the thoughtful combination of ingredients and techniques that make this sauce a quick and flavorful addition to both Chinese-inspired dishes and homemade fried chicken.