This amazingly tasty Sweet And Sour Sauce has just the right amount of tangy, pineapple juice-sweetened flavors! It's a perfect dipping sauce, a super glaze for fried chunks of chicken or pork, tempura-battered shrimp, or pan-fried short ribs, and a fantastic stir fry sauce!
Sweet And Sour Sauce Recipe
This well-loved and very popular Chinese food sauce is always a hit with the family! It's been a while, but when I was growing up, my Mom and I would enjoy some takeout food from a little Chinese restaurant.
I still can't believe that she would have to ask, "What would you like?". Um, sweet and sour, please! Some things never change, and I am still a die-hard addict of this addictive red sauce that I have loved for as long as I can remember!
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🥘 Ingredients
- 1 cup Canned Pineapple Juice
- ¾ cup Light Brown Sugar
- ⅓ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 3 tablespoon Ketchup
- 2 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- ½ tablespoon fresh Ginger (fresh, grated or ¼ tablespoon dried ground ginger)
- 2-4 drops Red Food Coloring (optional)
- 1 ½ tablespoon Cornstarch (combine with 2 tablespoons cold water)
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for ingredients, amounts & instructions!*
🔪 Step-by-Step Instructions
- Start out by combining the pineapple juice, light brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, grated ginger, and red food coloring in a small saucepan.
- Bring the saucepan with the ingredients to a low boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the temperature as needed to maintain a low boil during cooking.
- While the sauce is heating, mix the cornstarch and cold water to make your slurry. Add the cornstarch slurry into the sauce once it has reached a low boil.
- Stir the sauce constantly while cooking at a simmer for about one minute, or until thickened and clinging to your spoon. Remove from heat once it reaches your desired thickness.
- Allow the sauce to cool completely before storing it if you will be using it later.
Serve over your sweet and sour chicken, pork, or shrimp garnished with green onions and/or sesame seeds, if desired. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
- Use Canned Pineapple Juice. This is a pretty big thing! Just like in my pineapple curd, you need to use canned pineapple juice rather than fresh pineapple juice. Fresh pineapple contains the enzyme bromelain (in the stem, fruit, and juice of the pineapple) which will break down the cornstarch and prevent your sweet and sour sauce from thickening. The bromelain enzyme is broken down during the canning process, which is why canned pineapple is required for this recipe.
- Authenticity. Practically everything that we are used to here in America has been 'Americanized' in some way, shape, or form. Sweet and sour sauce as we know and love it, is based on the original Cantonese sauce also called sweet and sour that was first used with sweet and sour pork. The well-known chef, Leung Kim, of Hong Kong included rice wine vinegar, Chinese brown candy, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, dark soy sauce, and salt in his sweet and sour recipe. His friend, Willie Mak, a gourmet also from Hong Kong, suggests using a less acidic apple cider vinegar along with superior quality brands for your ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and dark soy sauce as the key to a great sweet and sour sauce.
🥡 Storing
Store your sweet and sour sauce after it has cooled completely. Use an airtight container and keep the remaining sauce refrigerated. If stored properly, the sauce will last for up to 2 weeks.
🥢 More Chinese Food Favorites
- Won-Ton
- Chinese Beef Meatballs with Hoisin Ginger Sauce
- Potstickers
- General Tso's Shrimp
- Chicken with Garlic Sauce
- Egg Rolls Air Fryer
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📋 Recipe
Sweet And Sour Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup canned pineapple juice
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoon ketchup
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon fresh ginger (fresh, grated or ¼ tablespoon dried ground ginger)
- 2-4 drops red food coloring (optional)
- 1 ½ tablespoon cornstarch (combine with 2 tablespoons cold water)
Instructions
- In a small sauce pan, combine the pineapple juice, light brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, ginger and red food coloring.1 cup canned pineapple juice, ¾ cup light brown sugar, ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar, 3 tablespoon ketchup, 2 tablespoon soy sauce, ½ tablespoon fresh ginger, 2-4 drops red food coloring
- Bring the saucepan and sauce to a low boil over medium high heat, reducing the heat if needed to keep it at a low boil.
- Mix the cornstarch with cold water to make your slurry. Add the slurry to your sauce once it has reached a low boil and cook at a simmer for about one minute, stirring constantly until thickened and clinging to your spoon.1 ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- Remove from heat once the sauce has thickened and allow to cool before using as a dipping sauce.
Equipment You May Need
Notes
Fresh vs Canned Pineapple Juice
This is a pretty big thing! Just like in my pineapple curd, you need to use canned pineapple juice rather than fresh pineapple juice. Fresh pineapple contains the enzyme bromelain ( in the stem, fruit and juice of the pineapple ) which will break down the cornstarch and prevent your sweet and sour sauce from thickening. The bromelain enzyme is broken down during the canning process, which is why canned pineapple is required for this recipe.Storing Your Sweet and Sour Sauce
Store your sweet and sour sauce after it has cooled completely. Use an air tight container and keep the remaining sauce refrigerated. If stored properly, the sauce will last for up to 2 weeks.Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
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