The Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe That You Can Make With 5 Ingredients (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!

The Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe That You Can Make With 5 Ingredients (1)

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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. It can be replaced with honey or maple syrup if you don’t want to use cane sugar. The flavor is a little different, but it is 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 saucepan, 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!

The Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe That You Can Make With 5 Ingredients (5)

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 that 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!

The Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe That You Can Make With 5 Ingredients (6)

The Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe That You Can Make With 5 Ingredients (7)

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Sweet and Sour Sauce Without Pineapple Recipe

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

CourseMain Course

CuisineChinese

KeywordSweet and Sour Sauce Recipe

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

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 Recipe

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!

The Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe That You Can Make With 5 Ingredients (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!

The Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe That You Can Make With 5 Ingredients (10)

Merissa Alink

Merissa has been blogging about andliving the simple and frugal life on Little House Living since 2009 and has internationally published 2 books on the topic. You can read about Merissa’s journey from penniless to freedom on the About 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 2024.

The Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe That You Can Make With 5 Ingredients (11)

The Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe That You Can Make With 5 Ingredients (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.

What can I use instead of vinegar in sweet and sour sauce? ›

Ingredients
  • Sugar – Granulated.
  • White Vinegar – For the sourness. Lemon or lime juice are the two most common substitutes for white vinegar. ...
  • Water.
  • Soy Sauce – I used low sodium.
  • Ketchup – I used store bought.
  • Cornstarch – Used as a thickening agent. ...
  • Pineapple Juice – Canned, boxed or fresh.
Feb 25, 2020

What makes food sweet and sour? ›

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.

What can I use in sweet and sour instead of pineapple? ›

From personal experience of not having canned/fresh pineapples in the kitchen, I just used a bit of lemon juice and an orange cut into large chunks. Chinese plum sweet & sour mix is one of my favorites. You can find recipes online. Also mango with a dose of red cane rum in it, but made about the same as plum.

What is a sweet and sour sauce? ›

: seasoned with a sauce containing sugar and vinegar or lemon juice.

Is OK sauce sweet and sour? ›

The precise recipe may vary between brands, but these core components are what give Ok Sauce its beloved balance of sweet, sour, and savoury notes.

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.

Which vinegar is best for chicken? ›

Natural chicken keepers swear by Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) as part of a healthy diet: it's an immune-booster, dietary supplement and remedy for all manner of ills. Hundreds of people claim that it has improved the health and performance of their chickens. And hundreds of people can't be wrong.

What if I add too much vinegar to sweet and sour sauce? ›

If you have added too much vinegar to a recipe, you can try adding a bit of sugar or honey to help balance the acidity. You could also try diluting the vinegar by adding more of the other ingredients in the recipe.

How to thicken 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.

Is sweet and sour sauce actually Chinese? ›

As we've already mentioned, sweet and sour dishes do actually exist in China. (Unlike other Chinese American dishes like General Tso's Chicken or Chop Suey.) However, it is a dish that has been heavily Americanized as well.

What flavor is sweet and sour sauce? ›

Sweet and sour sauce is a condiment, commonly used in Asian cuisines, that combines (you guessed it!) sweet and sour flavors. It can be used as a dipping sauce, a glaze, or as an ingredient in marinades and so much more.

What fruit tastes like pineapple but isn t? ›

Jackfruit. Jackfruit is a highly versatile tropical fruit that can be eaten raw or cooked. Weighing as much as 10 to 25 pounds, jackfruit has bright yellow flesh that tastes like a blend of pineapple, banana, and citrus.

Does McDonald's Sweet and Sour have pineapple? ›

The flavoring of McDonald's Sweet & Sour dip has sent some TikTokkers into a tailspin after an account revealed which fruit plays a central role in its tang. While some suggested pineapple might be the elusive star of the smooth sauce, others have been left “shaken” by the discovery that it is in fact apricot.

What is a fruit that is sweet and sour? ›

Kumquats: small orange fruits with a sour-sweet flavor and edible peel.

Is sweet and sour sauce authentic Chinese? ›

It's that bright orange dipping sauce that accompanies the aforementioned sweet and sour chicken in Westernized Chinese food. It is said that this sauce evolved from the Cantonese culinary tradition, emigrating to the United States in the late 1800s and evolving into what we know today.

Can you buy Chinese sweet and sour sauce? ›

Introducing the Cantonese Sweet & Sour Sauce, another Stir-Fry Sauce in the NEW range. This traditional Chinese Sauce is bound to be a winner in your fakeaway dinner, simply add to the wok with meat, batters and/or vegetables and you're good to go.

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

Sweet and sour sauce features a balanced combination of sweet and tangy flavors, making it a versatile condiment that can be used in various ways to enhance the flavor of your dishes.

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 ...

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