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How To Make Sweet and Sour Sauce

Learning how to make sweet and sour sauce from scratch couldn’t be easier. Better still, it only requires a few ingredients, many of which you’ll have already in the kitchen cupboards. It’s the perfect mix of sugar, vinegar, and ketchup that balances out any dish.

Sweet and sour sauce goes great with meats like pork or chicken, but it also tastes fantastic on vegetables! The best part about this sauce is its versatility – you can use it to dress up anything from stir fry to egg fried rice.

sweet and sour sauce

How To Make Sweet and Sour Sauce

The ingredients are simple for a sweet and sour sauce and you can vary it up to make it taste exactly how you want it – sugar, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar and optionally pineapple and chilli pepper flakes. Adding in some cornflour will also help it to thicken up to the consistency you prefer.

ingredients for sweet and sour sauce

The recipe starts by heating up all of these ingredients together until they are dissolved into each other. Then it can be cooled down and used however you want.

sweet and sour sauce in a jar

How To Serve Sweet and Sour Sauce

A simple serving suggestion is to mix this tangy sauce in with some boiled rice, or you can use it to make a more slow cooker sweet and sour chicken.

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If you want to use the sauce as a dip it’s perfect for dunking in your favourite snack.

    sweet and sour sauce in jar and bowl

    How To Make Sweet and Sour Sauce Thicker

    If the sauce has ended up a bit too thin you can add some more cornflour to thicken it up. Make a slurry by adding 1tbsp of cornflour with 2tbsp of water (or pineapple juice). Once it is well mixed and lump free stir it into the sweet and sour sauce.

    Note – remember the sauce will thicken some more as it cools down.

    How Long Does Sweet and Sour Sauce Last?

    In an airtight container it will last for up to 10 days in the fridge, or up to 3 months in a freezer.

    jar sweet sour sauce recipe

    How To Make Sweet and Sour Sauce

    Yield: 1 jar
    Prep Time: 2 minutes
    Cook Time: 6 minutes
    Total Time: 8 minutes

    Learning how to make sweet and sour sauce from scratch couldn’t be easier. Better still, it only requires a few ingredients, many of which you’ll have already in the kitchen cupboards. It’s the perfect mix of sugar, vinegar, and ketchup that balances out any dish.

    Ingredients

    • 3 tbsp ketchup
    • 1 can (250ml) pineapple chunks 
    • 2 tbsp cornflour
    • 150ml cider vinegar (or rice wine)
    • 100g brown sugar
    • 1 tbsp soy sauce

    Instructions

      1. Put the cornflour in a small bowl and add 2 tablespoons of juice from the pineapple and stir to combine.
      2. Add all the ingredients to a saucepan pan and stir.
      3. Cook on medium heat and stir constantly until the sugar dissolves and the sauce thickens.
      4. Turn off the heat and leave it to cool and it will thicken up some more.

    Notes

    Store for up to 10 days in an airtight container in a fridge, or up to 3 months in the freezer.

    If you prefer a less tangy taste, you can start with less vinegar and add more to taste.

    To thicken up the sauce add a some more cornflour, a little at a time.

    Nutrition Information:
    Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 118Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 344mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 0gSugar: 27gProtein: 0g

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