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Home » Recipes » Toppings and Sauces

Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce

Updated: Mar 5, 2025 · Published: May 23, 2024 by Ashley Amundsen · This post may contain affiliate links. · Leave a Comment

Jump to Recipe

This homemade sweet-and-sour sauce is sweet and tangy! Bursting with flavor, it can be easily made in just a few minutes with a few simple ingredients found in your pantry. Skip the store-bought kind and whip up this sauce to elevate your favorite Chinese dishes.

A white bowl of sweet and sour sauce with chopsticks dipping a wonton into it.

❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe

  • Flavorful: This sauce is made with a variety of flavorful ingredients including ketchup, horseradish, and red wine vinegar to add a burst of flavor to every bite!
  • Customize Your Cravings: This recipe is easy to customize! Love it spicy? Add a kick of sriracha. Prefer a thicker sauce? Add some cornstarch. Make adjustments to create a sauce that fits your unique taste!
  • Restaurant-Worthy, Weeknight-Easy: This sweet and sour sauce comes together in just a couple of minutes, transforming any ordinary weeknight meal into a restaurant-quality experience.
Jump to:
  • ❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
  • 🥘 Ingredients
  • 🍴Storage
  • 💭 FAQs
  • 🥢 More Asian Recipes to Enjoy
  • 📋 Recipe
  • ⭐ Reviews

We all know the struggle with sweet and sour sauce. Store-bought varieties can be overly sweet, lack depth of flavor, or leave a weird artificial aftertaste. But fear not; this homemade sweet and sour sauce is the answer you've been looking for! Forget the long list of questionable ingredients and gloopy textured sauce that you "pour" out of a bottle—this recipe is all about fresh and vibrant flavors that come together to create a sweet, tangy, and savory sauce, perfect for serving with your favorite Chinese dishes!

In just five minutes and using only five ingredients, you'll have a restaurant-worthy sauce ready to drizzle over crispy stir-fried vegetables, use as a dip for Homemade Beef Wontons, or transform plain chicken or pork into a crave-worthy main course. The possibilities are endless!

🥘 Ingredients

  • Ketchup
  • Brown sugar
  • Ginger
  • Horseradish
  • Red wine vinegar

*Make sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for the recipe card, which includes the full list of ingredients and quantities.

A bowl of sweet and sour sauce next to a pile of wontons.

🍴Storage

Since homemade sweet and sour sauce lacks the preservatives of the store-bought varieties, it won't last quite as long. Here's how to store your sauce:

  • Refrigerate: Let your sauce cool completely. Then, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
  • Freeze: Freezing is a great option for longer storage! Portion your cooled sauce into freezer-safe containers or zip-top bags. Squeeze out any excess air to prevent freezer burn. Frozen homemade sweet and sour sauce can last for several months.

💭 FAQs

Can I make this sweet and sour sauce spicier?

Yes! Add a pinch of red pepper flakes, a dash of hot sauce, or a little more horseradish for extra heat.

How can I thicken the sauce?

If you want a thicker sauce, mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water and stir it in while simmering.

🥢 More Asian Recipes to Enjoy

  • Egg fried rice in a gray bowl with chopsticks laid on the edge.
    Easy Egg Fried Rice Recipe
  • Shortcut Orange Chicken (Panda Express Copycat)
  • Thai Cucumber Salad
  • Chicken Satay on a black surface.
    Baked Chicken Satay

If you make this recipe, let me know what you think! I’d love it if you could add a star rating ★ and a comment below. Be sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook, too!

📋 Recipe

Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce

Ashley Amundsen
This homemade sweet-and-sour sauce is sweet and tangy! Bursting with flavor, it can be easily made in just a few minutes with a few simple ingredients found in your pantry. Skip the store-bought kind and whip up this sauce to elevate your favorite Chinese dishes.
No ratings yet
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
Prep Time 2 minutes mins
Cook Time 3 minutes mins
Total Time 5 minutes mins
Course Toppings
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 8 servings
Calories 83 kcal
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup ketchup
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon horseradish
  • ¼ teaspoon red wine vinegar

Instructions
 

  • 1. Place all of the ingredients in a small saucepan.
  • 2. Bring to a boil over high heat.
  • 3. Simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly.
  • 4. Serve with wontons, chicken, pork, or your favorite Chinese recipe.

Notes

Storage
  • Refrigerate: Let your sauce cool completely. Then, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
  • Freeze: Freezing is a great option for longer storage! Portion your cooled sauce into freezer-safe containers or zip-top bags. Squeeze out any excess air to prevent freezer burn. Frozen homemade sweet and sour sauce can last for several months.

Nutrition

Calories: 83kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 0.3gFat: 0.03gSaturated Fat: 0.004gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.01gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 277mgPotassium: 104mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 154IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 0.2mg
Did you try the recipe?Leave us a review!

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Ashley

Hi, I'm Ashley! I created Wanderzest as a place to share traditional foods and fusion recipes inspired by different cultures. I hope you enjoy experiencing the world through food with me!

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