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.
❤️ 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:
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.
🍴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
Yes! Add a pinch of red pepper flakes, a dash of hot sauce, or a little more horseradish for extra heat.
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
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📋 Recipe
Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce
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
- 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.
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