Easy, Delicious Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe (2024)

This Chinese-style homemade sweet and sour sauce lives up to its name. It has a tangy sweetness that makes it the perfect dipping sauce for crab rangoons, cream cheese wontons, chicken tenders and more.

I think this homemade sweet and sour sauce is even better than what you get at many Chinese restaurants. It’s so delicious, you’ll be tempted to double or even triple dip.

The sauce only takes about 15 minutes to make, and it will keep in the fridge for several weeks.

I love serving this tangy sauce with crab rangoons or cream cheese wontons.

It’s also good with my better-than-takeout pork fried wontons, crispy wonton strips and with fried chicken tenders or strips. (If you’re a fan of a certain restaurant’s Polynesian sauce, you’ll love this recipe.)

You can also use the sauce to make sticky meatballs or sweet and sour chicken.

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Are Duck Sauce and Sweet and Sour Sauce the Same?

While they look similar in appearance and can be served with many of the same Chinese dishes, duck sauce and sweet and sour sauce are not the same thing.

Duck sauce is made with apricot jam, soy sauce, rice vinegar, aromatics and spices.

Sweet and sour sauce has a tomato ketchup base. It also contains pineapple juice, rice vinegar and brown sugar.

Want to see a brief overview of the process before diving into the recipe? Watch my web story on how to make sweet and sour sauce.

🥟 Ingredients

To make homemade sweet and sour sauce, you will need the following ingredients:

• brown sugar
• rice vinegar
• canned pineapple juice
• ketchup (I like Heinz Simply because it’s less sweet than some other ketchups.)
• Kosher salt
• Maraschino cherry syrup
• cold water
• cornstarch
• Sambal Oelek chili sauce (optional), to taste

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

1. Combine the cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water in a bowl. Mix until dissolved and set aside.
2. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the brown sugar, pineapple juice, rice vinegar, cherry syrup, ketchup and salt.
3. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until the sugar is dissolved. When the mixture begins to simmer, add the cornstarch slurry. Stir well.
4. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in Sambal Oelek or chili garlic sauce, if desired.
6. Chill the sweet and sour sauce in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Hint: When making a cornstarch slurry to use as a thickener, always use cold water. For best results, add the slurry to simmering liquid in the pan.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious sauce with:

• sweet and sour chicken
• crab rangoons
• cream cheese wontons
• fried wontons
• wonton strips
• meatballs and rice
• chicken nuggets, chicken strips or chicken tenders
• wonton strips
• spring rolls
• egg rolls
• fried shrimp
• stir fry vegetables

Hungry for your restaurant favorites? Try these other Chinese takeout appetizers you can make at home.

📖 Variations

• Spicy: Add Sambal Oelek or chili garlic sauce for a spicy sweet and sour sauce, or omit if you prefer something milder
• Chunky: Once you’ve cooked the sauce, add up to a half cup of fresh or canned chunk pineapple that has been drained.

Storage

This homemade sauce can be stored in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for several weeks.

You can also freeze the dipping sauce in individual portions. Freeze in ice cube trays, then transfer to a sealed ziptop bag.

Is Chinese Sweet and Sour Sauce Gluten-Free?

Good news! This sauce is gluten free.

Just make sure you check the labels of the ingredients to ensure you are using gluten-free versions of cherry juice, rice vinegar and ketchup. Some manufacturers may use additives that contain gluten.

More Chinese Recipes

If you liked this recipe, you may also enjoy these other Chinese dishes and sauces.

• Air Fryer Wontons
• Wonton Dipping Sauce
• Cream Cheese Wontons
• Crab Rangoons
• Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings
• Homemade Chinese Hot Mustard
• Better than Takeout Pork Fried Wontons

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🎥 Recipe Card & Video