Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce

If you’re looking for a sauce to SERVE any day of the week, look no further! This quick and easy sauce can be used in many ways to elevate and expand your cooking game!

Sweet and sour sauce is a beloved condiment in Asian cooking, capturing the fun, tangy-sweet flavor profile. It’s made with just a handful of simple ingredients like pineapple, tomato, vinegar, and soy sauce.

This blog post will take you on a journey through the cultural history of sweet and sour sauce, explore recipe alternatives, and provide a simple step-by-step recipe that you can prepare in just 5 minutes!

Browse our collection of under 30 minute recipes or try more sauce recipes like Tamarind Steak Sauce or Sinamak (Filipino Spiced Vinegar.)

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Table of Contents

A Brief History of Sweet and Sour Sauce

Sweet and sour dishes have been a part of Chinese culinary tradition for centuries, with the sauce believed to have originated from Cantonese cuisine.

Sweet and Sour Sauce was popularized in America by Cantonese immigrants during the 1800s. This tasty condiment made its mark in the American culinary landscape with the popular dish, sweet and sour pork (gu lou yuk 咕嚕肉).

Today, Sweet and Sour sauce can be found in the average American grocery aisle, Asian restaurants, and even fast food chains. Notable examples include the Sweet and Sour Pork from Panda Express and the McNugget dipping sauce.

Sweet and Sour Sauce in the Eyes of A Filipino American

Sweet and sour sauce has always been a special part of my identity as both an Asian American and a Filipino.

Growing up, I saw how Chinese influences had deeply shaped Filipino cuisine over time, with many Chinese dishes integrating or evolving into staples in modern Filipino food.

And as an Asian American, sharing this versatile sauce with other Asian friends and families allowed me to connect with their cultures too. It’s amazing how this simple sauce can bring together such a diverse range of Asian experiences and flavors.

Why You’ll Love Sweet and Sour Sauce

There are many reasons to love Sweet and Sour Sauce! If we haven’t convinced you enough to try this recipe, here are some reasons why you’ll love it:

• Tastes Amazing – The dynamic flavors of sweet and sour are hard to beat! Whether you’re preparing it for yourself or serving it to others, Sweet and Sour sauce has consistently proven to be an exciting and crowd-pleasing condiment.
• Widely Useful – You can make a variety of dishes across Asian cuisines with this one sauce!
• Cost Effective – Depending on the quality and brand, a bottle of Sweet and Sour Sauce will run you betwen $3-11. You can save your shopping time and money by making it at home, especially if you already have the necessary ingredients in your pantry already.
• Convenient and Easy to Make – You can make Sweet and Sour Sauce with just a few ingredients and within 5 minutes!

What to Eat with Sweet and Sour Sauce?

Sweet and Sour Sauce is wonderfully versatile, lending itself to a variety of homemade dishes. Here are some ways to incorporate this flavorful sauce into your cooking, eating, or serving routine:

• Serve warm as a dipping sauce for kikiam (skewered fish balls, a type of Filipino street food)
• Use as a dipping sauce for Filipino lumpia, Chinese fried spring rolls, or Vietnamese fresh spring rolls
• Use as a stir fry sauce for sweet and sour pork, beef, chicken, or tofu
• Take your favorite fish like tilapia and make Escabeche (Filipino Sweet and Sour Fish)
• Toss it in your favorite crispy fried chicken wings for Sweet and Sour wings
• Dip it with chicken nuggets, tenders, and french fries

What are some ways you like to use Sweet and Sour Sauce? Share it with us in the comments!

Substituting Pineapple Juice in Sweet and Sour Sauce and Other Alternatives

Pineapple juice is a common ingredient in Sweet and Sour Sauce, but some people may want to substitute it because they don’t like the pineapple flavor.

In that case, you can swap out the pineapple juice for other acidic fruit juices like lemon juice, orange juice, or calamansi juice.

Instead of providing a 1:1 substitute, we recommend letting your taste buds guide you, as the brand and quality of the juice you use can make a difference.

You can get creative with sweet and sour sauce and tweak the ingredients to suit your preferences. For example, use your favorite type of vinegar or add more or less sugar to your taste.

Use our recipe as a base, then feel free to experiment by adding or swapping things out. For instance, if you want a simple 3-ingredient version, you can substitute the tomato paste and vinegar with some good quality ketchup.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• ¼ cup white cane vinegar
• ¾ cup pineapple juice
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch plus water for slurry

Recipe

1. In a saucepan, combine tomato paste, white cane vinegar, pineapple juice, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir and heat to a boil then turn the heat down to low.

2. Add cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce to your liking. Remove from heat and let cool before serving.

How to Store Sweet and Sour Sauce

Store any unused Sweet and Sour Sauce in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 1 week. Unlike commercially-produced products, this homemade sauce does not contain any added preservatives, so it must be kept refrigerated.

To avoid reducing the shelf life, take care not to cross-contaminate the sauce by double-dipping or using the same utensil for serving, eating, or cooking. We recommend using a designated spoon to scoop the sauce or pouring out only the amount you will immediately use into a separate serving dish.

If you have any leftover sauce that has been touched, consume it within a day or discard it.

Final Thoughts

Sweet and sour will never let your tastebuds down! Whip up this easy recipe in just 5 minutes, then use it to elevate all sorts of dishes, or just enjoy it as a tasty dipping sauce for your lumpia.

Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this recipe, please give a star rating and review on the recipe card below + share your creations on Instagram and tag us @itsforkandspoon!

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References & Further Reading

https://www.chowhound.com/1426332/history-sweet-sour-sauce/

https://www.tasteatlas.com/sweet-and-sour-sauce

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_and_sour

https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7v5wb/chinese-american-history-food-sweet-sour-pork-china-united-states

https://www.eatingwell.com/article/8007635/things-in-your-fridge-you-should-throw-away/

https://foodprint.org/blog/how-to-use-leftover-condiments/