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Spoonful of sweet and sour sauce being taken from a small white bowl of sauce.
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5 from 7 votes

Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe

Sweet and tangy, this homemade sweet and sour sauce is ready in less than 10 minutes. Just 6 ingredients - add to the pan and simmer. Done!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Dips, Sauces, side dish
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: Chinese dipping sauce
Servings: 6 servings
Author Nicky Corbishley

Ingredients

  • 2 garlic cloves peeled and minced
  • 1 tsp minced ginger
  • 2 tbsp malt vinegar
  • 150 ml (2/3 cup) tomato ketchup
  • 6 tbsp light brown muscavado sugar
  • 180 ml (3/4 cup) pineapple juice fresh, from a carton or from a tin of pineapple in juice

Instructions

  • Add all of the ingredients to a small saucepan and stir together.
    2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp minced ginger, 2 tbsp malt vinegar, 150 ml (2/3 cup) tomato ketchup, 6 tbsp light brown muscavado sugar, 180 ml (3/4 cup) pineapple juice
  • Heat over a medium-high heat. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
  • Turn off the heat and pour into a serving bowl. Serve hot, warm or cold.

Video

Notes

Can I make it ahead?

Yes - make the sauce, cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Serve cold or warm through in a saucepan before serving.

Can I freeze it?

Yes - make the sauce, cool, cover and freeze. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and heat until piping hot in a saucepan before serving. You can also reheat from frozen in a saucepan, or in the microwave, stirring a few times during reheating.

Ingredient swaps

More heat:
If you like a bit of heat, add in 1 tablespoon of sriracha OR 1/2 tsp chilli flakes OR a finely chopped fresh chilli with all of the other ingredients before simmering.
More sweetness:
Add an extra 2-3 tablespoons of light brown or caster (superfine) sugar. 
You can make the sauce, then taste and add more sugar to taste.
Added texture:
Add fresh or tinned pineapple chunks for added texture.

How to scale up this recipe

You can double or even triple this recipe. You will need to simmer for an extra 5-7 minutes, until the thickness is to your liking if you're making a bigger batch.
Nutritional information is per serving.
This recipes makes approx 360ml (1 1/2 cups) - which i've counted as 6 servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 93kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 231mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g

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