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Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce

Published on by Helen Best-Shaw 26 Comments
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Homemade easy sweet & sour sauce looks superb, tastes great – much better than take-away or jarred sauces – and takes only a few minutes to make. It’s so versatile: use it with vegetable and meat dishes for a winning fakeaway meal.

We have made this dish with peppers, but it is just as easy to use meat or other vegetables.

A close up on a bowl of peppers, coated with easy sweet and sour sauce and garnished with black and white sesame seeds. A dish of rice is out of focus in the background, along with a small bowl of more sweet and sour sauce. The main bowl is placed on a mat woven from wooden slats, alternating wider orange and thinner natural wood colours.

Why Make Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce

Sweet and sour dishes are a classic and favourite takeout choice, but rather than pick up the phone, I love to make it myself. Why? Well:

  • This dish is quick and easy to make and can be ready faster than a takeout will arrive.
  • It’s so versatile! See below for some serving ideas.
  • The basic sauce is vegan
  • This sweet and sour sauce is easily gluten free 
  • It has no nasties such as artificial colours, flavours, preservatives or MSG.  This means the sauce isn’t a lurid orange colour but I’d rather only have the natural ingredients.

A top down view of a bowl of peppers, pineapple chunks and easy sweet and sour sauce, garnished with black and white sesame seeds, next to a green rectangular plate of rice garnished with green herb leaves. Both are sitting on a mat made of wooden slats, alternating orange and wood. At the bottom of the picture are two chopsticks on a pale blue cloth, and also sitting on the mat are two small bowls, one containing dark soy sauce with some sessame seeds floating in it, and one containing red chilli sauce, also with seeds.

How Can I Use Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce?

All sorts of ways! Here are a few of my favourite ideas.  We made this dish with mixed peppers, as that is what we had to hand, but mix it up!

  • As the basis for a veg-based side dish. I’m always looking to add extra vegetable to my meals; as shown here, a dish like this easy sweet and sour sauce with peppers and pineapple is a great way to do this.
  • As a dipping sauce for home made pot stickers/goyza, chicken bites or spring rolls. Perfect for a night enjoying a box set on the TV.
  • To make my own sweet and sour prawns, pork or chicken, exactly tailored to how I like it? Extra sour? A dash more chili heat? Easy!
  • Use it as a glaze when barbecuing.
  • What are your favourite uses for sweet and sour sauce? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

How to Make Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce from Scratch

Ingredients for sweet and sour sauce on a rustic, grey work surface. Three whole peppers: red, yellow and green are next to two cloves of garlic and an onion. A tin of pineapple has had its lid removed. Bowls of cornstarch, brown sugaar, dark brown soy sauce, white wine vinegar and red chili sauce are also seen.

First – Measure out your ingredients.

Sliced onion, garlic and yellow, green and red peppers on a wooden board with a kitchen knife. The board is on a grey, rustic stone worksurface.

Second – Cut the onion, peppers, and garlic. Cut the peppers into strips.

Sauce ingredients for sweet and sour sauce: pineapple juice in a glass jut, and three small bowls containing brown sugar, soy sauce and white wine vinegar. It's a top down picture onto a rustic, grey stone worksurface.

Third – Pour the pineapple juice from the can into a jug, cut the pineapple up into bite sized chunks.

Mix in the white wine vinegar, soy sauce and brown sugar to the juice. Stir to dissolve the sugar.

A glass jug of mixed soy sauce and white wine vinegar. Next to this is a small bowl containing some of this mixture to which some cornflour has been added, turning it into a opaque pale brown liquid; there's a teaspoon in the bowl. Both are on a rustic stone work surface.

Fourth – Put the cornstarch in a small bowl and add a spoon of the pineapple liquid.  Stir well and set to one side.

Our top tip for thickening sauces with cornstarch – cornflour is an amazing thickener but you need to use it correctly to avoid lumps.  Always add the liquid to the cornflour, stir to make a paste, then add the paste to the dish.

As it is cooked the cloudy liquid will thicken and turn clear.

A frying pan full of sliced red, yellow and green peppers, to which liquid sweet and sour sauce has been added. The frying pan sits on a rustic grey stone worksurface. A wooden spatula lies in the pan.

Fourth – Fry the onion, garlic, peppers in a frying pan in a little oil. When they’ve started to soften, add the pineapple juice.

Brightly coloured sliced peppers - red, yellow and green - are in a frying pan. The brown liquid sweet and sour sauce has been added. The pan sits on a rustic grey stone worksurface

Fifth – Then add the cornstarch paste and cook some more stirring all the time.  The sauce should quickly thicken.

Chunks of pineapple have just been added to a frying pan full of fried peppers and sweet and sour sauce.

Sixth – When the peppers have cooked a little more, add the pineapple chunks and chili sauce.

A frying pan of cooked peppers and pineapple chunks in a thickened sweet and sour sauce. The frying pan sits on a rustic stone work surface; a spatula coated with sauce sits in the pan.

Finally – When the pineapple has warmed through, it’s ready to serve.

Easy Chinese style sweet and sour sauce fakeaway! If you have another can of pineapple then try my easy pineapple upside-down cake – only four ingredients and vegan and fat free!

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A close up on a bowl of peppers, coated with easy sweet and sour sauce and garnished with black and white sesame seeds. A dish of rice is out of focus in the background, along with a small bowl of more sweet and sour sauce. The main bowl is placed on a mat woven from wooden slats, alternating wider orange and thinner natural wood colours.
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5 from 15 votes

Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce with Pepper and Pineapple.

Homemade sweet & sour sauce looks superb, tastes great - much better than take-away or jarred sauces - and takes only a few minutes to make. It's so versatile: use it with vegetable and meat dishes for a winning fakeaway meal.
We have made this dish with peppers, but it is just as easy to use meat or other vegetables.
Servings: 4
Author: Helen Best-Shaw
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 can pineapple in juice ((rings or chunks))
  • 1 tsp vegetable oil
  • 1 onion
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 yellow pepper
  • 1 green pepper
  • 4 tbs white wine vinegar
  • 3 tbs soft brown sugar
  • 1 tbs soy sauce ((tamari to be gluten free))
  • 2 tbs cornflour
  • salt
  • 1 tbsp chili sauce ((to taste))

Instructions

  • Peel the onion and garlic and chop. 
  • Cut the peppers into strips, discard the seeds and membranes.
  • Pour the pineapple juice from the can into a jug. Mix in the white wine vinegar, soy sauce and brown sugar to the juice. Stir to dissolve the sugar. 
  • If using pineapple rings cut into bite sized chunks.
  • Put the cornstarch in a small bowl and add a spoon of the pineapple liquid. Stir well and set to one side.
  • Fry the onions, garlic and peppers in a frying pan in a little oil. When they’ve started to soften, add the pineapple juice mixture.
  • Then add the cornstarch paste and cook some more stirring all the time. The sauce should quickly thicken to that characteristic takeout gloopiness. 
  • Add the pineapple chunks and chilli sauce and gently simmer until warmed through. 

Notes

Nutritional Information 
  • This recipe is 8 Weight Watchers Smart Points
 
• Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
• Unless stated otherwise cup conversions have been made with an online tool. For accuracy please check with your favoured conversion tool. We recommend buying inexpensive digital kitchen scales.
Nutrition Facts
Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce with Pepper and Pineapple.
Amount Per Serving
Calories 162
% Daily Value*
Sodium 306mg13%
Potassium 241mg7%
Carbohydrates 36g12%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 25g28%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 1125IU23%
Vitamin C 119.1mg144%
Calcium 13mg1%
Iron 0.6mg3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: Easy sweet and sour sauce
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    Recipe Rating




  1. Suzy

    5 stars
    Brilliant! I just love all the colors in this recipe. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

    • Helen

      Peppers always add that lovely splash of colour.

      Reply

  2. Gabi

    5 stars
    I’ve always wanted to try a “cleaner” Chinese style sweet and sour sauce. Yours looks great and must taste delicious. I love the addition of pineapples and can’t wait to give it a try soon. Pinned!

    Reply

    • Helen

      So nice to know exactly what is going in to your food.

      Reply

  3. Natalie

    5 stars
    This sauce sounds so delicious and such a great upgrade to just about anything!

    Reply

    • Helen

      So many different ways of enjoying it.

      Reply

  4. Sharon

    5 stars
    I love sweet and sour sauce, usually have it with chicken and rice. Great to find such an easy recipe.

    Reply

    • Helen

      Perfect with chicken.

      Reply

  5. Jade Williamson

    5 stars
    Your sweet and sour sauce looks amazing. So nice to see such a natural coloured version, I’m not sure what my local takeaway puts in theirs but it almost looks day-glow!

    Reply

    • Helen

      It is nice to have natural ingredients.

      Reply

  6. Lisa | Garlic & Zest

    5 stars
    I don’t think I’ve made sweet and sour in years — and I have no idea why because it used to be one of our go-tos. Love that your sweet and sour sauce is all natural and homemade.

    Reply

    • Helen

      So easy to make and so versatile.

      Reply

  7. Oliver Kirk

    5 stars
    Great recipe for a basic sauce. So many different uses and so easy to make. I much prefer fakeaway to takeaway these days.

    Reply

    • Helen

      It can be just as nice to make your own food at home.

      Reply

  8. Dionne

    5 stars
    I have a dirty confession, I would make this to dip chicken nuggets in. So good together.

    Reply

    • Helen

      I imagine this works rather well.

      Reply

  9. Chelsea Monk

    5 stars
    Love sweet and sour sauce. It’s great with veggies or with chicken. This looks so much better than any bought stuff. Yummy.

    Reply

    • Helen

      So easy to make and so versatile.

      Reply

  10. Karmal S

    5 stars
    Really good to see a nice recipe for this sauce. I don’t like jarred types and much prefer to make my own without additives.

    Reply

    • Helen

      I much prefer making my own sauces.

      Reply

  11. Eden | Sweet Tea and Thyme

    5 stars
    I LOVE homemade takeout recipes. It’s so great that you didn’t use any of those scary ingredients and everything is so wholesome and flavorful!

    Reply

    • Helen

      thank you. I find the colour of the commercial ones is so scary!

      Reply

  12. Duncan Smith

    5 stars
    I gave up buying takeaways around January time, but still enjoy having a variety of fakeaways at home. So much nicer to make your own.

    Reply

  13. Natalia

    5 stars
    So good to have a much more natural and tasty homemade sauce than anything you’d buy from a shop or take-away.

    Reply

  14. Melinda Patsy

    5 stars
    Such a wonderful looking meal with all those colours and tasty ingredients. Much rather have this than anything shop bought.

    Reply

  15. Bryan B

    5 stars
    Sweet and sour is a great go to sauce for something tasty and easy. Perfect with chicken and pork.

    Reply
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