Sweet and sour sauce
A glossy, tangy takeaway style sweet and sour sauce, made fresh with pineapple and rice vinegar in 15 minutes.
Make this once, then cook it into 16 different dishes.
- Time15 min
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £0.98 a head
- Makesabout 600 ml, enough for 2 or 3 dishes for 4 people
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Mix the cornflour with the 3 tbsp cold water in a small bowl until smooth.
- 2
Put the sugar, rice vinegar, pineapple juice, 150 ml water, ketchup, tamari and ginger in a saucepan. Stir over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.
- 3
Bring to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes.
3 min - 4
Stir the cornflour mixture again and pour it into the pan, stirring all the time. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce turns thick, glossy and translucent.
1 min 30 s - 5
Taste. It should be sharp first, then sweet. Add a splash of vinegar to sharpen or a spoon of sugar to sweeten.
- 6
Cool completely, then pour into a clean jar. You should have about 600 ml.
About sweet and sour sauce
Sweet and sour sauce is a glossy, thickened sauce of sugar, vinegar and fruit juice that balances sharp and sweet. The version most British people know from Chinese takeaways is bright orange-red, thick and tangy, and it is served with battered chicken, pork and prawns.
This recipe makes that familiar takeaway style from simple cupboard ingredients. Pineapple juice adds fruitiness, rice vinegar gives a clean sharpness, ketchup supplies the colour and a little savoury depth, and cornflour makes it cling to the food without turning gluey.
It is made with gluten free tamari and no flour, so it suits coeliacs. One batch makes about 600 ml, enough for two or three dishes for four people at 250 ml each. Use it for stir fries, with fried chicken or tofu, as a dipping sauce, or over rice.
Tips
- The balance matters most. Taste after simmering and adjust with vinegar for sharpness or sugar for sweetness.
- Add the cornflour mixture slowly and keep stirring. It thickens quickly and can go lumpy if added all at once to a boiling pan.
- For a deeper takeaway colour, add 1 tsp of paprika or a few drops of red food colouring. Both are optional.
- For a fresher stir fry, add chunks of pineapple, pepper and onion to the sauce at the end.
- Make sure your ketchup and tamari are gluten free if you are cooking for coeliacs. Most ketchups are, but check the label.
Storing and freezing
Keeps up to 5 days in a clean jar in the fridge, or up to 3 months in the freezer in 250 ml portions. Cool within 1 hour before chilling, and reheat gently, adding a splash of water if it has thickened.
Dishes you can make with sweet and sour sauce
Crispy Sweet and Sour Chicken Balls (Takeaway Style)
GFDFEFGu Lou Yuk (Cantonese Crispy Pork in Sweet and Sour Sauce)
GFDFEFSweet and Sour King Prawns with Pineapple
GFDFEFCrispy Tofu Nuggets with Sweet and Sour Dip
NFVVGSweet and Sour Vegetable Stir Fry with Brown Rice
GFDFEFSweet and Sour Pork Meatballs with Peppers
GFDFEFBaked Sweet and Sour Chicken Traybake
GFDFEFSweet and Sour Crispy Fish with Peppers
GFDFEFSticky Sweet and Sour Aubergine with Spring Onions
GFDFEFTang Cu Pai Gu (Sticky Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs)
GFDFEFPad Preow Wan (Thai Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry)
GFDFEFSweet and Sour Crispy Cauliflower
DFEFNFQuestions
Is this sweet and sour sauce gluten free?
Yes. It uses gluten free tamari and cornflour, with no wheat flour or malt vinegar. It is also dairy free, egg free, nut free and vegan. Check the labels of your tamari and ketchup to be sure.
Can I make it with less sugar?
You can cut the sugar to 100 g and the sauce will be sharper and less sticky. The sugar helps with the glossy texture, so do not remove it entirely.
How do I fix a sauce that is too thick?
Whisk in a splash of hot water or pineapple juice over a low heat until it reaches the right consistency. It will always thicken as it cools, so aim a little thinner than you want.
Can I use tinned pineapple?
Yes. Use the juice from a tin of pineapple in juice, not syrup. You can also add the pineapple pieces to the finished dish.
What goes well with sweet and sour sauce?
Chicken, pork, prawns, tofu, peppers, onions and pineapple all work. Serve it with egg fried rice, noodles or plain steamed rice for a classic takeaway style dinner.
More base recipes
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.