I've actually shared my easy homemade sweet and sour sauce recipe here on the blog before, years and years ago (5 years, in fact!!). But, I do think it's worth me resharing old recipes once in a while - I bet 99% of you weren't around to see the original when I first posted it, and unless you've spent hours delving into this site's history (...please don't, it's not very pretty), you may never have found it. Plus, I'm a bit sleep deprived at the moment and I only have about 3 minutes to think about food at any one time, so I've been revisiting a few old favourites that I know for sure will turn out well.
This easy homemade sweet and sour sauce is definitely a foolproof recipe, and it tastes even better than the shop-bought stuff. Mix together a few cupboard staples, pour the mixture over your chosen combination of veggies, and let it cook down until you're happy with the consistency. That's all there is to it - it really couldn't be easier. I like to cook mine until it's fairly thick and sticky, but you can leave it a bit saucier if you prefer.
I served my homemade sweet and sour sauce simply with vegetables, but you could add some extra protein if you like. I wanted to add some tofu, but they didn't have any in the supermarket, so I had to stick to just veggies. That's the last time I try shopping somewhere new (although I did find a tin of bamboo shoots, which meant they redeemed themselves slightly...).
I added some soy beans (edamame) for a bit of protein instead - I love those things, they're so yummy and such an easy way to inject a bit of protein into a meal.
Serve over rice, and your homemade Chinese-style dinner is sorted.
📖 Printable Recipe
Easy homemade sweet and sour sauce
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Print Pin CommentIngredients
For the stir fried vegetables:
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 bell peppers, diced (I used red, yellow and green)
- 3 medium mushrooms, sliced
- 150 g (~ 1 cup) frozen edamame (soy beans)
- 225 g tin bamboo shoots, drained (120g, or ~ 1 cup, when drained) (optional)
- 185 g (~ 1 cup) pineapple chunks (I used tinned)
For the homemade sweet and sour sauce:
- 125 ml (~ ½ cup) tomato ketchup
- 125 ml (~ ½ cup) pineapple juice (I used the juice from a tin of pineapple chunks)
- 4 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon honey (or agave nectar)
Instructions
- Heat a dash of oil in a large frying pan or wok, and add all the chopped vegetables and pineapple. Stir fry for a few minutes, until slightly softened.
- In a mixing bowl, combine all of the sauce ingredients, and mix well. Pour over the vegetables, and bring to a simmer. Cook until the sauce has thickened to your liking - around 10-20 minutes.
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose. Information above is for ⅓ of the recipe, not including rice.
Why not start your Chinese-inspired feast with some nutty tofu lettuce wraps with peanut sauce?
Maili says
We have had this a few times, but this week I decided to try it in the slow cooker as I am in desperate need of meals the kids will eat that are ready in 5 minutes. It was delicious and worked fine with no tweaking. I put the sauce, broccoli, carrots, pepper and a bag of frozen quorn pieces in on low and left it for about 5 1/2 hrs. 10 minutes before we ate, we stirred in the pineapple. We had it with microwave rice and the boys have asked to have it again.
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says
Great idea to use the slow cooker!! And great to know it works well - might try that myself :)
Emma @ Supper in the Suburbs says
I am so sharing this with my OH. I also make my sweet and sour with ketchup and he thinks I'm mad. Maybe I will make yours for him - not letting on there's ketchup - and see if he notices haha! Great recipe :D
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Haha! I'm sure you can do it without ketchup but that's how I've always done it - has more of a sweetness and tanginess than something like tomato puree!
Michelle @ Greedy Gourmet says
Sweet and sour sauce is so much better homemade minus all the preservatives. I've discovered that you can freeze it in batches too!
Jemma says
We love sweet and sour here and make our own. It's so easy to make and I love that you can control the sugar content.
Oolou says
Very yummy. I start to giggle after the first mouthful. It's that good.
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Haha! Thank you! Praise indeed :D
Aria Smith says
Wow!!!This sounds delicious and looks even prettier!
cakespy says
This sounds incredible! It obviously looks a lot better than fast food and I love how the ingredients list is all stuff you can feel good about. Bookmarking this one!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Thank you! It's nice to know what's gone into your dinner isn't it - plus it's much cheaper than a take away :)
Punaises de lit says
mmmmm very nice food and pictures !
Tony