Description
This classic Chinese Sweet and Sour Sauce recipe is a tangy, flavorful condiment perfect for enhancing your stir-fries, chicken, pork, or vegetables. Made with simple ingredients like ketchup, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and soy sauce, it balances sweet, sour, and savory tastes in a rich, glossy sauce that thickens beautifully with cornstarch. Ready in just 12 minutes, this versatile sauce adds a delicious punch to your favorite dishes.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce Base
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
Thickening Agent
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
Flavorings
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Cooking Oil
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
- Prepare sauce mixture: Whisk together ketchup, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and soy sauce in a small bowl until smooth and well combined.
- Create cornstarch slurry: Dissolve the cornstarch in water completely, ensuring there are no lumps, to make a smooth slurry for thickening the sauce later.
- Sauté aromatics: Heat vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic, minced ginger, and crushed red pepper flakes if using, cooking and stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Simmer sauce base: Pour in the prepared ketchup mixture into the saucepan with the aromatics and bring it to a gentle simmer. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally to blend flavors.
- Thicken the sauce: Stir the cornstarch slurry again to recombine, then slowly add it to the simmering sauce, stirring continuously. Continue cooking and stirring until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Finish and serve: Remove the saucepan from heat and let the sauce cool slightly before serving as a delicious condiment with your favorite dishes.
Notes
- For a spicier kick, increase the crushed red pepper flakes or add chili garlic sauce.
- Use low-sodium soy sauce to control salt content.
- Adjust sweetness or tartness by varying the brown sugar or rice vinegar amounts according to taste.
- Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- This sauce pairs well with fried chicken, steamed vegetables, or as a dipping sauce for spring rolls.
