Batch Up Meals Condiments Dinner Ideas Real Food Tips

Simple & Quick Sweet & Sour Sauce

February 8, 2015

Simple & Quick Sweet & Sour Sauce
Product links in this post are affiliate links. It does not cost you anything and helps maintain the free information on this site, as well as answer the questions of “what brand do you use?” Please know I never personally recommend any product I wouldn’t use on my own family.

Confession.

One of the things I miss the most about not eating a typical convenience diet anymore is Chinese restaurants. Back when my husband and I were dating and even into our first couple years of being newlyweds, we had Chinese all the time. Asian flavors and cuisine is just something we really enjoy, and the feel of a Chinese meal brings back a lot of precious dating memories to me.

Simple & Quick Sweet & Sour Sauce
Most of the Chinese take-out or food served in Chinese restaurants (at least here in America) are riddled with MSG and other preservatives, along with questionable meat sourcing. The use of soy products that are not prepared properly in a fermented state as their Chinese great grand parents would have used back in China is also common practice. The soy you find in these restaurants along with most store shelves are products of gut stripping GMO crops and is just a bad idea over all. This is a great read on the dangers of modern soy.

So! I have spent hours in the kitchen recreating the classic Chinese meals we adored years ago. I feel like I have nailed a few of them. My husband’s favorite is this General Tso’s. I was always a fan of sweet and sour dishes so I have been using this sweet and sour sauce for years. It keeps so great in the freezer so it can pull out just as convenient as store bought.

Simple & Quick Sweet & Sour Sauce
It whisks up in the pan in 10 minutes and you are done. The soy replacement of coconut aminos, along with wine vinegar give a salty sour bite to to the fresh squeezed bright and sweet orange juice. No need for fancy equipment! I just use this simple orange juicer and it really gets all of the juice out!

Simple & Quick Sweet & Sour Sauce
Pour it over your favorite Chinese stir fry or use it for dipping sauce! It is also so good drizzled over shredded chicken in a sandwich wrap!

Simple & Quick Sweet & Sour Sauce

Print Recipe
5 from 8 votes

Simple and Quick Sweet & Sour Sauce

Sweet and sour is a classic takeout taste people crave. Skip the lines and unknown ingredients and make this with real food the next time the craving hits.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: homemade sweet and sour sauce, sweet and sour sauce recipe
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Renee - www.raisinggenerationnourished.com

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Everything but the arrowroot into a small sauce pan and bring to a slow simmer for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
  • Whisk in the arrowroot/water mixture until it thickens and turn off the heat. You can serve with your dinner right away or store in the fridge for a week or freezer for months.

What are your favorite Chinese meals?? Let me know if you try out the sauce!

This post was shared at Fat Tuesday!

You Might Also Like

37 Comments

  • Reply Rachel February 8, 2015 at 9:45 pm

    This looks PERFECT! And “watch ingredients” on the ketchup… Yeah!

  • Reply karen February 9, 2015 at 12:28 pm

    Great recipe!
    I guess you can always substitute a bit of tomato paste if you don’t have ketchup.

    • Reply Renee Kohley February 9, 2015 at 8:40 pm

      Hi Dr Karen! Oh yeah for sure! Might need a little more of the honey if you do that to sweeten it!

  • Reply Emily @ Recipes to Nourish February 10, 2015 at 11:26 am

    This looks so delicious! I can’t wait to try it out. Pinned it.

  • Reply Marjorie February 10, 2015 at 12:49 pm

    I love that it is sweetened with just a little honey and the juice. This sounds really good!

  • Reply Jessica @ConveyAwareness February 10, 2015 at 12:59 pm

    Superb substitute! I’m not a sweet and sour sauce kind of girl BUT my husband does enjoy this from time to time and I don’t buy it for him due to the ingredients. Pinning for future use.

  • Reply Anna February 10, 2015 at 1:14 pm

    5 stars
    Homemade Sweet & Sour sauce, I looove it! I don’t like any store bought ones, as they just don’t taste right and are loaded with unnecessary sugar, additives, etc. I am definitely going to make this, I really can’t wait. Pinned too 🙂

  • Reply Raine Saunders February 10, 2015 at 1:28 pm

    This looks delicious Renee! My son loves Asian food and sauces, I will definitely have to try this one! Thanks for sharing!

  • Reply Rachel @ day2dayjoys February 10, 2015 at 1:35 pm

    5 stars
    Never knew this was so simple… we’re having Asian food on the menu this week so may have to try this!

  • Reply Tash February 10, 2015 at 1:55 pm

    5 stars
    My Fiance will be thrilled! He’s really missed sauces like this since we started really looking at ingredients a few years ago. Thanks for this recipe, I’m going to give it a go this week! 🙂

  • Reply Ariana {And Here We Are...} February 10, 2015 at 1:56 pm

    What a great recipe– so simple and clean! I honestly can’t remember the last time I made sweet and sour sauce, but you have inspired me! Time for some stirfry!

  • Reply Megan Stevens February 10, 2015 at 2:00 pm

    Pinned! I agree, Chinese food is sentimental. I, too, have fond memories of eating it from the carton with chopsticks- fun, yummy comfort food!

  • Reply linda spiker February 10, 2015 at 2:27 pm

    Great recipe! And anything simple is a plus!

  • Reply Krystal February 10, 2015 at 4:51 pm

    This is just genius Renee! We love Asian food around here so I’ll be making this pretty soon. 🙂

  • Reply Andrea Fabry February 10, 2015 at 6:15 pm

    5 stars
    My kids have truly missed Chinese food the way we used to have it – which was always take-out. I think they would love this!

  • Reply Chloe @ How We Flourish February 11, 2015 at 9:59 am

    Yum! This looks super tasty. And no funky ingredients if you can find or make good ketchup!

  • Reply Loriel February 11, 2015 at 10:19 am

    Seriously how do you always come up with the best recipes!?

  • Reply Elaina Newton (@TheRisingSpoon) February 11, 2015 at 10:21 am

    YAY! Take-out Chinese food is one of my guilty pleasures. I love crab rangoon with sweet and sour sauce, but it sucks knowing it’s full of corn syrup and other yuckies! I am so excited to try this in the future. 🙂

  • Reply Amy July 26, 2015 at 7:42 am

    5 stars
    Very tasty and very simple!

  • Reply Mark November 3, 2015 at 1:11 am

    5 stars
    This looks really delicious, can’t wait to try it! I absolutely feel you with regards to missing Chinese restaurants & takeouts!

  • Reply 15 Minute Asian Noodles :: Lo Mein Copycat! - Raising Generation Nourished January 22, 2016 at 7:32 pm

    […] More real food recipes you might like: Simple & Quick Sweet & Sour Sauce […]

  • Reply Kale and Herb Stuffed Meatballs - Raising Generation Nourished March 11, 2016 at 2:35 pm

    […] use whatever you want! They work great for spaghetti and meatballs, as a Asian night addition with sweet and sour sauce, or even just to serve with bone broth […]

  • Reply Real Food Gluten-Free Flour 101: My Guide To Gluten-Free Baking - Live Simply May 6, 2016 at 12:00 am

    […] be “gooey” in texture when compared to a thick flour-based gravy. I like to use it for stir-fry sauce thickening, and it makes a great pudding. I also use it for coating meat for searing, or making chicken […]

  • Reply Tiffany May 14, 2016 at 9:41 pm

    Wow, this is simply yummy. Thanks! I made sweet and sour chicken wings and they tasted awesome!

  • Reply Susan February 20, 2017 at 2:27 am

    I cannot have wine vinegar…is there a substitute?

    • Reply Renee Kohley February 22, 2017 at 1:56 pm

      Hi Susan! Apple cider vinegar would work or a bit of lemon juice!

  • Reply Asian Salad Dressing :: MSG , Gluten, & Soy Free - Raising Generation Nourished June 10, 2017 at 7:49 pm

    […] Want more Asian cuisine? Try my sweet and sour sauce and Thai peanut […]

  • Reply Jean April 23, 2019 at 12:01 am

    5 stars
    Holy yum. I so miss sweet and sour sauce without all the junk and this looks on point! Can’t wait to try it out with some stir fry.

  • Reply Raia Todd April 24, 2019 at 11:24 am

    5 stars
    So simple! I love the orange juice in there!

  • Reply Gluten Free Asian Stir Fry with Crispy Fish - Raising Generation Nourished February 24, 2020 at 11:49 am

    […] How to make sweet & sour sauce […]

  • Reply Vegetable Pad Thai - Super Healthy Kids March 16, 2020 at 5:46 pm

    […] meant to be enjoyed, and real food really does taste so good! One of our family favorites is making sweet & sour stir frys, and one of my go-to quick lunches are these 15 minute Asian noodle bowls! I am really hooked to my […]

  • Leave a Reply

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.