This homemade sweet and sour dipping sauce is a quick and easy recipe that's perfect for serving with your favourite appetisers. Whether you're serving spring rolls, crispy chicken balls or wontons, this sauce delivers the perfect balance of sweet and sour flavours. Best of all, it uses simple pantry staples and takes only minutes to prepare.
This is my standby recipe for a quick and easy sweet and sour dipping sauce that I've been making for longer than I can remember.
There are no fancy ingredients, and it only takes 5 minutes to throw together. It's perfect for those times when you go to grab a bottle of sweet and sour out of the cupboard, only to realise you'd forgotten to buy any!
But not to worry - this recipe saves the day!
You only need 5 simple ingredients - tomato ketchup, sugar, vinegar, Shaoxing wine (or sherry) and cornflour, and you're good to go. You also need a couple of tablespoons of water - but I'm not counting that as an ingredient!
All you have to do is combine the ingredients in a saucepan and stir over a gentle heat for a few minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce has thickened.
What you end up with is a tasty, thick and sticky sauce that clings to whatever you're dipping, with a zingy, sweet and sour flavour that you'll love.
Of course, this isn't meant to replace the traditional sweet and sour sauce made with pineapple juice that you'd use in a stir fry. If that's what you are looking for, you can find it on this sweet and sour chicken recipe.
But if all you want is a quick and easy basic dipping sauce to dunk your spring rolls, crispy chicken balls or even these sesame-coated chicken strips, then this recipe is perfect.
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Recipe information
Prep time: A couple of minutes - just long enough to get all the ingredients out of the cupboard!
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Yield: Approximately 1 cup, which would be plenty to serve as a dipping sauce for 4 people.
Ingredients
**You can find the exact ingredient quantities to make this easy sweet and sour dipping sauce on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.**
- Vinegar - I used apple cider vinegar, but you could use any white or fruity vinegar. Don't use malted brown vinegar - it doesn't give the right taste.
- Sugar - brown or white sugar, either would be fine. I like the slight caramel taste you get with brown sugar.
- Tomato ketchup - your favourite brand of tomato sauce! Substitute with tomato paste (tomato puree) and a little extra sugar to balance the flavour.
- Shaoxing wine - this adds a sweet yet vinegary flavour. You could substitute with sweet or medium sherry. You can leave this out if you don't have it, but it does add a nice depth of flavour.
- Cornflour - to thicken the dipping sauce. You may know this as cornstarch.
- Water - helps dilute the flavours so they are not too intense. For a fruitier taste, you could substitute the water with pineapple juice.
Instructions
This won't take long - there are only 2 steps!
Step 1: Combine the cornflour with the water and pour it into a small saucepan along with the other ingredients.
Step 2: Stir over a gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce has thickened.
Allow the sauce to cool, then pour it into a bowl and serve as a dipping sauce.
Tips for a successful outcome
Here are my top tips to ensure your sweet and sour dipping sauce always turns out perfectly:
- Combine the cornflour with the water and mix to a remove any lumps before combining with the other ingredients. This will ensure a smooth sauce.
- Don't cook the sauce for too long - as soon as the sugar has dissolved and the sauce has thickened it will be ready. The sauce will start to thicken as soon as the mixture reaches boiling point, and it will thicken further as it cools.
- Taste the finished sauce and adjust the flavours if necessary. Add a little extra sugar for sweetness or another splash of vinegar if you feel it should be more tart.
- If the sauce thickens too much, add another splash of water to thin it down slightly.
Variations
This is a basic recipe and there is not too much you can do to vary it. However, here are a few ideas:
- Garlic- add a squeeze of garlic paste. Garlic paste is smooth and will combine better with the other ingredients than minced garlic.
- Ginger- a small pinch of ginger will add a subtle warmth to the sauce.
- Pineapple juice - as I mentioned earlier, you could substitute the water with pineapple juice for a fruitier taste.
- Cayenne pepper - I haven't tried this myself, but if you enjoy chilli, you might like to add a touch of cayenne pepper or a spicy kick.
Equipment
What can I say? You don't need much equipment!
- A small saucepan to cook and thicken the sauce.
- A set of measuring spoons. While it might be convenient to grab a tablespoon out of the kitchen drawer to measure out the ingredients, not all tablespoons are the same size. A set of measuring spoons will ensure that the ingredients are measured correctly. Dry ingredients should be scooped and levelled off, and wet ingredients should be poured into the spoon until it is completely full.
- You will also need a spatula for stirring.
Storage
The sweet and sour sauce can be stored in a clean jam jar in the refrigerator. Use it within 10 days.
FAQ
Many commercial brands add red food colouring to their sauce. In Western countries, this red colour has come to be associated with sweet and sour sauce.
Yes, this sauce can be frozen. Let it cool completely, then pour it into a freezer-safe container or even an ice-cube tray for smaller portions. Allow it to defrost and come to room temperature before using. If you prefer a warm sauce, you could reheat it for a few seconds in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove.
Save for later
If you would like to try this sweet and sour dipping sauce, why not save the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click the image below.
Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.
Related recipes
Visit my sauces, dips and marinade recipes page for other easy sauces. Here are a few you might enjoy:
📋The recipe
Quick and easy sweet and sour dipping sauce
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Set of measuring spoons
- Spatula
Ingredients
- ½ cup / 120 ml apple cider vinegar or other white vinegar
- ⅓ cup / 70 grams sugar brown or white
- ¼ cup /60 ml tomato ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or sherry
- 1 tablespoon cornflour or cornstarch
- 2 - 3 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- Combine the cornflour with the water and pour it into a small saucepan along with the other ingredients. Only add 2 tablespoons of water, save the third tablespoon in case the sauce is too thick.½ cup / 120 ml apple cider vinegar, ⅓ cup / 70 grams sugar, ¼ cup /60 ml tomato ketchup, 1 tablespoon cornflour or cornstarch, 2 - 3 tablespoons cold water, 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or sherry
- Stir over a gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce has thickened. I the sauce becomes too thick, stir in the third tablespoon of water.
- Allow the sauce to cool, then pour it into a bowl and serve as a dipping sauce.
- The sweet and sour sauce can be stored in a clean jam jar in the refrigerator. Use it within 10 days.
Notes
- Combine the cornflour with the water and mix to a remove any lumps before combining with the other ingredients. This will ensure a smooth sauce.
- Don't cook the sauce for too long - as soon as the sugar has dissolved and the sauce has thickened it will be ready. The sauce will start to thicken as soon as the mixture reaches boiling point, and it will thicken further as it cools.
- Taste the finished sauce and adjust the flavours if necessary. Add a little extra sugar for sweetness or another splash of vinegar if you feel it should be more tart.
- If the sauce thickens too much, add another splash of water to thin it down slightly.
- Garlic- add a squeeze of garlic paste. Garlic paste is smooth and will combine better with the other ingredients than minced garlic.
- Ginger- a small pinch of ginger will add a subtle warmth to the sauce.
- Pineapple juice - as I mentioned earlier, you could substitute the water with pineapple juice for a fruitier taste.
- Cayenne pepper - I haven't tried this myself, but if you enjoy chilli, you might like to add a touch of cayenne pepper or a spicy kick.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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