Description
Mouthwatering sweet and sour sauce brings zesty Chinese flavors straight to your kitchen. Homemade magic combines tangy pineapple juice, ketchup, and vinegar for a quick, irresistible condiment you’ll drizzle over countless dishes.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce Base:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
Liquid Seasonings:
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
Dry Spices:
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Combine apple cider vinegar and granulated sugar in a saucepan, heating over medium temperature until sugar completely dissolves.
- Incorporate ketchup and soy sauce, whisking thoroughly to create a uniform mixture.
- Pour in pineapple juice, then sprinkle garlic powder and ground ginger into the liquid.
- Reduce heat and allow sauce to gently simmer for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
- Evaluate flavor profile and optionally enhance with red pepper flakes for additional spiciness.
- Adjust sweetness or tanginess by incrementally adding more vinegar or sugar to suit personal taste preferences.
- Remove saucepan from heat source and let sauce cool naturally to room temperature.
- Transfer cooled sauce into clean storage containers or serving dishes for immediate use or refrigeration.
Notes
- Experiment with different vinegars like rice or white wine vinegar to customize the tangy flavor profile.
- For a healthier version, replace sugar with honey or maple syrup for natural sweetness and reduced refined sugar.
- Adjust spice levels by carefully adding red pepper flakes, tasting incrementally to achieve perfect heat balance.
- Create a gluten-free option by using tamari instead of traditional soy sauce for those with wheat sensitivities.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks, Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 194 kcal
- Sugar: 49 g
- Sodium: 580 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg