- May 6
- 3 min read

The Best Sweet and Sour Sauce

Sweet and sour sauce better than takeout — Sweet and sour sauce with chunks of pineapple, onion and bell pepper.

This has got to be the best sweet and sour sauce I have ever had that beats takeout! I have just modified this recipe over the years to keep making it taste better every time I make it. I have found one combination that works! I will not be modifying this any longer, I finally got it just perfect. As always you can change this up to fit your needs. However, always take into consideration that if you change the recipe, it will not taste or come out just like mine.

Make this sauce and pour it over cauliflower, tofu chicken, or shrimp. I will have the recipes for sweet and sour meals on the blog very soon. Whatever you pour this sauce over it will turn out amazing. We also use this sauce to dip our crab Rangoon, cheese wontons, or egg rolls in. I have even put it in my lo mein or fried rice, to give it some great taste. Make sure you save some sauce for the leftovers (if there is any) the next day. When I make this recipe I make a double batch so that I have extra for leftovers (if there are any) or to use during the week with the leftover rice or fried rice. My daughter will eat this one and she has been very adamant about not eating sweet and sour sauce over the years.

I also truly believe that what makes the sauce so awesome is that while it is on the stovetop cooking, I add chunks of bell peppers (I use two different colors, it doesn’t matter which you use), onion chunked up, and chunks of organic pineapple. These seem to really boost the flavor in combination with the fruit and vegetable flavors. You can either scoop out the fruits and vegetables or you can serve them on the plate with whatever dish you are serving. I always serve them on the plate, they are so tender and just taste so good. I hope this sauce brings many fabulous Asian-style dinners to your table with the ones you love. I have also made this dish using light brown sugar and coconut sugar. I will say the light brown sugar has the traditional takeout taste, while the coconut sugar is the healthier sugar to use (it is still sweet but doesn’t have that cane sugar taste). I am a sweet and sour freak and I honestly will eat it any way it is prepared with the light brown sugar or the less sweet coconut sugar. I urge you to try it both ways with the light brown sugar or any substitute of your choice and see what tickles your fancy.

Chunks of onion, bell pepper, and pineapple.

Sweet and sour cauliflower over lo mein.

The Best Sweet and Sour Sauce

1 cup organic pineapple juice (I use Lakewood Organic pineapple juice)

½ cup chunky cut organic pineapple (In season I use fresh pineapple, out of season I use Native Forest Organic Pineapple Chunks, use your judgment on how much you want)

½ cup chunky cut organic bell peppers (red, green, orange, or yellow, use your judgment with how much you want)

½ cup chunky cut organic yellow onion (use your judgment with how much you want)

¾ cup packed light brown sugar (or coconut sugar, turbinado sugar, date sugar) brands listed below

1/3 cup organic rice vinegar (Thrive Market Organic Rice Wine Vinegar)

3 Tbsp ketchup (I use either Greenwise organic ketchup or BJ’s organic ketchup)

2 Tbsp coconut aminos (I use Thrive Organic Coconut Aminos)

1 ½ tbsp Organic Arrowroot powder or cornstarch (to make a slurry) with 2 tbsp water and mix well

Make the slurry with either Arrowroot powder or cornstarch and water, mix it well and put aside while you add all the other ingredients to the saucepan.
In a saucepan add the pineapple juice, light brown sugar (or sugar substitute), rice vinegar, ketchup, coconut aminos, peppers, and pineapple chunks , and bring to a boil.
Mix the slurry up so it is not cakey and stir it into the sauce and simmer for another minute until it is thickened, stirring constantly so it does not burn.
You can either use it right away, add it to whatever you are baking and bake it, or let it cool completely and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, it will keep for 2-3 weeks.