Sauces · ALWAYS FREE
Quick sweet-and-sour sauce
A glossy vinegar-and-ketchup sauce thickened briefly with cornstarch for dipping or spooning over cooked food.
Ingredients
Volumes are approximate. For baking, use a scale; Metric keeps the specified gram weights.
Let’s make it
- Whisk cornstarch with about 1 ⅔ tbsp (25 g) cold measured water until completely smooth. Keep the remaining about ½ cup (115 g) water separate.
- Combine remaining water, vinegar, sugar, ketchup and soy sauce in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Stir the slurry again immediately before pouring it into the bubbling sauce while whisking. Simmer gently for 1–2 minutes until glossy and lightly thickened; avoid prolonged boiling.
- Remove from heat and stand 10 minutes before serving warm. The sauce thickens further as it cools. Divide all sauce into 8 equal portions; no measured finished volume is claimed.
- Refrigerate in a shallow covered container within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90 F /32 C. Use within 3–4 days. Reheat gently, stirring to 165 F /74 C, then cool briefly before serving. This is a refrigerated sauce, not a canning recipe.
Estimated nutrition
Per serving · 1 of 8- Calories
- 40 kcal
- Protein
- 0.2 g
- Total carbohydrate
- 10.1 g
- Total fat
- 0 g
- Total sugars
- 8.6 g
Calculated from the listed ingredients and yield. Brands, draining, cooking and portioning can change the result. Not a laboratory analysis.
Calculation notes & sources
ESTIMATED per serving. Brand, crop, preparation, draining, pan residue and substitutions change actual nutrition. Not laboratory analysis. Each ingredient retains its primary food description and state. All listed ingredient masses are counted; cooking moisture changes do not change the stated portion count. No generic nutrient-retention factor is invented. Calories are kcal; protein, total carbohydrate, fat and total sugar are grams. Total carbohydrate includes fiber and is not net carbohydrate. Fiber and sodium are not displayed. Equal portions or explicitly counted items define the stated recipe yield. US/Metric display changes do not change these canonical inputs. Primary-source supplements are retained per ingredient where USDA lacks a field; missing values are never silently changed to zero. Eight equal shares of complete sauce. All sugar counted, including ketchup sugars; brand variation remains. Vegan/Dairy-Free require ingredient labels and suitable sugar processing; no Gluten-Free claim because soy sauce contains wheat.
View the ingredient calculations · Source 1Why it’s in this collection
- Vegan: Complete ingredient review of Quick sweet-and-sour sauce: water; distilled white vinegar; granulated sugar suitable for vegans; plain ketchup; reduced-sodium soy sauce; cornstarch. No meat, fish, eggs, milk, honey, gelatin or other animal-derived ingredient is listed. Select vegan-labeled sugar or other processed ingredients when their processing source is uncertain.
Required label checks: Review the complete listed ingredients and all product labels. Accompaniments and substitutions require a new screen. Processing aids and cross-contact have not been certified. Check sugar, vinegar, olives, capers and packaged products for animal-derived processing aids or additions.
Supporting reference · Supporting reference - Vegetarian: Complete ingredient review of Quick sweet-and-sour sauce: water; distilled white vinegar; granulated sugar suitable for vegans; plain ketchup; reduced-sodium soy sauce; cornstarch. No meat, fish, gelatin or animal-rennet cheese is listed; eggs or dairy may be present.
Required label checks: Review the complete listed ingredients and all product labels. Accompaniments and substitutions require a new screen. Processing aids and cross-contact have not been certified.
Supporting reference · Supporting reference - Dairy-Free: Complete ingredient review of Quick sweet-and-sour sauce: water; distilled white vinegar; granulated sugar suitable for vegans; plain ketchup; reduced-sodium soy sauce; cornstarch. No milk, butter, cream, cheese, yogurt, whey or casein is listed. Breadcrumbs, where used, must meet the explicit milk-free label condition.
Required label checks: Review the complete listed ingredients and all product labels. Accompaniments and substitutions require a new screen. Processing aids and cross-contact have not been certified. Check packaged products, especially breadcrumbs, for milk-derived additions and cross-contact.
Supporting reference
Calculations are estimates from the specified ingredients and portions. Brands, trimming, substitutions, and cooking losses change the result. This is recipe guidance, not individualized nutrition or medical advice.
Times are estimates. Images illustrate the dish; check ingredients and portions for your needs.
Use a food thermometer for meat, fish, and egg dishes. Refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C). Reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C). Safe cooking temperatures · USDA leftover guidance
