Easy-Peasy, Inexpensive Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce

Easy Sweet & Sour Sauce made from pantry and fridge ingredients is ready in just a few minutes.

This simple inexpensive sweet and sour sauce is similar to the sauce you get at Canadian Chinese restaurants or take-outs. Certainly this is not a gourmet sauce with layers and nuances of flavour. But in its favour there's no shopping for extra ingredients-- just grab a few items from the pantry and fridge and ta-da the sauce is ready!

We've all been there. Too tired to cook. Too tired or broke to shop but still hungry and probably a hungry family waiting for a meal. When you come home from work and realize there's no sweet and sour dipping sauce in the cupboard for your frozen chicken nuggets or meatballs don't despair. There's an easy homemade solution for your weary body and hungry family. This sauce comes together in minutes and uses everyday ingredients that most households would have. While those nuggets or meatballs are cooking the sauce will be ready and waiting because it's that easy and fast. 

The other day I needed a Sweet & Sour Sauce to throw over a few dozen veggie meatballs I was taking to a church potluck. I was neither tired nor broke but I was out of any kind of canned pineapple to make a pineapple sauce and really didn't want to open a full container of orange juice to make an orange sauce (as we had several kinds of juice opened already). And I didn't have any bottled sweet and sour sauce in the pantry. So out of necessity I chose this simple sauce in which to simmer the meatballs. I also threw in a few handfuls of frozen diced sweet peppers just for looks more than flavour. The meatballs were delicious and the sauce absorbed the flavour of the balls to my delight. 

As I made a double batch and had leftovers, we had the sauce the next day with veggie chicken fingers and it was just as good as a dipping sauce. 

Printable recipe at end of post.

Easy-Peasy, Inexpensive Sweet & Sour Sauce

• 2 cups water
• ½ cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• ⅓ cup ketchup 
• Pinch of salt
• 2-3 tablespoons cornstarch (depending on the thickness you want)
• ⅓ cup water

How to make it:

Mix the 2 cups water, sugar, vinegar, ketchup and salt together in a medium sized saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Mix the cornstarch with the ⅓ cup water until smooth. (Use 2 tablespoons of cornstarch for a thinner sauce if you will be simmering or baking meatballs, etc in the sauce for any length of time.) Pour the cornstarch slurry into simmering mixture stirring continuously until thickened. Continue to boil for 2 minutes. 

Use over meatballs, etc. or use as a dipping sauce. 

 

Makes about 3 cups sauce. 

Mix the 2 cups water, sugar, vinegar, ketchup and salt together in a medium sized saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Mix the cornstarch with the ⅓ cup water until smooth. Pour the cornstarch slurry into simmering mixture stirring continuously until thickened. Continue to boil for 2 minutes. 

The sauce is now ready to dip in your favourite foods or pour over meatballs and simmer.

This is the thicker sauce using 3 tablespoons cornstarch. Just perfect for dipping. Use 2 tablespoons of cornstarch for a thinner sauce if you will be simmering or baking meatballs, etc. in the sauce for any length of time.

Dinner was ready in no time. By the time the veggie chik'n fingers and fries were baked I had the sauce and a salad made.

Easy-Peasy, Inexpensive Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce is lip-smackin' good!

To print click on arrow upper right side.⇩