Homemade Red Chinese Sweet & Sour Sauce. The same one served at most Chinese Restaurants. Delicious Red Sweet and Sour Sauce with additional undertones served over Chinese Deep Fried Chicken Balls.
This makes a moderate batch that you can freeze to use at a later time. Just bring to boil and thicken with a Potato Starch Slurry.
I usually serve this up with the Chicken Balls, Chicken or Pork Fried Rice, Egg Rolls, Chicken Chop Suey, and Honey Garlic Ribs, sometimes with Gyoza Dumplings or any mix to create Combos. Check out my Chinese Category for your picks and Combinations.
Restaurant Style Chinese Sweet & Sour Sauce
I reconstructed this to the best of my ability trying to remember what the ingredients were while working at one of my very first Jobs at a Chinese restaurant and picking up clues along the way. They had the best Red Sweet & Sour Sauce. I would eat this daily with Chicken Balls.
I asked one day what was in it and was surprised that Tomato Paste and Pumpkin Puree was used. Or was it one or the other, I can’t quite remember.
The Ingredients are combined and brought to a boil. Then simmered, strained and set aside. The Sauce is thickened and kept warm. Some places it’s kept cold and is thickened with Potato or Cornstarch at order time and served.
The longer the Sweet & Sour Sauce sits, the more flavor it will develop. Adjust the Sugar and Vinegar levels to suit your taste.
Freezing Sweet & Sour Sauce
Freeze the remaining Sweet and Sour Sauce without the Slurry added. When ready to use, place the desired amount of Sweet & Sour Sauce into a sauce pot and thicken with the Slurry to serve.
Food Coloring
This Sauce doesn’t need Food coloring. It tastes exactly the same. Use Permicol Bright Red Powder to color the Sauce for the restaurant color, or other food coloring for a Red Sauce. I added two teaspoons of Club House Red Food Coloring, which is pretty weak. If you can go with Permicol Red food coloring or Desi Bright Red, which is pretty good.
Without Food Coloring
With Food Coloring
Desi Bright Red Food Coloring
This is the one I most often use and it is very effective. Add a small amount at a time. Until the desired color is achieved.
Thickening Sweet & Sour Sauce
Equal amounts of Potato Starch and Cold Water added to the sauce, a little at a time, while simmering to thicken to the desired consistency.
Once the Sauce is done simmering. Let it cool down for about 1 hour. Strain through a sieve and use with the Slurry to thicken into a Delicious Sweet & Sour Sauce.
Starch Slurry
It’s about 1/2 Tbl of Potato Starch and Water used with 1 Cup of S&S Sauce. You can add more or less depending on how thick or thin you want it.
Chinese Sweet & Sour Sauce ingredients
The ingredients used are pretty standard across Chinese Restaurants, with slight deviations. I have inquired with other restaurants and found that some do in fact use ketchup, and these are usually not as good as the authentic version. I went out one day to visit a few Chinese Restaurants just to see what they used and compare the sauces.
Ketchup or Pineapple Juice is used in homemade versions. This does work, it’s just not as good as the original or authentic version in my opinion.
The Flavoring is almost always Garlic, Ginger, Cinnamon, Star Anise, Cloves with Orange. The Pumpkin puree, as well as the Tomato paste, assist in the overall flavoring and color. The 3 spices used are also included in Chinese 5 Spice. So you could just use Chinese 5 Spice as well, which contains the addition of Sichuan/Szechuan Peppercorn and Fennel Seeds.
There might be slight deviations or different levels of ingredients from this, but this is pretty much the standard. Feel free to experiment and adjust the levels for your taste.
Sweet & Sour Chicken Balls
While Chinese restaurants will coat small pieces of Chicken in a sweetened Pancake Batter. These are coated in a Deep Fry batter that cook up the Chicken Balls really Crispy with some serious Crunch. No small pieces of Chicken either. These are about 1 inch diced Chicken, battered and deep fried at 350 F – 375 F for about 5–8 minutes.
They stay pretty Crispy too considering that they get coated in this Sweet & Sour Sauce. These really are the Best and the only way I make Chinese Sweet & Sour Chicken Balls.
Deep Fried Crispy Chicken Balls
- Diced Chicken Breast
- Salt & White Pepper to Season
- 1/2 C JAH Poly Flour Recipe
- 1/2 C Cornstarch
- 1/2 C Cold Water – plus more if needed to get the correct consistency
Ladle on this Delicious Sweet & Sour Sauce over some Crispy Chicken Balls and enjoy Chinese Sweet & Sour Chicken with a side of Chinese Chicken Fried Rice. It’s just Bliss.
Equipment
- 1 Sauce Pot
- 1 Sieve
Ingredients
- 5 C Water
- 2 C Sugar
- 1 C White Vinegar
- 1/2 C Tomato Paste
- 1/4 C Neutral Oil
- 1/4 C Pumpkin Puree
- 1 Orange - Cut in Quarters
- 2 inch Ginger - Sliced
- 2 cloves Garlic - Crushed
- 2 Star Anise
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/8 tsp Cinnamon and Ground Clove - each
- as needed Permicol or other Red Food Coloring - Optional
Slurry/Thickener
- 1/2 Tbl Potato Starch & Cold Water - per 1 Cup of the above chilled sauce
Instructions
- Combine Oil, Ginger, Garlic and sauté a few minutes over medium heat.
- Add Pumpkin Puree and Tomato Paste and cook a few minutes.Add in remaining Ingredients, except the Red Food Coloring and Slurry (the Slurry will be used last to thicken the Sauce). Bring to boil. Reduce the heat to medium – medium low and let simmer partially covered for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes. Shut the heat off and let it cool down an hour or so. Strain the Sauce, through a fine sieve. Add the Red Food Coloring and adjust the taste. Portion and freeze or use right away for Sweet & Sour Sauce.
- To serve, heat up the desired amount of Sweet & Sour Sauce. Combine about 1/2 Tbl Potato Starch & Cold Water for each Cup of Sweet & Sour Sauce. Add to the Sauce while it is simmering to thicken. Remove from the heat and serve.