Panda Express Sweet and Sour Sauce (Copycat)

Panda Express Sweet and Sour Sauce – a homemade sweet and sour sauce that tastes just like the classic Chinese takeout dipping sauce you know that is bright red in color, sweet, and acidic.

Egg roll dipped in Sweet and Sour Sauce

Sweet and Sour Sauce

Panda Express Sweet and Sour Sauce is a quick recipe you’ll want to keep on hand for your favorite Chinese appetizers or even for a quick awesome appetizer on its own (block of cream cheese, sweet and sour sauce and wonton strips for dipping…you’ll thank me later).

How to Use Your Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce

Today’s recipe is just a quick one, I’m still enjoying the mini vacation from my amazing Mother’s Day weekend. But even though this easy sweet and sour sauce recipe is short and quick, it is still totally versatile!

  • The appetizer recipe above makes for a fun option. I sometimes will fry wonton wrappers I’ve cut in half into triangles so they’re a bit bigger and able to scoop more of the cream cheese (which needs to be softened before serving).
  • Add a bit of soy sauce (2 tablespoons) and sesame oil (2 teaspoons) and use in a stir-fry.
  • Use for Sweet and Sour Chicken or Pork.
  • Make it spicy with a bit of Chili Sauce.

Other Panda Express copycat recipes on the blog

fried wonton dipped in homemade sweet and sour sauce

Panda Express Sweet and Sour Sauce is the perfect classic Chinese takeout dipping sauce that is bright red in color, sweet and acidic. The perfect dipping sauce for egg rolls, wontons and crispy wonton strips.
5 from 17 votes
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Panda Express Sweet and Sour Sauce (Copycat)

Panda Express Sweet and Sour Sauce is the perfect classic Chinese takeout dipping sauce that is bright red in color, sweet and acidic. The perfect dipping sauce for egg rolls, wontons and crispy wonton strips.
Course Sauce
Cuisine Chinese
Keyword Panda Express recipes, Panda Express Sweet and Sour Sauce (Copycat)
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 114 kcal
Author Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups water , divided
  • 1/2 cup white vinegar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup corn starch
  • red food coloring (optional, but for authentic color I had to add a few drops)

Instructions

  1. Add 1 cup water, white vinegar and sugar to a saucepan and bring to a boil.
  2. Add the cornstarch to the remaining 1/4 cup of water in a small bowl and whisk until the cornstarch is dissolved.
  3. Add the cornstarch slurry to the saucepan and whisk it all together.
  4. Reduce to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 5-7 minutes.

Nutrition Facts
Panda Express Sweet and Sour Sauce (Copycat)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 114
% Daily Value*
Sodium 2mg0%
Carbohydrates 28g9%
Sugar 24g27%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

Panda Express Sweet and Sour Sauce is the perfect classic Chinese takeout dipping sauce that is bright red in color, sweet and acidic. The perfect dipping sauce for egg rolls, wontons and crispy wonton strips.
Panda Express Sweet and Sour Sauce is the perfect classic Chinese takeout dipping sauce that is bright red in color, sweet and acidic. The perfect dipping sauce for egg rolls, wontons and crispy wonton strips.

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your own site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. Thank you for such a quick and EASY version of sauce—I definitely don’t have to purchase the grocery store bottles any longer!!

    I love that this included everyday ingredients I always have in my kitchen!! Delicious and simple!!

    I added a little crushed pineapple and frozen (thawed first) peppers and onions, then re-simmered and it thickened right up!!

    Very versatile recipe!! Thanks Sabrina!

  2. Made it. Came out great! However, I turned the pot on the lowest setting and didn’t think it was simmering because of the lack of steam and movement in the pot. I went to stir and noticed it was thinkened, didn’t burn! Thank you Jesus! Not use to using cornstarch! Lol.

    I added about a tablespoon and a half of ketchup and a sprinkle of salt. The ketchup help turn the color and I just wanted a pinch of salt. The recipe was great thank you!

  3. Made as directed but halved the recipe. I added a dash of garlic powder for flavor and a squirt of ketchup for coloring . I usually make the pineapple version but didn’t feel like opening a can and so I found this recipe! Had it with homemade egg rolls and homemade cream cheese wontons! So easy and good, thank you.

  4. Just made this and it was entirely too sweet for my family and I. I guess we prefer sour & sweet chicken. ?
    We tried adding more vinegar and that helped cut the sweet, but it was still too sweet for us.

    1. Loved this comment to much! I made this for Halloween and made it green. Paired with some skinny shrimp egg roll witch fingers(little almonds as the nail haha) and battered chicken breast as well…anything you want. I said ogars stones, but anything goes! Super yummy!

    1. Is it the same recipe but at the end add ketchup instead of food coloring or do you cook the ketchup with the sugar, vinegar and water?

  5. Oh my gosh, this is fantastic. So easy to make and I think just as good or better the the Chinese restaurants I have had. Great job, it’s a keeper!

  6. THANK YOU!!! I will never buy sweet and sour sauce from the grocery again lol this is delicious!!! Now I just need the meat for it to go with lol seriously thank you. I’m a single mom and can’t afford many extras and now we can keep our fav sauce in our home. You’re awesome!

      1. Umm so I put it in the fridge and now it is jelled lol it’s in a sealed container and when reheated it is a thicker sauce then when I first made it. Did I do something wrong by putting it in the fridge or possibly cook it to long. I only did 5 mins. Also, how long is this sauce good for?

        1. No, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’ll get thicker in the fridge. You can just warm it up a bit before using once you take it out. If store properly, I would think it should last a week.

          1. Hello Sabrina,

            I made this recipe and the taste was absolutely amazing, however I had the super thick problem. As soon as I added the corn starch solution portion, the boiling sauce congealed and turned into a very thick jelly almost instantly. The taste was spot on, but the consistency was anything but… Perhaps too much corn starch added? Your insight would be most appreciated

          2. Oh no! Glad it still tasted great but next time, I would try adding less cornstarch. Sorry that happened to you.

  7. Thanks Sabrina. I added 1T of Char Sui sauce instead of the red food coloring, and it turned out really well.

    1. it tasted like jelly sugar? Im thinking you forgot to add the vinegar, its like making ketchup without the tomato’s. you shouldn’t review something if you didnt make it right :/
      i on the other hand made this and it turned out great

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