Sweet ‘N Sour Sauce (Mcdonald’s Copycat)

This copycat sweet and sour sauce is an iconic, classic tangy sauce that’s even better made from scratch. You have all the natural flavors without the preservatives.

And if you want to recreate it in the comfort of your home, there is nothing easier.

To make it, you mix wet ingredients and then add a slurry. A slurry is a mix of a liquid and a thickening agent, usually cornstarch. This mix forms a paste which is then added to the sauce to thicken and make it smoother.

You only need 10 minutes of preparation and you have this tangy sweet irresistible sauce that tastes just like the real deal!

How to Make It

Put all of the sauce ingredients in a sauce pan.

Turn the stove to medium heat and let the sauce boil. Make sure you stir it a couple of times as it heats so the bottom of the pot doesn’t burn.

In a small bowl, add the cornstarch and water. Whisk the mixture with a fork until the starch has dissolved.

Once the pot boils, drizzle the cornstarch slurry into the sauce while whisking.

Turn the heat down so the sauce simmers. Continue cooking until it has a texture you like.

Remember that the sauce will be slightly thicker when cool, so you may want to let some cool on the back of a spoon to test when it’s ready.

When the sauce is the texture you want, turn off the heat and let it cool down. Serve.

Tips & Tricks

• This recipe uses rice vinegar but you can actually use any type of vinegar you have on hand. White vinegar or apple cider vinegar will work perfectly fine. The goal is to add sourness so any type will do.


• Instead of apricot preserves, you can use apricot jam. Peach preserves are also a good option. The original recipe includes both apricot and peach puree concentrate.


• For a fun variation, make your dipping sauce spicy! You can either add a pinch of red pepper flakes, a dash of cayenne powder, or a teaspoon of your favorite hot sauce.

What to Serve With McDonald’s Sweet and Sour Sauce

You can serve classic side dishes for sweet and sour sauce such as:


• Chicken nuggets


• Chicken fingers


• French fries

But these original ideas pair perfectly well too:

• Mar far chicken


• Shrimp Chimichanga


• Dynamite roll sushi


• Crab cakes

Storage Instructions

The sauce will last for about 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator.

I don’t recommend freezing the sauce because it can negatively affect the texture.

Other Sauces You May Like

Boom Boom Sauce

Honey Gold Chicken Wing Sauce Recipe

Juicy Crab Juicy Special Sauce Recipe