If you prefer to dine in and eat REAL chicken in your nuggets, but still crave that delectable sweet and sour sauce of your local fast food joint, here’s a fantastic copycat recipe.
There’s a reason why they call it SWEET and sour, but we recommend that you don’t omit the corn syrup as that’s what gives this recipe the same texture as the restaurant version you’re used to.
McDonalds Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe
Ingredients: The Foundation of Flavor
To embark on this culinary adventure, you’ll need a carefully selected array of ingredients that come together to mimic the complex flavor profile of McDonald’s sweet and sour sauce:
- Peach Preserves (1/4 cup): The foundation of the sauce’s sweet component, providing a fruity depth and smooth texture.
- Apricot Preserves (1/4 cup): Complementing the peach preserves, apricot adds a slightly tart and tangy edge, enriching the sauce’s complexity.
- Light Corn Syrup (2 tablespoons): This ingredient contributes to the sauce’s glossy appearance and ensures a smooth, clingy texture, enhancing its adherence to your favorite snacks.
- White Vinegar (5 teaspoons): The primary source of the sauce’s tangy kick, vinegar balances the sweetness and adds a bright acidity.
- Soy Sauce (1/2 teaspoon): Introducing a hint of umami, soy sauce deepens the sauce’s flavor profile, adding a layer of savory richness.
- Yellow Mustard (1/2 teaspoon): With its vibrant taste and subtle spice, yellow mustard infuses the sauce with complexity and a slight heat.
- Salt (1/4 teaspoon) & Garlic Powder (1/8 teaspoon): These seasoning agents enhance the overall flavor, ensuring that every note in the sauce sings harmoniously.
- Cornstarch (1 1/2 teaspoons) & Cold Water (2 tablespoons): This slurry acts as a thickening agent, giving the sauce its characteristic consistency that perfectly coats and clings to your favorite dishes.
In a blender, combine peach preserves, apricot preserves, light corn syrup, vinegar, soy sauce, yellow mustard, salt, and garlic powder. Puree the ingredients until smooth, then transfer them to a small saucepan.
In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water, mixing well.
Turn the heat onto medium and bring the mixture to a boil. Pour the dissolved cornstarch into the sauce as soon as it comes to a boil.
Bring the sauce back to a boil, reduce the heat slightly and simmer until thickened to the correct consistency you prefer. Remove from heat, cool, store in covered container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
Makes about 3/4 cup.
How to Make McDonalds Sweet & Sour Sauce at Home
McDonalds Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe Print
Copycat McDonald's Sweet & Sour Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- Whisk or Spoon for mixing
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Peach Preserves
- ¼ cup Apricot Preserves
- 2 tablespoons Light Corn Syrup
- 5 teaspoons White Vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Soy Sauce
- ½ teaspoon Yellow Mustard
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons Cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons COLD Water
Instructions
- Blend the Base: In a blender, combine peach preserves, apricot preserves, light corn syrup, vinegar, soy sauce, yellow mustard, salt, and garlic powder. Puree until smooth.¼ cup Peach Preserves¼ cup Apricot Preserves2 tablespoons Light Corn Syrup5 teaspoons White Vinegar½ teaspoon Soy Sauce½ teaspoon Yellow Mustard¼ teaspoon Salt⅛ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- Prep the Thickener: In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in cold water.1 ½ teaspoons Cornstarch2 tablespoons COLD Water
- Cook the Sauce: Transfer the pureed mixture to a small saucepan. Heat over medium until it reaches a boil. Stir in the dissolved cornstarch.
- Thicken: Bring the sauce back to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Cool & Store: Remove from heat, allow to cool, and then store in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
- Enjoy this Copycat McDonald’s Sweet & Sour Sauce with your favorite snacks for a taste of fast-food nostalgia right at home!
Equipment
If you altered the ingedients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cooking/baking time.
i am not a fan of the sweet and sour sauce and mickey d’s, but my sister is a huge fan, i think i will try and make this for her birthday. thanks
Hi. I was just wondering if this is a sauce someone could freeze?
Though I haven’t had their sauce in a while, I made this tonight, and it’s pretty spot on. Sometimes the apricot flavor comes out a bit more than anything else, but for the most part, I think you nailed this.
To make McDonald’s sweet and sour sauce, you need apricot preserves, Heinz 51 sauce, Italian salad dressing and soy sauce. Simply mix all these ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate or serve immediately.
McDonalds Sweet & Sour Sauce at Home
1 cup Apricot Preserves
1 Tbs Heinz 57 Sauce
1 Tbs Italian Salad Dressing
1 Tbs Soy Sauce
Mix them well until they get thoroughly combined.
This is definitely not correct. There’s either chilis of some variety or cayenne pepper in this sauce for sure.
Hi Melissa,
I ran across your recipe today for McD’s Sweet & Sour sauce. I do like their sauce but it gets a bit pricey going through the drive through just to get it. So I wanted to try your recipe. Unfortunately, I’m diabetic and am out of my homemade sugar free apricot and peach preserves. So I headed down to the local Hannafords to pick up a jar of each. Not a jar of either on the shelf. So I made a pass through the canned fruit isle and picked up a can of unsweetened apricots and peaches.
Drained them off and measured the fruit. Just 1 cup of each. So, I sharpened up my math skills and quadrupled the entire recipe. It came out perfect.
I divided the extra sauce into 4 – 8 oz tapered jelly jars and froze them for future use.
Thanks for a great recipe. Mark.