Sweet and Sour Carrots

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These sweet and sour carrots are a colorful, tangy side dish that adds a bit of brightness to any meal. Tender carrots are combined with bell peppers and pineapple chunks, all coated in a glossy sweet-and-sour sauce that’s easy to pull together with pantry staples.

The sauce is a simple mixture of pineapple juice, vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar, thickened with cornstarch and optionally spiced with a touch of chili garlic paste or red pepper flakes. This dish is perfect for holiday spreads, potlucks, or weeknight dinners when you want something just a little different.

Ingredient Notes

• Carrots: Use about 1 pound of carrots, peeled and sliced—roughly 3 cups.
• Salt and water: For boiling the carrots until just tender.
• Green bell pepper: Cut into large chunks for color and crunch. Red or yellow peppers work too.
• Pineapple chunks: Use canned in juice—drain and reserve the juice for the sauce.
• Sugar: Sweetens and balances the vinegar in the sauce.
• Cornstarch: Thickens the sauce to a glossy finish.
• Apple cider vinegar: Adds tangy brightness.
• Soy sauce: Low-sodium preferred to balance the sweetness.
• Chili garlic paste: Optional, but adds a nice kick of heat.
• Cilantro or parsley: Optional garnish for a fresh finish.

Steps to Make Sweet and Sour Carrots

1. Boil sliced carrots in salted water until nearly tender.
2. Add bell pepper to the pan and cook a few minutes more. Drain both.
3. Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Add water to make ⅓ cup total liquid.
4. In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in juice mixture, vinegar, soy sauce, and chili paste (if using).
5. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the sauce thickens and bubbles.
6. Add drained carrots, bell pepper, and pineapple chunks to the sauce. Stir and heat through.
7. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with chopped herbs, if desired.

Recipe Variations

• Add spice. Increase the chili garlic paste or add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.
• Switch the peppers. Use red, orange, or yellow bell peppers for color contrast.
• Include celery. Thinly sliced celery adds extra crunch and texture.
• Ginger version. Add ½ teaspoon of grated fresh ginger to the sauce for a zingy twist.
• Honey-sweetened. Replace some or all of the sugar with honey for a softer sweetness.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve with grilled or roasted pork, chicken, or ham.
• Add to a holiday vegetable spread for color and variety.
• Pair with Asian-inspired mains like teriyaki or sesame chicken.
• Spoon over a bed of rice as a simple vegetarian side.

Sweet and Sour Carrots

Diana Rattray

Pineapple and bell peppers team up with carrots in a tasty sweet-and-sour sauce mixture. Add some chili garlic paste (sambal) if you’d like.

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Servings 6 servings

Calories 97

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 18 minutes mins

Total Time 28 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced (about 3 cups sliced)
• 1 tsp salt, for cooking the carrots
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut in 1/2-inch to 1-inch squares
• 1 (8-ounce) can pineapple chunks, with juice
• 5 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
• ½ tsp chili garlic paste, or to taste optional
• finely chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, for garnish, optional

Recommended Equipment

• 2-quart saucepan with lid
• Strainer/sieve set

Instructions

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• Put the carrots in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for about 15 minutes, or until just tender. Add the bell pepper and cook, covered, for 3 minutes longer. Drain.
• Drain the pineapple, reserving the juice. Add water to the juice to make 1/3 cup.
• In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Stir in the pineapple juice mixture, the vinegar, and soy sauce, along with the chili garlic paste, if using. Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, stirring frequently.
• Add the drained carrots, peppers, and the pineapple chunks. Heat through and transfer to a serving dish.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 97kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 1gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.04gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 263mgPotassium: 285mgFiber: 3gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 12703IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 0.4mg

Disclaimer:

Our nutritional information is based on a third-party application that analyzes the ingredients list to determine the values. The information is meant to be helpful, but should be considered an estimate. Values may differ depending on measurements, brands, serving variations, and database availability.

Keyword sweet and sour carrots

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