If you're here because you're looking for agrodolce recipes containing that classic "sour and sweet" flavor profile, you've come to the right place.
Agrodolce just happens to be one of my favorite flavor combinations. Though the term traditionally refers to a specific sauce consisting of sugar, vinegar, and some other sweet and sour ingredients, I use it to more generally describe any dish with a sweet and sour flavor profile.
After all, Agrodolce literally translates to "sour sweet" in Italian.
Here's a list of 10 amazing Sweet and Sour Recipes from this website.
Glazed Sheet Pan Meatloaf With Caramelized Onions
One of the most popular recipes on my site, Sheet Pan Glazed Meatloaf is loaded with sweet, savory, and tart flavors. Sweetness comes from the roasted carrots and apples, a sugary maple and ketchup-forward glaze, and a heaping pile of sweet caramelized onions. Meanwhile the glaze also contains sour red vinegar to balance out the sweetness, along with some soy and Worcestershire sauce.
Agrodolce Recipe #2: Harissa Honey Carrots
These Harissa Honey Carrots call for first roasting the carrots then tossing them in a delicious sweet and sour sauce. This agrodolce sauce consists of spicy harissa, sweet honey, and tart lemon. Top them with some feta and parsley for a little extra freshness.
Balsamic Roasted Grapes
The next agrodolce recipe to share is this recipe for Balsamic Roasted Grapes. They're the epitome of agrodolce- The grapes get all sweet and caramelized while they roast in a super hot oven. They then bathe in a delicious balsamic vinegar reduction that's both acidic and sweet. Finally, a squeeze of fresh lemon gives the grapes an extra sour pop.
Calabrian Chili Baked Wings
These Calabrian Chili Wings absolutely classify as an agrodolce recipe. First bake them in the oven to render the fat. Then toss them is a delicious agrodolce sauce of Calabrian chilis, lemon, honey, and a couple other flavorful ingredients. The final step calls for tossing them under the broiler until the sauce gets sticky and bubbly. Just magnificent.
Eggplant Caponata Agrodolce Recipe
Traditional Eggplant Caponata doesn't typically call for honey, but this one sure does! It's a sweet and sour take on traditional eggplant caponata. I developed this recipe because I always found traditional caponata to be a little too sour, begging for something to sweeten it up. Red vinegar, wine, apple, and honey all contribute to the recipe's sweet and sour flavors.
Sweet and Sour Recipe #6: Apple Chicken Meatballs
This agrodolce-forward Apple Chicken Meatball Recipe leans more sweet than tart... Some of its sweet elements include spicy mashed sweet potatoes and maple syrup. Meanwhile, it gets most of its tartness from an apple, a fruit that's naturally both sweet and tart. It's really a delicious recipe.
Cherry Pepper Delights
One of my favorite snacks to make when I have guests coming over, Cherry Pepper Delights are super easy to make and eat. Plus, they're even a little gourmet. They're essentially quick-pickled peppers stuffed with salami-wrapped mozzarella balls. The pickling liquid consists of agave and vinegar, a classic agrodolce combination.
Bacon and Sweet Potato Shakshuka
Bacon and Sweet Potato Shakshuka is another agrodolce recipe from this site. Sweet potatoes are purely sweet. Tomatoes are both sweet and tart. The bacon adds another savory note. And the runny eggs just tie it all together. Its such a great recipe that I hope you try! It's really pretty easy too.
Baked Feta and Tomato Dip
My version of the viral Baked Feta Dip has additional sweet and tart flavors of hot honey and lemon. When added to the cheesy, tomatoey, olivey dip, these flavors really take the dip to the next level.
Charred Salsa with Grapefruit
Grapefruit, along with many other fruits, has both tart and sweet qualities to it. So adding it to a bowl of charred salsa, like in this recipe for Any Day Charred Salsa, gives the salsa a sweet and sour taste. It's really bright and acidic but also sweet and savory. So tasty!
Agrodolce Recipe #11: Cascatelli Pasta Salad
This Cascatelli Pasta Salad with Tomatoes and Corn is absolutely delicious, with its complex textures and flavors. It has a lot of tartness and umami from the use of tomatoes, vinegar, and even fish sauce. But it also gets some subtle sweetness from fresh corn.
I hope you enjoyed these 10 Agrodolce Recipes. If you make any of them, be sure to take a pic and tag me on Instagram at @onthebiasnsyc.
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