This Homemade BBQ Sauce is smoky, tangy, a little sweet and packed with flavor! I spent time getting the balance of flavors just right, creating a versatile BBQ sauce that works just as well in recipes as it does brushed over grilled meat. It comes together with simple ingredients and is easy to customize to your taste. Use it to coat homemade meatballs, brush over chicken or ribs, or serve it alongside your favorite grilled foods for dipping!
Why I Love This
- Controlled Ingredients: Making your own BBQ sauce is wonderful because you get to decide what goes in from the amount of sugar, to the level of heat - it's 100% customizable to your needs and pallet.
- Smoky Sweetness: My favorite combination for BBQ sauce is smoky sweetness with the lightest touch of heat and I think I've got the perfect balance here.
- BBQ Season Perfection: This Homemade BBQ Sauce is perfect year-round, whether you're mixing it into your favorite recipes, coating barbecued meats, or serving it as a delicious dipping sauce.
Pair this Homemade BBQ Sauce with my Crockpot BBQ Meatballs or Moose Burgers or try it on my Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breast recipe.
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Ingredients
- Ketchup - is the main base for the Homemade BBQ sauce. You can choose whichever brand is your favorite or even use a sugar free variety (although these tend to be more tangy).
- Apple Cider Vinegar - I like to use this instead of white vinegar to add a more flavor.
- Dijon Mustard - using Dijon rather than yellow mustard adds deeper flavor and a more robust BBQ sauce.
- Spices - while there is a host of spices that could be added to BBQ sauce, I have tried to keep it more basic for ease while maintaining excellent flavor.
- Molasses - this is optional and the Homemade BBQ Sauce is still delicious without it! However, the molasses adds a lovely sheen and again, deepens the flavor profile.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Step 1: Add all the ingredients to a saucepan and sir until well combined.
Step 2: Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the flavors come together.
Step 3: Remove from the heat and let the BBQ sauce cool completely before transferring it to a clean jar. Seal and refrigerate until ready to use.
Hint: The sauce will bubble and spurt as it simmers. This normal. Although it is tempting to place the lid on to contain the mess, we need to leave it off so that the excess liquid can evaporate off and the sauce thicken.
Substitutions
- Sugar-less - it's difficult to make BBQ sauce sugar free. However, you can reduce the sugar by using sugar-free ketchup, replace the brown sugar with cane sugar and you can even use agave nectar in place of the honey if you wish. The molasses is entirely optional.
Variations
- Spicy - add ⅛-1/4 teaspoon of chili pepper flakes, ½-1 teaspoon of chili powder or ⅛-1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper for a little (or a lot) of extra heat.
- Smoky - you can make this a really smoky flavor by adding 1-2 teaspoons of liquid smoke.
- Sweet-tooth - if you've really got a sweet tooth you can always up the amount of brown sugar in the Homemade BBQ Sauce.
Try my Baked Home Fries or my Charred Corn Salad for great BBQ side dishes!
Storage
The first few days: You can store the cooled, Homemade BBQ Sauce in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
Freezing: Freeze in an airtight jar for up to 3 months, leaving a little room for expansion.
Thaw: Thaw the sauce in refrigerator.
Top Tip
Let the BBQ sauce simmer low and slow, stirring occasionally, to give the flavors time to develop and the sauce to thicken. Keep an eye on it as it reduces so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.
FAQ
Yes! Let the sauce cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container, leaving a little room for expansion. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw in the refrigerator before using.
All ow the sauce to simmer uncovered for a little longer so excess moisture can evaporate. Stir occasionally to prevent it from sticking, keeping in mind that the sauce will thicken a little more as it cools.
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Homemade BBQ Sauce
- Total Time: 25-35 minutes
- Yield: 3 cups 1x
Description
This Homemade BBQ Sauce is smoky, tangy, a little sweet and packed with flavor! I spent time getting the balance of flavors just right, creating a versatile BBQ sauce that works just as well in recipes as it does brushed over grilled meat. It comes together with simple ingredients and is easy to customize to your taste. Use it to coat homemade meatballs, brush over chicken or ribs, or serve it alongside your favorite grilled foods for dipping!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (555 grams) ketchup
- ½ cup (95 grams) brown sugar
- ¼ cup (100 grams) honey
- ¼ cup (60 grams) apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup (85 grams) molasses
- 2 tablespoon (30 grams) Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoon (28 grams) Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoon (6 grams) smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon (3 grams) garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon (3 grams) onion powder
- ½ teaspoon (4 grams) salt
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a saucepan and sir until well combined.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the flavors come together.
- Remove from the heat and let the BBQ sauce cool completely before transferring it to a clean jar. Seal and refrigerate until ready to use.
*All nutritional information is an estimation only. Exact nutritional value depends on exact amounts and ingredients used.
Notes
Simmer with the lid off to allow the excess liquid to evaporate and the sauce to thicken.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
- Category: Dips & Sauces
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: American
Jenice says
This BBQ sauce is the perfect combination of smoky, sweetness and a little heat. I love that it is customizable and quick to bring together! It's perfect for grilling, dipping and adding to recipes.