Recipe: Homemade BBQ Sauce (2024)

  • Recipes
  • May 26, 2014
  • byErica Hale

Recipe: Homemade BBQ Sauce (2)

It’s finally here…barbecue season! Grilled chicken, ribs, and marinated veggies are on the menu all summer long. One of my favorite flavors is sweet and savory barbecue sauce, grilled to sticky perfection on just about any kind of meat. Why not make your own homemade BBQ sauce and avoid the corn syrup and unnatural additives that most sauce contains? It’s not hard to make, and you can freeze it or can it for later…making it as convenient as it is tasty.

Start with two cans of organic tomato sauce, organic onions and garlic, honey, molasses, organic evaporated cane juice, apple cider vinegar and a little coconut oil. Chili powder and smoked paprika add to the flavor, and you can mix in as much (or little) red pepper as you’d like to give it a little kick. This recipe makes a large batch of sauce (2 quarts), so you can cut it in half if you’d like. Or, make the whole batch and can a few pints or put it in the freezer for later!

To make the sauce, dice two organic onions and saute them with a few cloves of garlic and a little coconut oil until the onions are soft and transparent. Then, stir in the tomato sauce, the sweeteners, vinegar and the spices. The trick is to let the sauce simmer for a long time…this will reduce the sauce and allow it to thicken as well as bring out the best of the flavors. I let my sauce simmer for at least an hour, stirring it frequently to prevent it from sticking to the pan. Once it’s ready, you can decide if you want to keep it a little chunky or smooth it out by pureeing the onion bits. If you’d like it smooth, allow it to cool for a little while and then run it through a blender or food processor until it’s the consistency you’d like. I like to puree it, so that it brushes onto food a little easier! To can it (which makes it easy to grab a jar from the pantry shelf at a moment’s notice), you need to reheat the sauce to a boil and allow it to simmer for 30 minutes. Then, ladle the sauce into 4 pint jars (leaving 1/2 inch headspace). Clean the rims, and fit with hot lids and rings. Process jars for 20 minutes (adjust for altitude). Remove and allow to cool. To freeze, just put the sauce into airtight, freezer safe containers and place it in the freezer. There you have it! Savory-sweet BBQ sauce, all natural and ready to grill. Three cheers for Summer!

Yield: 2 quarts

Homemade BBQ Sauce

Recipe: Homemade BBQ Sauce (5)

Looking for a new BBQ sauce? You can't go wrong with this homemade BBQ sauce that's perfect for all your grilling needs and more.

Prep Time20 minutes

Cook Time1 hour

Total Time1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. In a large pan, saute the diced onion and garlic with the coconut oil until the onions are soft and transparent.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients, stir well and bring to a boil.
  3. Reduce heat, and simmer the sauce for at least an hour.
  4. If you'd like the sauce smooth, allow it to cool enough to handle and then run it through a blender or food processor until the desired consistency is reached.
  5. To can the sauce, bring it back to a boil and allow it to simmer for 30 minutes. Ladle into 4 hot, sterile pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch headroom. Fit with hot, sterile rings and process in a hot water canner for 20 minutes. Allow to cool and test lids.
  6. To freeze, allow the sauce to cool and then ladle into airtight freezer containers. Freeze the sauce, and take it out in advance to allow it to thaw.

What’s your favorite kind of barbecue sauce?

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Recipe: Homemade BBQ Sauce (2024)

FAQs

What is homemade BBQ sauce made of? ›

Gather all ingredients. Combine brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, water, and Worcestershire sauce in a blender. Season with mustard, paprika, salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce.

What makes BBQ sauce taste better? ›

Spices: With big bold flavors, the subtly of spices in bottled sauces tends to get lost. Adding garlic or onion powder are standard flavors for barbecue, but get a little creative and try out different chile powders, peppers, cumin, or dried herbs to add body to the sauce.

Why add apple cider vinegar to BBQ sauce? ›

Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar is a versatile choice for BBQ sauce. It has a slightly fruity and tangy flavor that pairs well with the smoky and savory elements of BBQ. It adds a pleasant acidity and a touch of sweetness to the sauce.

Is it worth it to make your own BBQ sauce? ›

This sweet-and-savory Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe tastes so much better than store-bought, and it's cheaper too. Best of all, you can make it with better ingredients and fewer preservatives.

What are the three types of BBQ sauce? ›

Generally, barbecue sauces is categorized into four varieties: tomato-based sauces, vinegar-based sauces, mustard-based sauces, and mayonnaise-based sauces. Each category can have a range of BBQ sauce styles, ranging from sweet and tangy to hot and spicy.

Is barbecue sauce made from ketchup and mustard? ›

Ingredients: ¾ cup no salt added ketchup. 2 Tablespoons mustard.

What is the secret to good BBQ? ›

Use the right fuel

Our main man DJ BBQ, author of Food Tube's BBQ Book, recommends lumpwood charcoal – the stuff that looks like burnt tree – because it will give the best flavour. It's unadulterated and natural. If you're a bit of a pro, try adding wood chips to your charcoal.

What is the base for most BBQ sauce? ›

Tomato-based is one of the most frequently used types of BBQ sauce, offering a combination of sweet and tangy flavors. In most cases, tomato is used in ketchup form and mixed with other ingredients such as molasses, vinegar, paprika, brown sugar, garlic, and onion powder.

What thickens BBQ sauce? ›

You can use either flour or cornstarch to thicken BBQ sauce. Just mix together 2 tbsp (16 g) of flour and ¼ cup (62.5 mL) of water, or combine 1 tbsp (9 g) of cornstarch with 1 tbsp (15 mL) of water. Continue mixing the thickener until there are no lumps of flour or cornstarch.

Which vinegar is best for BBQ sauce? ›

Whether you're using your barbecue sauce on pulled pork, ribs, chicken, or meatballs, a little apple cider vinegar can really improve the flavor. If you don't have any ACV on hand, red wine vinegar (made from fermented red wine) will do in a pinch.

Is white vinegar or apple cider vinegar better for BBQ sauce? ›

The needed acidity for balance is there but without all the sharp edges of white vinegar. Whether you're using your barbecue sauce on pulled pork, ribs, chicken, or meatballs, a little apple cider vinegar can really improve the flavor.

How does Gordon Ramsay make BBQ sauce? ›

For the BBQ sauce:
  1. 350g ketchup.
  2. 1 medium white onion diced.
  3. 70ml water.
  4. 80g soft brown sugar.
  5. 50g smoked paprika.
  6. 80g cider vinegar.
  7. 30g strong coffee (espresso is preferable)
  8. Splash of olive oil.

What are the basics of BBQ sauce? ›

Here are some basic ingredients you'll need to make a simple BBQ sauce:
  1. Ketchup or tomato sauce.
  2. Brown sugar.
  3. Apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.
  4. Worcestershire sauce.
  5. Mustard (either yellow mustard or Dijon mustard)
  6. Garlic powder.
  7. Onion powder.
  8. Paprika.
Apr 17, 2023

How do you add depth to BBQ sauce? ›

Create depth by adding dark chocolate and coffee to your barbecue sauce. These two, feature a bitter-sweet combo that can truly enhance the blend of spices and flavors present in your bottled barbecue sauce. Enhance your Barbecue Sauce using almost anything, including your favorite beer.

Is Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce ingredients? ›

HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, DISTILLED VINEGAR, TOMATO PASTE, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF SALT, PINEAPPLE JUICE CONCENTRATE, NATURAL SMOKE FLAVOR, SPICE, CARAMEL COLOR, MOLASSES, SODIUM BENZOATE (PRESERVATIVE), GARLIC, * MUSTARD FLOUR, CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, TAMARIND, NATURAL FLAVOR, CELERY SEED.

What can be a substitute for BBQ sauce? ›

Hoisin Sauce

An excellent alternative to the barbecue sauce is this Asian sauce made from vinegar, honey, sesame paste, flour, chilies and soy sauce. Known for its texture and the thick glazed appearance like the BBQ sauce, the Chinese-inspired Hoisin sauce is excellent for the ones who love spicy baby ribs.

Is ketchup the main ingredient in BBQ sauce? ›

The most typical type of barbecue sauce is tomato-based. The tomato in these concoctions is almost always in the form of ketchup, although there are exceptions to that. Tomato-based BBQ condiments became the most common in America during the middle 20th century.

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