Once you learn how to make homemade barbecue sauce from scratch in the comfort of your own home, it will be a staple recipe you reach for again and again.
When learning to cook from scratch, a great place to start is by making simple pantry staples. Making your own condiments like avocado mayo, honey mustard, and homemade salad dressings can elevate your recipes and be a healthier and cheaper alternative to something you would buy pre-made at the store.
This barbecue sauce is a great condiment to have on hand and makes any dish you add it to so much more flavorful and delicious! Use it when making country style ribs or as a marinade for grill night. It is divine when mixed with some shredded roast chicken and piled high on a sourdough hamburger bun with a side of homemade coleslaw.
No matter how you choose to enjoy it, I guarantee this sweet and smoky sauce will be a very much requested family staple!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Better ingredients – Making your own homemade BBQ sauce is incredibly easy to make with simple ingredients. It also avoids the not-so-good high sugar content, questionable ingredients, and additives that are found in store-bought BBQ sauce.
Versatile and customizable – Use this sauce for anything you cam dream up in the kitchen. It’s perfect for all of your favorite BBQ recipes, as a dipping sauce, marinade, and so much more! Get creative with adding different elements to this sauce to make it your own. Add a dash of spice or a little more sweetness to create your personalized flavor profile.
Elevated flavor – There is just no comparison between the store-bought stuff and this delicious made from scratch condiment.
Ingredients
Ketchup – This is a great way to use up homemade fermented ketchup and add the health benefits of fermentation to this classic BBQ sauce.
Brown sugar – Honey or maple syrup can be used as a substitute if you would prefer to use a more natural sugar in your sauce. It is also a good way to switch up the flavor a little bit.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Homemade Barbecue Sauce
Step 1: Combine all ingredients into a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat and stir.
Step 2: Bring the mixture to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and simmer and reduce for 30 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning.
Step 3: Remove from the heat and let cool for about 30 minutes. Store in an air-tight jar or container in the refrigerator.
Tips
- Aim for a balance of tangy, sweet, smoky and spicy. Taste your sauce as you go, and feel free to add more of each element to find your own preferences.
- Customize your sauce by adding elements like liquid smoke for a smoky flavor, or hot sauce for a spicy BBQ sauce.
- The longer you simmer your sauce, the deeper your flavor will become.
Recipe FAQs
Common ingredients include Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, yellow mustard, a handful of seasonings, and water.
The secret is a variety of key components that add to the depth of flavor in the sauce. Some of these key components are an acidic element, sweetness, salt, and a bit of heat and seasonings to add a boost of flavor.
Homemade barbecue sauce will last for about 1-2 weeks in the fridge. Keep it in an airtight container, or a sealed mason jar. You can also freeze barbecue sauce in freezer safe containers or bags for longer storage, up to 3-6 months.
More From-Scratch Staples from the Farmhouse
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How To Make Homemade Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- ½ tablespoon paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon water
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients into a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat and stir.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and simmer and reduce for 30 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning.
- Remove from the heat and let cool for about 30 minutes or so before storing in an air-tight jar or container in the refrigerator.
Notes
- This recipe makes approximately 2 cups of barbecue sauce. Nutrition facts are calculated based on one serving as 2 tablespoons.
- Aim for a balance of tangy, sweet, smoky and spicy. Taste your sauce as you go, and feel free to add more of each element to find your own preferences.
- Customize your sauce by adding elements like liquid smoke for a smoky flavor, or hot sauce or cayenne for a spicy BBQ sauce.
- The longer you simmer your sauce, the deeper your flavor will become.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
