Easy Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe that is ready in 15 minutes that makes the best Homemade Barbecue Sauce. Sweet and tangy and made from scratch!

Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe - Ready in 15 minutes, you'll have the best Homemade Barbecue Sauce that is sweet and tangy and made from scratch! // addapinch.com

BBQ sauce is one of those topics that people can become really, really passionate about. There are the regional camps of North Carolina style BBQ sauce, Kansas City style BBQ sauce, white Alabama BBQ sauce, and then the Memphis style with no sauce at all (well, maybe just a smidge). Everyone has their personal favorites.

And you know, I really love them all.

I’ve shared my Mama’s Coca Cola BBQ Sauce with you that is the one that I grew up with. I’ve also shared our Spicy Mustard BBQ Sauce that we use from time to time, as well as my Peach BBQ Sauce that is the perfect BBQ sauce with a fruity twist. And, I’ve also included our favorite molasses-based Sweet and Spicy BBQ Sauce in my cookbook which just takes ribs to a whole new level!

But today friends, I want to share with you this quick and easy, 15-minute BBQ sauce that takes just a handful of ingredients to make and comes out perfect every single time.

We’ve had friends who call this the best BBQ Sauce they’ve ever tasted and it’s pretty easy to see why!

Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe - Ready in 15 minutes, you'll have the best Homemade Barbecue Sauce that is sweet and tangy and made from scratch! // addapinch.com

How to Make Homemade BBQ Sauce

This BBQ Sauce comes together quickly with just a handful of ingredients that I generally have in my refrigerator or my pantry and is one that I think you all will fall in love with as well. I’ve had friends ask me to please make extra for them to take home and if I’d bottle it, they’d surely buy it. ♥️

Ingredients

To make this homemade BBQ Sauce, you’ll need:

  • Ketchup – You’ll use 2 cups of your favorite ketchup as the base in this recipe. I prefer to use one with the fewest ingredients and one that does not include high-fructose corn syrup.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar – the apple cider vinegar gives the sauce a delicious, tangy flavor that helps to balance it perfectly.
  • Brown Sugar – just 1/4 cup of brown sugar not only helps sweeten the sauce but deepens the flavor adding just a hint of molasses flavor.
  • Honey – use a couple of tablespoons of your favorite honey. If you can find a reliable local honey provider, I always recommend it!
  • Worcestershire sauce – this balances the sweetness with savory flavor in the sauce. If you are gluten-free or sensitive to soy (like me!), you can use coconut aminos in place of the Worcestershire sauce.
  • Stone House Seasoning – this is my favorite, go-to blend of seasonings that I have shared previously. It is a blend of kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic that tastes amazing on so many dishes and adds flavor in a snap! We named it Stone House Seasoning since we use it practically on everything except desserts!
  • Lemon Juice – A tablespoon of fresh or bottled lemon juice adds just the perfect amount of acid to this sauce to make it perfect.
  • Hot Sauce – We love to add just a splash of hot sauce to this BBQ Sauce recipe. It is entirely optional if you’d rather not include it.

Instructions

  1. Cook the BBQ Sauce. Whisk together all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Allow the sauce to bubble and then reduce the heat and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes. This helps to deepen the flavors and thicken the sauce.
  2. Serve. You can use this sauce immediately or see the Storage Tips below.

Storage Tips

To Store. Allow the sauce to cool and then pour it into a quart-size mason jar. Seal it with a tight-fitting lid and store it in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

To Freeze. Transfer the cooled sauce to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.

Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe - Ready in 15 minutes, you'll have the best Homemade Barbecue Sauce that is sweet and tangy and made from scratch! // addapinch.com

Favorite Ways to Use BBQ Sauce

Here’s my best Homemade BBQ Sauce recipe. I hope you love it as much as we do!

Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe

5 from 145 votes
Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe – Ready in 15 minutes, you’ll have the best Homemade Barbecue Sauce that is sweet and tangy and made from scratch! 
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 16 servings

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups ketchup
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, or coconut aminos
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Stone House Seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce, optional

Instructions 

  • Whisk together all ingredients in a medium saucepan situated over medium heat. Allow to come to a bubble and then reduce the heat to low. Allow to simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. 
  • Serve immediately or allow to cool slightly and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. 

Notes

Makes 2 cups of sauce. 
Storage Tips
To Store. Allow the sauce to cool and then pour it into a quart-size mason jar. Seal it with a tight-fitting lid and store it in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
To Freeze. Transfer the cooled sauce to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 57kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 431mg | Potassium: 115mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 155IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Enjoy!
Robyn xo

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About Robyn

Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.

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Recipe Review




344 Comments

    1. Ju, you can use white vinegar in this. I just like the flavor with the apple cider vinegar best. Hope you enjoy!

  1. 5 stars
    Nice sauce. Since there are baby grandkids at my house, I omitted honey. I added some molasses instead. 🙂

  2. Does this still work if I just mix all the ingredients together and throw them in a crock pot? Or do I have to heat it first on the stove?

    1. I haven’t made this in a crockpot, Kate, but it only takes about 15 minutes to make this on the stove. I make the BBQ sauce, then pour it over the meat I am cooking in the slow cooker.

    2. 5 stars
      So much better than buying bottled dressing and it’s quick and it’s easy! I mixed it up in a bowl and then added it to my crockpot after I pulled my chicken, I let the chicken cook in it another half hour delicious!