Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe
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Easy Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe that is ready in 15 minutes or less! Makes the best Homemade Barbecue Sauce. Sweet and tangy and made from scratch! With cook and no-cook options!
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, which is the one I grew up with. I’ve also shared our Spicy Mustard BBQ Sauce, which we use from time to time, and my Peach BBQ Sauce, which is the perfect BBQ sauce with a fruity twist. 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 friends, I want to share with you this quick and easy BBQ sauce that requires just a handful of ingredients 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!
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. This recipe 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. โฅ๏ธ
Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
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
- 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.
- Serve. You can use this sauce immediately or see the Storage Tips below.
Recipe Variations
No Cook Homemade BBQ Sauce – Whisk together all ingredients until well combined. Pour into an airtight container and serve immediately or store as directed.
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.
Favorite Ways to Use BBQ Sauce
- Chicken – Use on grilled chicken for a flavorful meal or drizzled over shredded chicken for a BBQ Chicken Sandwich.
- Pork – Delicious with BBQ pork chops, slow cooker ribs, and of course pulled pork sandwiches.
- Burgers – Delicious on hamburgers in place of ketchup for a tasty BBQ Burger.
- Pizza – Use in place of pizza sauce for a BBQ Chicken Pizza or a Pulled Pork Pizza. Yum!
- Dip – as a dip with Sweet Potato Fries and ranch dressing
Here’s my best Homemade BBQ Sauce recipe. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe
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.
No Cook BBQ Sauce
- Whisk together all of the ingredients for the sauce until well combined. Pour into an airtight container and serve immediately or store as directed.
Notes
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Made it this weekend for fathers day grilling and it was a hit! I doubled the recipe so I had a bunch leftover. Have you ever tried to can it? I may try with a small jar and see how it goes.ย
Hi Sarah,
I have not tried canning the BBQ sauce. Let me know how it turns out if you try it. So glad you like it! Thanks! xo
Made your sauce on Friday and used it on St Louis Ribs. Wow. So good.
Used it again tonight for some grilled chicken. OMG. The best.
Thank you for sharing the recipe.
So glad you like this sauce, Dean!
Amazing BBQ sauce. I absolutely love it. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thanks, Dean. So glad you like it!
Do you think this recipe can be canned to be able to be stored in the pantry so that I have more on hand when I need it?
Ps.. there is no soy or gluten in a real Worstershire sauce. Lea and Perrins, for instance. Dont ever skimp on Worstershire as some do have soy and gluten, and are not worth saving a few cents. I hope they never change their recipe!
The coconut aminos will change this drastically as its sweet, more like a teriyaki sauce so it”s not imo an alternative to Worcestershire, but yes in place of Soy sauce with a bit of sea salt added to it
This is a terrific recipe, thanks!!
Hi Vicki,
Since some brands of Worcestershire sauce do contain soy and gluten and MSG, I gave an option for people who have allergies to these ingredients. I have family members who are highly allergic to these ingredients so I have made this sauce with coconut aminos numerous times and we all loved the flavor. So glad you like this recipe! Thanks!
Tasty and easy! ย Thank you so much.
Thank you, Marj,
So glad you liked it!
Wanted bbq chicken drumsticks but to my dismay weโre out of sauce! First sauce on google and it is phenomenal! I did tweak it a bit though. I halved the recipe since itโs only 2 people eating and I added a some paprika.ย
Turns out home made bbq is A LOT CHEAPER! I definitely will be making this rather buying store bought junk with tons of ingredients I canโt pronounce!ย
This was great and so simple! Thanks so much!
I’m so glad you found this recipe and gave it a try, Katie! I’m with you on simple ingredients with lots of flavor! I am happy to have you here and hope that you find many other recipes here that you enjoy too! Thanks! xo
Made this and tasted FANTASTIC. Added 2 TBL inexpensive whisky and made it taste even better.
Love this recipe! Very easy. Made it twice now, as my bf loved it. I add @ 1tsp liquid smoke, plus a little bit of cinnamon and chili powder (I just kind of eyeball the extras), and he says it tastes just like Open Pit, but better!
This sauce was superb – and not too ketchup-y as I had feared. The apple cider vinegar provides a nice kick and counter balance. And no high fructose corn syrup – like many of the store-bought sauces. Also, your Stone House Seasoning is fantastic – it made Saturday’s hamburger even better!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the BBQ Sauce and the Stone House!