Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe
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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!
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!
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
- 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.
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.
Notes
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Love this recipe, made the peach one too! Its my go to Barbecue Sauce. Was looking over again this evening and noticed the coconut aminos. I had to look that up. Interested in using it now in this and maybe other things……
Thanks. I’m so glad I started using coconut aminos since I cannot have soy. Hope you like it.
I will be grilling precooked ribs for my family this week so made this BBQ sauce recipe today. I can tell it is finger lickin good and know that my family will be very happy with it! Thank YOU! This is a keeper recipe!
Thank you, Edie! My family loves this BBQ sauce. I hope your family does as well.
I followed the receipt but add lemons peel and whisky it taste wonderful at the last minutes I don’t have any bbq sauce for my US prime cooking 15 hrs brisket but since I get this I will love to modify to add red pepper to make a little hot. Thx to for receipt
Recipe is tasty! Thank you for sharing, saved my dinner for tonight!!
It was fast and very tasty.
Thanks, Virginia!
Made sauce 7/4/2020. Followed recipe for charcoal-grilled bone-in chicken thighs … simple and delicious! Family said “5-out-of-5-stars”.
Thank you, Dowd, and thank your family. I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it.
Best BBQ!
Can I use tomato sauce instead of ketchup?
I haven’t tried this with just tomato sauce instead of ketchup, Dana, so I can’t tell you how it will turn out.
Do you think you could can this bbq sauce?
I haven’t tried canning this sauce, Amie, but if you do, let me know how it turns out.
Great basic sauce for everyday. Worked as a springboard for my customized flavor profile. I highly recommend this recipe.
I’m so glad you like this BBQ Sauce. Thanks.
Great homemade BBQ sauce. I added about 1/2 tsp of liquid smoke and 2-3 tablespoons of whiskey. Brushed pork chops while cooking on the BBQ. I froze the leftover in small containers since I will not be using any in the upcoming weeks.
Glad you liked the BBQ sauce, Isablelle! xo
Gonna try it. Sounds super!
Hope you enjoy, Mary!