Homemade BBQ Sauce
BBQ sauce adds sweet, smoky flavor to grilled chicken, beef or pork. Before you dive into the grocery store’s bottles, why not try your hand at making it at home? Our homemade barbecue sauce is super easy to make, gluten-free, and comes together with pantry ingredients you probably already have on hand. It is our favorite sauce for grilling, putting on sandwiches, salads, tacos, meatloaf, baked beans or using as a dipping sauce.
What is BBQ Sauce?
The most common type of barbeque sauce is generally tomato-based with ketchup, and flavored up with all kinds of spices. Barbecue sauce can be used as marinade, condiment, a dip, or to drizzle on chicken, beef, pork, or ribs. Different regions of the United States boast that their locations have the best bbq sauce and barbecue styles: Kansas City, Memphis, Carolina, and Texas are some of the most common. Each one is slightly different in its base ingredient. Similarly, barbecue sauce can also be vinegar, mustard or mayonnaise based.
Ingredients in Homemade BBQ Sauce
This recipe combines a little heat, a little kick and a little sweetness all in one. In short, it is the perfect barbecue sauce recipe! Here’s all you need:
Vegetable oil to sauté a couple of cloves of garlicKetchup – gives the sauce a tangy tomato baseApple cider vinegar – the slight sweetness of this vinegar pairs beautifully with the other ingredients.Brown sugar – using dark brown sugar gives a richer flavor and color to your sauce.Worcestershire sauce – this magic ingredient adds so much depth to this recipe.Yellow mustard – gives extra tang and flavor. You could substitute brown mustard for a more spicy bbq sauce. Soy sauce – not just for Chinese food! This gives yet another layer of deep flavor to the sauce.Chili powder – adds lots of delicious spice.Use Tabasco sauce to tasteYou can also add a dash of salt or black pepper for additional flavor.
Substitutions/Additions for this BBQ Sauce Recipe
Running out of brown sugar? Can’t find the chili powder? Fresh out of fresh garlic? Here are a few suggestions to add or substitute in a pinch:
Whisk some molasses or honey or a drizzle of maple syrup to thicken or sweeten up your sauce a little bit.For an extra kick, try stirring in a teaspoon of cayenne pepper.Substitute garlic powder and onion powder for fresh cloves of garlic.Use a sprinkle or two of paprika or liquid smoke for added color and a more smoky bbq sauce.
How Long will Homemade BBQ Sauce Last?
Homemade barbeque sauce has a shorter shelf life than the store bought sauce, but that’s okay because it’s so yummy it probably will get gobbled up quickly! However, any leftover sauce can be stored in a tightly covered mason jar or other airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Favorite Recipes Using Our Homemade BBQ Sauce
We use this BBQ Sauce in a lot of our grilling recipes. The flavor works great with any type of meat whether it be chicken, pork, or steak. But from a pork sandwich to bbq chicken pizza, use this sauce on all kinds of recipes!
Smoked Ribs – Baby Back Pork Ribs cooked to perfection in a smoker.BBQ Chicken – perfectly grilled chicken smothered in barbecue sauce.BBQ Tri Tip – tri tip roast cooked over the grill and sliced with a side of sauce.Pulled Pork Nachos – tortilla chips covered with cheese, pulled pork, pico de gallo, and guacamole then drizzled with BBQ sauce.Crock Pot BBQ Baked Beans – sweet, savory, hearty and delicious. BBQ Twice Baked Potatoes – giant baked potatoes topped with a sweet barbecue beef, cheese and a zesty ranch dressing.BBQ Chicken Pizza – sweet barbecue chicken, lots of gooey cheese, cilantro all piled on top of a homemade pizza crust. So good!
How to Make Homemade BBQ Sauce
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