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Home » Sauces & Seasonings » Homemade BBQ Sauce

Published: June 9, 2022 Last Modified: June 9, 2022 By Sara 58 Comments

Homemade BBQ Sauce

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Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe | Barbecue Sauce Recipe #bbq #grilling #sauce #condiments #dinneratthezoo
Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe | Barbecue Sauce Recipe #bbq #grilling #sauce #condiments #dinneratthezoo
Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe | Barbecue Sauce Recipe #bbq #grilling #sauce #condiments #dinneratthezoo

This homemade BBQ sauce is a blend of tomato, spices, cider vinegar and brown sugar, all simmered together to create a thick and rich condiment that’s perfect for any barbecue. Homemade barbecue sauce is SO much better than the store bought kind!

It only takes a few minutes to make your own BBQ sauce, and my version has the perfect blend of sweet and tangy. This sauce is great on pork chops, chicken dishes, wings and more!

A jar of homemade BBQ sauce with a basting brush next to it.

It’s so easy to go to the grocery store and grab a bottle of barbecue sauce. That being said, I find that so many store bought BBQ sauces are overly sweet and contain ingredients like high fructose corn syrup and preservatives. This homemade BBQ sauce tastes so much better than the store bought kind, that it’s really worth it to take the 15 minutes to make your own.

BBQ Sauce Ingredients

Bowls of ingredients including ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar and spices.

This recipe contains ketchup, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, dry mustard powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and hot sauce.

How do you make homemade BBQ sauce?

Place all of the ingredients in a medium sized pan. Stir to combine the ingredients. Let the mixture simmer over low heat for 8-10 minutes, or until sauce has thickened. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for future use.

Step by step shots showing how to make barbecue sauce.

Tips for homemade BBQ sauce

  • Be sure to use smoked paprika, not regular paprika. Smoked paprika can be found in almost every grocery store and is not expensive.
  • Store your BBQ sauce in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can also freeze your sauce for later use.
  • Look for ketchup that is organic or conventional ketchup that is not sweetened with high fructose corn syrup.
  • Your BBQ sauce needs to simmer on low heat; if the heat is too high it may splatter onto your stove!
  • I use Frank’s Red Hot sauce for just a touch of spice in my sauce. If you’re heat adverse, you can easily omit it.
Homemade BBQ sauce being brushed onto chicken wings.

Recipe FAQs

How do you thicken BBQ sauce?

The easiest way to thicken BBQ sauce is to simmer it until some of the liquid has evaporated. You’ll want to stir the sauce frequently so that it doesn’t burn. Keep in mind that your sauce will also thicken as it cools.

How do you make BBQ sauce taste better?

I find that people have different taste preferences when it comes to BBQ sauce. Some prefer a sweeter sauce, others prefer smoky or spicy. You can absolutely adjust the ingredient amounts in this recipe to suit your tastes. The key component is to make sure you have a smoky element to the sauce to complement the flavors of the meat.

An overhead shot of a jar of BBQ sauce.

Homemade BBQ Sauce Variations

  • Spicy BBQ Sauce: Add up to 1 tablespoon of hot sauce or 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.
  • Maple BBQ Sauce: Substitute 1/4 cup maple syrup for the honey.
  • Extra Smoky BBQ Sauce: Double the amount of smoked paprika.
  • Coca Cola BBQ Sauce: Add 1/2 cup Coca Cola to the recipe.

Homemade barbecue sauce is delicious on any type of meat. It’s particularly good on smoked meats such as chicken and pork. It makes an amazing pulled pork sandwich and the best barbecued chicken wings you’ll ever eat.

I always keep this BBQ sauce in my freezer so that I have some on hand when the grilling mood strikes. It just can’t be beat!

More grilling recipes

  • Steak Kabobs with Garlic Butter
  • Grilled Chicken Kabobs
  • Grilled Chicken Tenders
  • Grilled Shrimp Skewers
  • Grilled Potatoes in Foil

Homemade BBQ Sauce Video

A jar of homemade BBQ sauce with a basting brush next to it.
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4.9 from 38 votes

Homemade BBQ Sauce

This homemade BBQ sauce is a blend of tomato, spices, cider vinegar and brown sugar, all simmered together to create a thick and rich condiment that’s perfect for any barbecue. Homemade barbecue sauce is SO much better than the store bought kind!
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 118kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 2 cups ketchup
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 5 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce or more to taste

Instructions

  • Place all the ingredients in a pan over medium low heat. Stir to combine.
  • Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until thickened.
  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

  1. Look for ketchup that is organic or conventional ketchup that is not sweetened with high fructose corn syrup.
  2. Be sure to use smoked paprika, not regular paprika. Smoked paprika can be found in almost every grocery store and is not expensive.

Nutrition

Calories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Sodium: 427mg | Potassium: 245mg | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 615IU | Vitamin C: 2.9mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 0.6mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @DinnerAtTheZoo or tag #dinneratthezoo!
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Filed Under: Sauces & Seasonings, Smoker

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    Comments

    1. Sally says

      September 14, 2019 at 5:16 pm

      When you say cup how big is the cup? I have mugs!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        September 14, 2019 at 8:40 pm

        It’s a cup unit of measurement https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cup_(unit)

        Reply
    2. Kathy says

      September 3, 2019 at 3:23 pm

      5 stars
      My favorite BBQ Sauce. Substituted molasses for the Honey! Absolutely Amazing ❤️

      Reply
    3. Lydia says

      August 2, 2019 at 9:21 pm

      I’d love to try this but don’t have smoked paprika. Will using regular paprika change the flavor significantly?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        August 3, 2019 at 9:44 pm

        It will have a slightly less smoky flavor with regular paprika, if you have any liquid smoke on hand you could add a small amount to account for using regular paprika!

        Reply
    4. Wanda Dunn says

      July 7, 2019 at 11:27 am

      This sauce is awesome. I want be buying store bought sauce again.

      Reply
    5. Julie says

      June 14, 2019 at 4:05 pm

      Looks delish! May I use a little spicy brown mustard in place of the dry mustard? Just because that’s what I have on hand. Thx!!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        June 14, 2019 at 9:53 pm

        That should be fine!

        Reply
    6. Kristie Towe says

      June 8, 2019 at 8:39 am

      This sounds absolutely delicious….will definitely be trying soon!!!

      Reply
    7. David says

      May 25, 2019 at 5:04 pm

      5 stars
      Needs a little something to off-set the vinegar. I put a tsp. of sage and 1/2 tsp. of lemon. Turned out really nice!

      Reply
    8. Valentina says

      April 9, 2019 at 3:24 pm

      5 stars
      Never knew homemade barbecue sauce was so easy to make. Forget store-bought, this is awesome. YES!!!

      Reply
    9. Toni says

      April 8, 2019 at 9:10 am

      5 stars
      I love how easy this is to make! Thank you for sharing!!

      Reply
    10. lauren kelly says

      April 8, 2019 at 8:59 am

      5 stars
      I love this so much that I will never buy it at a store again!

      Reply
    11. Allyson Zea says

      April 8, 2019 at 8:45 am

      WHAT?! I had no idea you could make this! TRYING!

      Reply
    12. Aimee Shugarman says

      April 8, 2019 at 8:44 am

      5 stars
      Love the flavor of this sauce. So tasty!

      Reply
    13. Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says

      April 3, 2019 at 4:14 pm

      This sauce looks incredibly delicious!

      Reply
    14. Melanie Bauer says

      April 2, 2019 at 8:08 pm

      5 stars
      Looks awesome! I’d love to try this, those flavors are amazing and definitely way better than store bought!

      Reply
    15. Allison says

      April 2, 2019 at 2:34 pm

      5 stars
      Homemade BBQ sauce is the best, and this one does not disappoint. Delish!

      Reply
    16. Paula says

      April 2, 2019 at 11:01 am

      Love all the ingredients in this sauce.

      Reply
    17. Jacque Hooper says

      April 2, 2019 at 8:58 am

      5 stars
      My husband is a huge fan of BBQ but we’ve never made our own sauce! This sounds like a perfect balance between sweet and tangy!

      Reply
    18. Taylor says

      April 2, 2019 at 8:53 am

      5 stars
      So easy and flavorful! Love homemade BBQ sauce!

      Reply
    19. Dee says

      April 1, 2019 at 10:36 am

      5 stars
      These all look so amazing! I especially like the idea of that Maple barbecue sauce

      Reply
    20. Demeter says

      April 1, 2019 at 9:49 am

      5 stars
      I love making my own sauces and with summer right around the corner, this is perfect!

      Reply
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