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!
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
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.
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.
Recipe FAQs
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.
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.
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
Homemade BBQ Sauce
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
- Look for ketchup that is organic or conventional ketchup that is not sweetened with high fructose corn syrup.
- Be sure to use smoked paprika, not regular paprika. Smoked paprika can be found in almost every grocery store and is not expensive.
Sally says
When you say cup how big is the cup? I have mugs!
Sara says
It’s a cup unit of measurement https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cup_(unit)
Kathy says
My favorite BBQ Sauce. Substituted molasses for the Honey! Absolutely Amazing ❤️
Lydia says
I’d love to try this but don’t have smoked paprika. Will using regular paprika change the flavor significantly?
Sara says
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!
Wanda Dunn says
This sauce is awesome. I want be buying store bought sauce again.
Julie says
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!!
Sara says
That should be fine!
Kristie Towe says
This sounds absolutely delicious….will definitely be trying soon!!!
David says
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!
Valentina says
Never knew homemade barbecue sauce was so easy to make. Forget store-bought, this is awesome. YES!!!
Toni says
I love how easy this is to make! Thank you for sharing!!
lauren kelly says
I love this so much that I will never buy it at a store again!
Allyson Zea says
WHAT?! I had no idea you could make this! TRYING!
Aimee Shugarman says
Love the flavor of this sauce. So tasty!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
This sauce looks incredibly delicious!
Melanie Bauer says
Looks awesome! I’d love to try this, those flavors are amazing and definitely way better than store bought!
Allison says
Homemade BBQ sauce is the best, and this one does not disappoint. Delish!
Paula says
Love all the ingredients in this sauce.
Jacque Hooper says
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!
Taylor says
So easy and flavorful! Love homemade BBQ sauce!
Dee says
These all look so amazing! I especially like the idea of that Maple barbecue sauce
Demeter says
I love making my own sauces and with summer right around the corner, this is perfect!