Easy BBQ Sauce

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This homemade BBQ sauce recipe is savory, sweet, mildly spicy, and so easy to make! Everyone needs a quick BBQ sauce to level up their barbecue game.

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Why you’ll love this recipe

Everyone needs a go-to barbecue sauce recipe that’s delicious and goes with everything. That is this recipe and here’s what else we love about it.

easy for any cooking level
made with simple pantry ingredients
naturally sweetened with honey and molasses
bold and rich flavor
made without ketchup
you control the sodium and sugar
saucy, lustrous texture that sticks to meat
save money with on-hand ingredients
mouthwatering delicious with slow cooker pulled pork, Instant Pot pulled pork, shredded chicken, and these mouthwatering pulled pork sliders.

This easy recipe is made with pantry ingredients, many of which you probably have on hand.

unseasoned tomato sauce – This is the base of homemade BBQ sauce and adds tangy flavor and volume.
apple cider vinegar – The subtle acidity and natural sweetness makes the perfect flavor profile for barbecue.
honey – The honey in this bbq sauce adds a natural sweetness that balances the savory flavors of smoked or grilled meats.
molasses – This adds a subtly sweet and smoky flavor to the sauce.
Worcestershire Sauce – Optional, but recommended for depth of flavor.
paprika – I’m using a Hungarian paprika but if you want to add a kick of heat, use hot paprika.
onion powder – This is a convenient way to add onion flavor to the sauce without needing to chop or puree fresh onions.
garlic powder – Use as much as you like.
chili powder – The smallest amount will enhance and deepen the flavor of your homemade BBQ sauce.
black pepper and sea salt

Making homemade BBQ sauce is as easy as heating ingredients in a saucepan. It’s so rich and delicious, you’ll wonder why you haven’t done it sooner!

Step 1. – Combine BBQ sauce ingredients in a sauce pan and place over medium heat.

Step 2. – Heat the sauce mixture about 20 minutes until it thickens to your liking, whisking as needed.

That’s it! It’s so easy to make this BBQ sauce recipe! Once you taste it, you may never buy packaged sauce again!

texture – You can thicken BBQ sauce by simply cooking it a little longer to reduce the liquid. To make a thinner sauce, add a splash of water as needed to adjust the consistency.
make-ahead – This recipe is delicious on the first day and the flavor only gets better by the day, so feel free to make ahead!
storing and freezing – Allow to cool completely, then refrigerate up to 5 days in an airtight storage container. Freeze BBQ sauce up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

tomato sauce – If canned tomato sauce isn’t available, you can make this tomato sauce substitute as a delicious workaround.
honey substitute – If honey isn’t an option, you can substitute brown sugar in equal amounts.
adjust sweetness – Adjust the sweetness by adding more honey to taste and simmering as needed to thicken.
spiciness – To make BBQ sauce spicier, add small amounts of cayenne pepper or chipotle in adobo to the cooked sauce. Use mustard or vinegar to add a distinctive Southern flavor to homemade barbecue sauce.