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    BeeyondCereal » Recipes » Sauces, Spices, Condiments and Dressings

    Easy Homemade Barbecue Sauce

    Modified: Oct 17, 2023 Published: Sep 3, 2021 by Nicole Durham This post may contain affiliate links. Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Making your own homemade barbecue sauce is easier than you may think. With a few minutes of your time, you can have a flavorful sauce perfect for any meal or occasion.

    Recipe: $1.48 | Per Serving: $0.37 | Servings: 4

    a jar filled with homemade bbq sauce.

    Have you ever found yourself missing a key ingredient when preparing dinner? I've been there countless times, imagining I had everything I needed only to discover it's not in the pantry.

    That's where homemade barbecue sauce like this one saves the day. It elevates every dish it touches, enhancing flavors in unexpected ways.

    Give it a try with Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Breasts, Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Thighs, and Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs to experience its magic!

    Crafted with a ketchup base, this BBQ sauce is rich, sweet, and tangy, adding depth to grilled meats like burgers, ribs, chicken, and pork, such as our Baked BBQ Pork Spare Ribs. Whether basting, dipping, or marinating, this versatile sauce guarantees a flavor explosion, becoming a kitchen essential.

    Jump to:
    • 🍯 Why This Recipe Works
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 📖 Variations
    • 🔪 Instructions for Homemade Barbecue Sauce
    • 🍴 Recipe Tips
    • 💭 Recipe FAQs
    • ❤️ More Delicious Condiment Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    🍯 Why This Recipe Works

    1. Basic ingredients. It's so easy to take a few basic frugal pantry staples and cook them into a flavorful sauce. Most of the ingredients needed are probably in your own home already.
    2. The steps are easy. All you need to do to make this BBQ sauce from ketchup is measure, boil, and whisk. Easy enough, right?
    3. Flavorful possibilities. You can use this sauce on everything from chicken to Instant Pot Beef Back Ribs and still enjoy every bite.

    🥘 Ingredients

    labeled ingredients needed to make barbecue sauce.

    Ingredient Notes:

    Ketchup- This will be the base of our sauce, as most BBQ sauces tend to be tomato based.

    Brown sugar- You can use regular granulated sugar if you don't have brown sugar, but the depth of flavor from the molasses makes the sauce taste great.

    Worcestershire sauce- This stuff adds a depth of flavor that you're going to love!

    Vinegar- You can use any vinegar, but I prefer apple cider vinegar. This contributes to acidity and brightness.

    Mustard- Adding in mustard will help to cut down on the sweetness a little.

    For specific ingredients and measurements, please see the recipe card below.

    📖 Variations

    Enhanced Flavor: Adding in ¼-1/2 teaspoon of liquid smoke can really take the flavors up a notch. (We also use liquid smoke in our Not So Smoked Trout Dip).

    Smoother Consistency: For a smoother texture in the ketchup BBQ sauce, you can blend it in batches using a food processor until it reaches a smooth consistency. This step is optional and not required for the recipe.

    🔪 Instructions for Homemade Barbecue Sauce

    diced onions and water in a pot.

    Step 1: Add the onions and water to a pot over medium heat.

    cooked diced onions and water in a pot.

    Step 2: Cook for about 3 minutes until softened.

    whisk in a pot with mustard seasonings water and cooked onions.

    Step 3: Add in the brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper.

    diced onions and brown liquid in a pot with a whisk.

    Step 4: Whisk to combine.

    ketchup added to a pot with a whisk and brown onion mixture.

    Step 5: Whisk in the ketchup, continue to whisk until boiling, and then reduce the heat to medium-low.

    whisk in a pot with ketchup based barbecue sauce.

    Step 6: Allow the sauce to simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until thickened.

    Step 7: Remove from heat and let cool.

    Use as desired.

    a ball mason jar filled with homemade bbq sauce.

    🍴 Recipe Tips

    1. Batch Size Consideration- Prepare a batch of this easy BBQ sauce, and it will yield enough for multiple uses or thick layers of sauce, depending on your preference.
    2. Tomato Aroma- Initially, the sauce will emit a strong tomato scent due to the ketchup. However, as it simmers, the tomato flavor and aroma will mellow and harmonize with other ingredients, resulting in a well-balanced sauce.

    💭 Recipe FAQs

    How long is homemade BBQ sauce good for?

    This sauce can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or it can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

    Is BBQ sauce vegan?

    This recipe, as written, is not vegan friendly because Worcestershire sauce is traditionally made with anchovies. You can use a vegan-friendly soy sauce in its place though. That would make this recipe vegan-friendly!

    Can BBQ sauce be used as a marinade?

    Yes, this sauce could be used as a marinade for meats. Simply place thawed meat into the cooled sauce in a covered container for up to 4-6 hours in the fridge, or place meat and sauce in a sealed container in the freezer for up to a few weeks. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then cook as desired.

    a spoon holding a scoop of sauce over a mason jar filled with bbq sauce.

    ❤️ More Delicious Condiment Recipes

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    If you tried this Easy Homemade Barbecue Sauce, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your feedback in the 📝 comments section below. I would truly appreciate it!

    📖 Recipe

    a spoon of sauce above a jar filled with barbecue sauce.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Easy Homemade Barbecue Sauce

    Making your own homemade barbecue sauce is easier than you may think. With a few minutes of your time, you can have a flavorful sauce perfect for any meal or occasion.
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 25 minutes mins
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 291kcal
    Cost Recipe $1.48
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Whisk
    • Medium-sized pot

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup onion, diced ($0.45)
    • ½ cup water ($0.00)
    • ½ cup brown sugar ($0.22)
    • 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce ($0.12)
    • 2 Tablespoons vinegar ($0.08)
    • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice ($0.12)
    • 2 Tablespoons yellow mustard ($0.03)
    • ½ teaspoon salt ($0.01)
    • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ($0.04)
    • 2 cups ketchup ($0.41)
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Add the onions and water to a pot over medium heat and cook for about 3 minutes until softened.
    • Add in the brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine.
    • Whisk in the ketchup, continue to whisk until boiling, and then reduce the heat to medium-low.
    • Allow the sauce to simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until thickened.
    • Remove from heat and let cool. Use as desired.

    Notes

    Recipe Tips:
    • Each batch yields ample sauce for multiple uses or thick layers.
    • Initially, the sauce may have a strong tomato scent due to the ketchup, but as it cooks, the tomato flavor mellows and blends well with other ingredients.
    • Boost flavors with ¼-1/2 teaspoon of liquid smoke.
    • For a smoother texture, blend the sauce in batches using a food processor; however, this step is optional.
    Storage:
    • Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1cup | Calories: 291kcal | Carbohydrates: 71.3g | Protein: 0.3g | Sodium: 1568.5mg | Potassium: 150.9mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 60.6g | Vitamin A: 240.5IU | Vitamin C: 15.1mg | Calcium: 39.7mg | Iron: 0.7mg
    Author Nicole Durham
    Course sauce
    Cuisine American
    Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian
    Tried this recipe?Mention @BeeyondCereal on Instagram and hashtag it #BeeyondCereal
    Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used. To view how this recipe was calculated you can visit my Pricing Disclosure Page for more information.

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    Hey, I'm Nicole

    The proud owner and recipe developer behind BeeyondCereal. Here, I'm passionate about showing people how to navigate the kitchen with frugality in mind, whipping up family-friendly recipes that not only save money but also bring joy to every meal.

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