Homemade BBQ Sauce

Homemade BBQ Sauce is flavorful, quick and easy to make. It is sticky, smoky, and sweet, transforming grilled meats into irresistible deliciousness.

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Why Make Homemade BBQ Sauce

While store-bought BBQ sauces can be convenient, making homemade BBQ sauce offers several advantages.

• Customization– Creating your own BBQ sauce allows you to tailor the flavors and adjust the spice level, sweetness, tanginess, and smokiness according to your taste preferences, resulting in a sauce that perfectly suits your taste preferences.
• Quality Ingredients- Making BBQ sauce from scratch allows you to have control over the ingredients, ensuring the use of high-quality ingredients and avoiding artificial additives or preservatives found in store-bought versions. Note: See alternatives for liquid smoke section below for those concerned about this ingredient. Tomato Base: Tomato sauce and tomato paste create a rich and robust classic base for the sauce.
• Satisfaction and Pride– Crafting your own BBQ sauce from scratch can be a rewarding experience, offering a sense of accomplishment and pride when you taste the delicious sauce you have created, enhancing your overall barbecue experience.

Achieving a Balanced Flavor Profile

• Sauté the Aromatics– Sautéing the finely diced onion in extra virgin olive oil until soft and translucent adds a lighter and fresh flavor. On the other hand, sautéing until lightly caramelized adds a deeper and richer flavor. The garlic should be sautéed just until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Sweetness and Depth– To achieve a harmonious balance of sweetness and depth in your Homemade BBQ Sauce add molasses and dark brown sugar. These ingredients work together to provide a complex sweetness and rich undertones to the sauce. Adjust the quantities of molasses and dark brown sugar according to your desired level of sweetness.
• Tanginess and Acidity– The addition of apple cider vinegar adds tanginess and acidity to the sauce. It helps cut through the richness and adds a flavorful brightness.
• Umami Boost– Enhance the depth of flavor by adding Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and liquid smoke. These ingredients contribute umami, smokiness, and a savory quality to the sauce. Note: See Alternatives to Liquid Smoke section below for anyone concerned about this product.
• Spice and Heat– The mesquite seasoning, red chili flakes, ground black pepper, onion powder, and mustard powder adds layers of spice and heat. Adjust the quantities to achieve your desired level of spiciness.
• Tomato Base– Tomato sauce and tomato paste create a rich and robust classic base for the sauce.

Ingredients Needed

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Onion and Garlic
• Tomato Sauce and Paste
• Unsulfured Molasses
• Dark Brown Sugar
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Liquid Smoke (optional)
• Soy Sauce
• Spices (Mesquite seasoning, red chili pepper flakes, black pepper, onion powder and mustard powder.)

Alternatives to Liquid Smoke

When seeking an alternative for liquid smoke in homemade BBQ sauce, consider the following options:

• Smoked Paprika– 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika adds in a subtle smoky flavor.
• Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce– Incorporate 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, which provides a smoky and spicy kick to the sauce. Chop or puree the peppers and add at the same time the liquid smoke would be added.
• Smoked Salt– Replace regular salt with smoked salt to introduce a subtle smoky essence to your BBQ sauce. Be mindful of the saltiness and adjust accordingly.

How To Make

1. Dice and prepare the onion and garlic. Measure all the ingredients. Note: This sauce moves fast and having all the ingredients ready will simplify the preparation. 
2. Warm oil in a medium sized sauce pan over medium heat.
3. Sauté onion until soft and translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, molasses, brown sugar, vinegar, worcestershire, liquid smoke and soy sauce. Stir until combined.
5. Add spices and stir well.
6. Cook over low heat until desired thickness, approximately 10-15 mins, stirring frequently. Taste and adjust seasoning for desired flavor making sure to add additional flavors in small batches if needed.
7. Carefully use an immersion blender for a smooth texture.

Uses for Homemade BBQ Sauce

• BBQ Chicken Sandwich
• BBQ Chicken Pizza
• As a finishing touch on Best Ever Dry Rub Chicken Wings and Best Dry Rubbed Ribs.
• On top of Mom’s Classic Meatloaf.
• Pulled Pork Sandwiches
• Beef and Chicken Skewers
• Dipping Sauce

Homemade BBQ Sauce

Homemade BBQ Sauce is flavorful, quick and easy to make. It is sticky, smoky, and sweet, transforming grilled meats into irresistible deliciousness. 

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: BBQ Sauce

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Homemade BBQ Sauce, Homemade BBQ Sauce Without Ketchup

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 14 servings

Calories: 66kcal

Author: Heather

Ingredients

• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 med onion *finely diced, about 3/4 cup
• 3 lg cloves garlic
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 7 oz tomato paste
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar *packed
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp liquid smoke *see Note #1 below
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp mesquite seasoning
• 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp mustard powder

Instructions

• Dice and prepare the onion and garlic. Measure all the ingredients. See Note #2 below.
• Warm oil in a medium sized sauce pan over medium heat.
• Sauté onion until soft and translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, molasses, brown sugar, vinegar, worcestershire, liquid smoke and soy sauce. Stir until combined.
• Add spices and stir well.
• Cook over low heat until desired thickness, approximately 10-15 mins, stirring frequently. Taste and adjust seasoning for desired flavor making sure to add additional flavors in small batches if needed.
• Carefully use an immersion blender for a smooth texture. See Note #3 below.

Notes

Recipe Notes

Note #1– When seeking an alternative for liquid smoke in homemade BBQ sauce, consider the following options:

• Smoked Paprika– 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika adds in a subtle smoky flavor.
• Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce– Incorporate 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, which provides a smoky and spicy kick to the sauce. Chop or puree the peppers and add at the same time the liquid smoke would be added.
• Smoked Salt– Replace regular salt with smoked salt to introduce a subtle smoky essence to your BBQ sauce. Be mindful of the saltiness and adjust accordingly.

Note #2– It is wise to prepare the onion and garlic and have all the ingredients measured prior to beginning. This sauce moves fast and having all the ingredients ready will simplify the preparation. 

Note #3– If processing with an immersion blender while still hot, approach cautiously as  hot splatters are highly possible. 

Note #4– For an extra thick sauce, substitute tomato sauce for tomato paste. Cans and jars will run from 6-8 oz and will still work well for recipe.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 66kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 359mg | Potassium: 345mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 307IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg

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