BBQ Sauce

At a glance

What stands out: This from-scratch BBQ sauce recipe is the reliable blend of sweet, spicy, and smoky! It’s reliable on chicken, beef, pork, and pizzas, and it’s an excellent dipping sauce for chicken tenders and nuggets, too!

How long it takes: 25 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: small saucepan, measuring utensils
Servings: Makes 3 cups.

Check Your Pantry, You Probably Have Everything You Need

With summer comes lots of grilling! We're excited to fire up our grill and cook out as much as possible. This from-scratch BBQ sauce is one of our favorite condiments for grilled meat.

If you want to control exactly what you’re eating and not pay the big bucks for high-quality store-bought barbecue sauce, this BBQ sauce recipe is the way to go.

Side note: we just typed QQB instead of BBQ and now we're thinking maybe we need some C-O-F-F-E-E.

What makes it special:

• Big, bold QQB (er, BBQ) flavor: This BBQ sauce is packed full of sweet heat, with a touch of smokiness from smoked paprika, and like many of our recipes, it’s customizable so you can make it reliable for you (and we help you figure out how, in the notes of the recipe!).
• Straightforward to mix: In just 25 minutes, you can make 3 cups of BBQ sauce with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry! That’s pretty low effort for a VERY high reward.
• So many ways to use it: It’s great on chicken, slow cooker ribs, pulled pork, barbecue chicken pizza, BBQ chicken salad, and anything else that you’d normally sauce up with BBQ. Dip your air fryer chicken tenders or nuggets into from-scratch sauce, too!

Cyndi Said:

“Rich!! We've tried so many store bought versions and just haven’t liked the flavor. This tasted good and was so straightforward to mix! Thanks for sharing this recipe!”

See More Reader Reviews

What goes in

You’ll find the full ingredient list and measurements below, but here’s a speedy overview.

• Tomato sauce + ketchup: This is a tomato-based barbecue sauce. There are other types that have more of a mustard/vinegar base, and even one that has a mayonnaise base, but a tomato-based BBQ sauce is probably the most familiar.
• Brown sugar + molasses: This duo provides the rich sweetness that’s characteristic of most BBQ sauces. You can use dark or light brown sugar. We recommend a light molasses rather than blackstrap molasses which tends to be bitter.
• Apple cider vinegar: Just a bit of vinegar balances the sweetness with a little tang and acid.
• Worcestershire sauce: So we can practice spelling it. Oh yeah, and to add depth to the flavor.
• Spice Party! Ground mustard, chili powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, kosher salt, ground black pepper, and ground cayenne are all pantry spices you most likely have already. Be sure to use garlic powder, not garlic salt, which will make your BBQ sauce too salty. Same goes for onion powder.

How it comes together

Combine ingredients. Measure out all of the ingredients into a small saucepan. We like to line the seasonings up on our right hand, measure out an ingredient, then move that item to the left side, so we don’t forget which spices we've added. This works well if you tend to get interrupted (and who doesn’t?).

Simmer. Give the ingredients a good stir using a spoon or a small whisk. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the sauce for 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.

Finish. Season to taste, then use right away or store for later.

Grilling With BBQ Sauce

If you’re grilling or broiling, brush the sauce on your meat near the end of the cooking time. Continue grilling or broiling just long enough to caramelize the sugars in the BBQ sauce and make it absolutely irresistible. If you put it on right away, the sugar in the sauce will burn before the meat is cooked through.

Ways to change it

• Swap the sweetener. Add an additional tablespoon or two of molasses, if you enjoy the rich flavor of molasses. Try a different type of sweetener, like honey or maple syrup. You can easily adjust the amount of sweetener to your taste.
• Skip the ketchup. If you want to make this with no ketchup, use extra tomato sauce. We've made it both ways and there’s little difference in flavor. You do have to cook the sauce longer because tomato sauce is more watery than ketchup.
• Adjust the cayenne to your tastes. Like a spicy BBQ sauce? Add extra cayenne pepper. You’re the boss. Start with the recommended amount, and add more after you taste the sauce. (You can’t take it out once it’s in there.)
• Try something different. Make this cherry chipotle BBQ sauce for a sweet and spicy sauce or try this straightforward from-scratch BBQ rub for smokers and ribs.

How to use Barbecue Sauce

• Ribs: What are ribs without a nice glaze of BBQ sauce? It’s what makes them finger-licking good! Try your from-scratch BBQ sauce on fall-off-the-bone oven baked ribs, Instant Pot ribs or slow cooker ribs!
• Pulled (shredded) meat: BBQ sauce is great on Instant Pot shredded chicken, tasty slow cooker pulled pork, or pretty much anything you put on a bun. Add a dollop of from-scratch creamy coleslaw, too.
• Grilled/cooked meats: Dress up air fryer drumsticks or thighs with your from-scratch barbecue sauce. Have you ever tried salmon with BBQ sauce? So good!
• As a marinade: It’s straightforward to mix your own BBQ chicken marinade using barbecue sauce and a few other ingredients. Your chicken will taste memorable!
• As a dipping sauce: We love to dip air fryer French fries or sweet potato fries in barbecue sauce, and chicken nuggets, too! Whisk a spoonful of mayonnaise into the BBQ sauce if you want a creamy dipping sauce.

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerate: After the sauce has cooled, put it into a small jar with a lid or a tightly covered bowl. It will last for at least a couple weeks in your fridge, maybe more. Discard any BBQ sauce if you notice a change in consistency, color, or smell.

Freeze: You can freeze BBQ sauce for up to six months. Transfer it to a freezer-safe container, allowing a little headroom for expansion. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

• Yield: 24 (3 cups total)
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 15 minutes
• Total: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce (we like no-salt-added tomato sauce)
• 1 cup ketchup (see note)
• ⅓ cup brown sugar (dark or light)
• ⅓ cup molasses (we use a light molasses, not blackstrap)
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (more to taste)

Method

1. In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients using a spoon or small whisk.
2. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, then reduce the heat to medium. Continue to simmer for at least 10 minutes, lowering the heat if necessary. Stir frequently, and cook until sauce is thickened slightly and somewhat darker in color.
3. Taste the sauce to make sure it’s to your liking. This BBQ sauce recipe leans more toward the tangy side, so if you like it sweeter, stir in extra sugar.
4. Use immediately, or let it cool slightly before using.

Notes

Storage: After the sauce has cooled, transfer it to a small jar with a lid or a tightly covered bowl and refrigerate. It will last for at least a couple weeks, maybe more. Discard any BBQ sauce if you notice a change in consistency, color, or smell. You can also freeze BBQ sauce for up to six months. Transfer it to a freezer-safe container, allowing headroom for expansion. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

Ketchup substitute: If you prefer to make your sauce without ketchup, substitute an 8 ounce can of tomato sauce (so you’ll need one 15 ounce can as written in the recipe, and one additional 8 ounce can as a replacement for the ketchup). Simmer the sauce for 20 minutes instead of 10 because the tomato sauce is more watery. We’ve tested it both ways and the taste is similar.

Smoky BBQ sauce: Increase the amount of smoked paprika to 1 teaspoon, or more, depending on taste.

Spicy BBQ sauce: Increase the amount of cayenne pepper, to taste. You can also add more chili powder. The spice level of chili powder can vary depending on what brand you buy.