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Homemade BBQ sauce is incredibly easy to make and can be made to suit your own personal preference. Do you prefer a tangier sauce? Add more vinegar! Are you a fan of spicy sauces? Add in your favorite hot sauce or double the peppers that the recipe calls for! Do you like a sauce that’s on the sweeter side? Add a touch more sugar or even honey if you like. That’s really the advantage of making your own sauces.
Here’s why you’ll want to give this recipe a try:
- It takes just 5 minutes to make.
- It can be used anywhere you use regular BBQ sauce (I’ll list some ideas for inspiration below!)
- This recipe is simple and clean eating as well as being gluten-free, and vegetarian friendly.
- You can customize the flavor profile of your sauce to suit your own personal taste from being sweet to tangy to spicy.
- This sauce when first mixed is a bit thin but it thickens up in the fridge as it chills.
Now let’s talk about what we need to make this delicious sauce…
- Tomato Sauce: Plain is best. I personally like using Pomi.
- Raw Cane Sugar: I blitz mine in the blender to make it into a fine powder which helps it to dissolve faster.
- Molasses: I’m using an unsulphured molasses. I recommend against using blackstrap molasses.
- Distilled White Vinegar: or you can also use apple cider vinegar if you prefer.
- Worcestershire sauce: The flavor that this small ingredient adds is honestly phenomenal.
- Spices: This is where the magic happens and the real depth of flavoring happens. I’m using a combination of the following spices…
- Pink Himalayan Salt (a sea salt works just as well).
- Ground Black Pepper.
- Ground White Pepper.
- Garlic Powder (you can use raw garlic but use just a tiny touch as raw garlic can be very overpowering).
- Smoked Paprika (the smokiness and earthiness this spice brings to the sauce is amazing!).
- Ground Mustard Powder.
- Chipotle Pepper (you can also use Cayenne pepper if you prefer, just be aware that Cayenne tends to get spicier as it sits. If you’re not a fan of heat at all you can omit this ingredient).
- Ground Clove (a little goes a long way and this is one of those ingredients that really gives the sauce somewhat of a signature flavor and mingles well with all other herbs and with the vinegar and tomato base).
Gluten-Free?
If you need your sauce to be gluten-free be sure use to a gluten-free Worcestershire sauce like Lea and Perrins.
Vegan-Friendly?
To make your sauce vegan-friendly, omit the Worcestershire sauce (that usually contains anchovies) or use a vegan friendly alternative.
As for how to make this sauce…
Well this is going to be almost painfully short, but that’s a good thing, right? Anyways…
Add all ingredients into a bowl…
…whisk it all together…
…And you’re done!
I told you this was going to be incredibly short! And now that you know how to make this simple but classic condiment I’m sure you’re wondering what you can use it for or in.
Here are a few ideas for your newly whipped up homemade BBQ Sauce:
- As a condiment for your burgers
- As a basting for your grilled meats (like the skillet grilled BBQ shrimp pictured above)
- As a basting for your grilled veggies!
- BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders (pictured above) or Tacos
- BBQ Pulled Chicken Sliders or Tacos!
- As a pizza/flatbread sauce or as a pizza/flatbread finishing drizzle
- As a glaze for your meatloaves
- As a dipping sauce for fries or chicken tenders/popcorn chicken
- In your baked beans
- As a basting for your Grilled Corn
How do you like to use BBQ sauce? Let us know in the comments below!
Incredibly Easy Homemade BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp molasses (unsulphured)
- 1 tbsp distilled white vinegar
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 5 tbsp raw cane sugar
- 1 tsp Himalayan salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ⅛ tsp white pepper
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper or chipotle pepper
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
- ½ tsp ground mustard
- pinch ground clove
Instructions
- Add all ingredients into a bowl and whisk well to combine. Adjust seasoning to taste and suit your personal preference.
- Use immediately or pour into a jar and seal with a lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 months.
Notes
- This recipe makes approximately 1 cup (8 oz) of sauce.
1 Serving is about 1 tbsp. - This sauce will thicken up in the fridge as it chills.
- For a smoky flavor you can add 1/2 tsp of liquid smoke if you like.
- For a very spicy sauce double the cayenne/chipotle, as well as the black and white pepper or add in your favorite pepper sauce to taste.
