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Laughing Spatula / Recipe Index / Sauces and condiments / Homemade BBQ Sauce

Homemade BBQ Sauce

By Kathi & Rachel

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Have you ever read the ingredients on the back of your favorite store bought BBQ sauce? I love me some sweet, tangy store bought BBQ sauce but on the  top of the ingredient list is high fructose corn syrup.  This is a fabulous home made version, and tastes even BETTER, and uses ingredients you likely already have in your pantry! Bonus- it only takes 10 minutes to make. 

BBQ Sauce in mason jar tied with twine

 

A worthy subsitute!  It was hard finding a recipe that didn’t include ketchup.  I mean, if you are going to add two cups of ketchup you might as well be slurping up store-bought…and we can do better. For this recipe, we used canned tomato sauce. The richness of the tomato flavor compliments the sweetness of the honey creating the perfect sauce. 

bbq sauce in pot on stove

Don’t let the ingredient list intimidate you.  I’ll bet you already have most of it on hand.

If you don’t have liquid smoke on hand, here’s a few substitution ideas:

  • Substitute a minced chipotle pepper for some added smokey flavor.
  • You could also double the amount of smoked paprika if you really want a smokey flavor.
  • Increase honey by 2 tablespoons for a sweetened up sauce.
  • Add 2 tablespoons of orange juice, or even mango juice for a fruity kick.
    • Sweet and spicy go great together, consider adding a little extra red chili flakes.

spoon with bbq sauce on it

We are big fans of fresh and delicious BBQ food- here’s a few of our favorite recipes for BBQ season!

  • Air Fryer BBQ Chicken
  • 3 Step Fall Off The Bone Ribs
  • Cauliflower ‘potato’ Salad 
  • Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob

Clink!

Kathi

BBQ Sauce in mason jar tied with twine

Homemade BBQ Sauce

Easy Homemade BBQ Sauce! No more preservatives or over sweetened sauce!
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
Servings: 32 2 tablespoon servings
Author: Kathi & Rachel

Ingredients

  • 1 15 oz . can tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1/3 cup molasses
  • 3 tablespoons . worcestershire
  • 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Pinch of chili flakes

Instructions

  • Pour all ingredients in large saucepan and whisk.
  • Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10-15 minutes until sauce is thickened.
  • Store in sealed container.
  • Will keep in refrigerator for up to one week.

Nutrition

Calories: 28kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Sodium: 181mg | Potassium: 140mg | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 155IU | Vitamin C: 1.8mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.5mg

 

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Filed Under: Fast and Fresh, Healthy Recipes, Sauces and condiments

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Abby says

    May 30, 2015 at 4:16 pm

    Hi,
    Boy this sounds great, my question is…. can I use dark brown sugar in place of the honey ?? I really never have honey on hand. I appreciate any help and advise

    Reply
    • Kathi Kirk says

      May 30, 2015 at 8:38 pm

      Yes! You certainly could. Your sauce will most likely be a bit sweeter but I like it that way!

      Reply
      • Abby says

        May 30, 2015 at 8:45 pm

        Thanks for the help, my hubby will be so pleased with a sweet sauce !

  2. Pat@savorthebest.com says

    May 28, 2015 at 3:13 am

    Yippee! That sounds really good and I’m going to try it out, thanks!

    Reply
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