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BBQ Sauce Recipe

March 10, 2020 by Lyuba 1 Comment

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This BBQ sauce is the best and it goes wonderfully with chicken breast, wings, ribs, pulled meats, sandwiches, and so much more. It’s sweet, tangy, smokey, and very easy to make in less than 30 minutes.

This basic BBQ sauce has a classic flavor to compliment every type of meat whether you need to slather it over your ribs, mix it with shredded brisket, or dip you chicken wings.

BBQ sauce in a jar

BBQ SAUCE

Many of my friends are tired of me constantly saying that “homemade is the best,” but I can’t help myself. Homemade really is the best whether you are talking about sauces, seasonings, mixes, marinades, or anything else. It’s especially true when the homemade recipe is super easy.

And when I say “easy,” it’s truly as easy as combining ingredients together in a sauce pot and simmering for about 20 minutes. That’s all it takes and in result, you will have a sauce that tastes better than store-bought. Even a simple chicken breast will be full of flavor with a coat of BBQ sauce on it.

Don’t even get me started on wings. Grilled wings slathered in homemade BBQ sauce is pure heaven. And if you have some homemade ranch dressing to dip it in, that’s the perfect wing. (Unless you prefer blue cheese, of course.)

ingredients for BBQ sauce

HOW TO MAKE BBQ SAUCE

As simple as the process is for making this sauce, I do have two methods for it. Sometimes, I make it quickly on the stove-top and simple add a little liquid smoke for a hint of smokey flavor.

When I already have the grill going, I pop a grill-safe sauce pot on the grill to simmer the sauce. Simmering it on the grill will infuse it with natural smokey flavors from the coals and wood.  In the summer, this is the perfect way to make my BBQ sauce.

On the stove-top, add ketchup into a sauce pot and whisk in all other ingredients. Bring the mixture to simmer over medium heat and then lower the heat to medium-low. Let it simmer for 15-20 minutes and make sure to stir it from time to time.

When the sauce is done, take it off the heat and let it cool to room temperature and store or use it right away in other recipes.

spooning the sauce

HOW TO MAKE IT ON THE GRILL

To make sauces on the grill, use a grill-safe sauce pot and wooden spoon so you don’t damage the pot. Whisk all the ingredients together and pour it into the pot. (You don’t need to use liquid smoke when making this sauce on the charcoal or wood grill but you will want to add some if using a gas grill.)

Place the pot on the preheated grill, directly over coals and let it come to simmer. Move it off to the warm side, not over the coals, close the grill lid and let it cook for 10-15 minutes. Stir a couple of times while it’s cooking.

Sauce will be ready to slather over the meat or cool it and store in the refrigerator.

pouring cooked sauce into the jar

GRILL NOTES:

Coals: briquettes (you can still use lump, you may just need to add a few bricks to keep the heat going)

Grill temperature: medium: 350°-450°

Placement on the grill: direct first and then indirect. Two-zone fire is a must.

Wood if desired: most wood will go well but it also depends on the meat you plan to use.

horizontal view of the sauce in a jar

STORING HOMEMADE BBQ SAUCE

Make sure to store the sauce in the refrigerator, in a glass jar or another food storage container with an air-tight lid. Stored properly, it should last for 7-10 days.

Can I freeze homemade BBQ sauce?

Yes, you can freeze this sauce but the quality won’t be as good once thawed. I would recommend using thawed sauce mixed in cooked dishes like pulled meats, rather than as a dip or coating on wings and ribs.

To freeze it, transfer cooled sauce into a freezer zip-lock bag and get as much air out as you can. Close it tight, label and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen sauce overnight in the refrigerator.

close up of the sauce in a jar

MORE RECIPES TO TRY

Bacon Jam

Homemade Buffalo Sauce

Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce

Honey Mustard Dressing

brushing grilled chicken with BBQ sauce

If you made any of my recipes and shared them on Instagram, make sure to tag me @grillingsmokingliving and #grillingsmokingliving so I can see all the things you tried!

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PIN THIS RECIPE

BBQ Sauce Recipe

This BBQ sauce is sweet, tangy, smokey, and very easy to make in less than 30 minutes. It's the best for chicken breast, wings, ribs, pulled meats, sandwiches, and so much more.
Print Recipe
CourseMain Course, Sauce
CuisineAmerican
KeywordBBQ sauce, sauce
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Calories703kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 1 1/2 cups ketchup
  • 4 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
  • salt to taste
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne
  • 2 dashes liquid smoke* for stove-top preparation
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

On Stove-top:

  • Pour ketchup and beef stock into a sauce pot and whisk it together.
  • Whisk in all other ingredients (including liquid smoke*) and bring the mixture to simmer over medium heat.
  • Lower the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes. Make sure to stir it from time to time.
  • When the sauce is done, take it off the heat and let it cool to room temperature and store. Or, use it right away in other recipes.

On The Grill:

  • Start the coals and build a two-zone fire when coals are ready. (Or set your gas grill to medium.) Close the lid and let the grill preheat for about 10 minutes.
  • Use a grill-safe sauce pot and wooden spoon so you don’t damage the pot.
  • Whisk all the ingredients together and pour it into the pot. (You don’t need to use liquid smoke when making this sauce on the charcoal or wood grill but you will want to add some if using a gas grill.*)
  • Place the pot on the preheated grill, directly over coals and let it come to simmer.
  • Move it off to the warm side, not over the coals, close the grill lid and let it cook for 10-15 minutes. Stir a couple of times while it’s cooking.
  • Sauce will be ready to slather over the meat or cool it and store in the refrigerator.

Storing:

  • Make sure to store the sauce in the refrigerator, in a glass jar or another food storage container with an air-tight lid. Store properly, it should be good for 7-10 days.

Notes

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©GrillingSmokingLiving. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have a slight variation.

Nutrition

Calories: 703kcal | Carbohydrates: 164g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4103mg | Potassium: 2189mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 131g | Vitamin A: 4497IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 196mg | Iron: 6mg

long collage of BBQ sauce

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Filed Under: Sauces and Dips

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  1. White BBQ Sauce - Grilling, Smoking, Living says:
    March 20, 2020 at 1:35 am

    […] Homemade BBQ Sauce  […]

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Let's get grilling!

Welcome, everyone! I’m Lyuba Brooke, come in, grab a beer, and head to the backyard. Here, I love to grill, barbecue, and share everything I make. You will find a ton of recipes for grilling, smoking, and the sauces to dip it in.

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