It's so easy to make our Homemade BBQ Sauce recipe and I bet you have what you need. It has the perfect balance of smokey, tangy, and sweet and we use it for marinating, dipping, and grilling.
Homemade BBQ Sauce is a Game Changer
Homemade BBQ Sauce is a Game ChangerWe'e been doing a “make it, don't buy it” series on Instagram highlighting foods (like this BBQ sauce recipe) that are so much healthier, less expensive and easy to make yourself. Homemade Barbecue sauce tastes better than anything in a bottle and lasts in the fridge for weeks!
Slather it on Ribs, BBQ chicken, Pulled Pork Sandwiches, BBQ Chicken Pizza, and BBQ Chicken Tacos!
I was originally inspired by Mel's Kitchen Cafe's recipe back in 2017; this is any easy recipe to make your own by adjusting the seasonings to your preference! Add sweetness with honey or more brown sugar. Add more “smoky” flavor with smoked paprika, liquid smoke, or even blend fire roasted tomatoes instead of tomato sauce. You could even make BBQ Ranch by adding a couple tablespoons to homemade ranch.
How to make Homemade BBQ Sauce:
Combine: Add all ingredients to a saucepan and mix. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer for 20 minutes to an hour.
Serve on ribs, hamburger, pulled pork sandwich, as a dipping sauce or marinade for grilled chicken, or just about anything! Store leftover bbq sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
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Recipe
Easy Homemade BBQ Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 cup ketchup (240g)
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar (147g)
- 1/4 cup molasses (85g), unsulphured
- 2/3 cup red wine vinegar (159g)
- 2 teaspoons hickory flavored liquid smoke
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika , or regular paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt , or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/8 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a large saucepan and mix together until smooth.8 ounces tomato sauce, 1 cup ketchup, 2/3 cup light brown sugar, ¼ cup molasses, 2/3 cup red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons hickory flavored liquid smoke, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon chili powder, ⅛ teaspoon ground mustard, ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or up to one hour, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool. The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.
- Store in an air tight container or jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe June 2017. Updated June 2020 and May 2025.
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I have to tell you this bbq sauce is my “secret ingredient” in so so many dishes and people absolutely rave about it. One person said “I cant believe you cooked that amazing bbq sauce in a pot on the stove!” I did tell him I followed a recipe it wasn’t just something I threw together on my own lol. Never ever going store bought again!
Well….I will never go store bought again. You ruined me on this recipe! Im in BBQ heaven the whole time making this. The smell, the taste, its absolutely awesome and cant wait to baste my baby back ribs with it tomorrow over hot coals. Thank you for this recipe!
Will never buy BBQ sauce again!
How would you make this super thick and sticky without making it sweeter?
Maybe try some cornstarch? Make a slurry and add a tiny bit at a time until you reach desired thirst. I am reading Kraft BBQ sauce ingredients and they list cornstarch
Add cornstarch then stir and boil for a minute. Start with maybe 1-1/2 teaspoons (wild guess here). You’ll have to make a slurry by adding cool water to cornstarch bit by bit until the mixture is pourable. Pour the slurry into the sauce. Bring back to a boil for one minute to activate the cornstarch, then lower the heat to reduce the sauce by simmering a few minutes until it reaches the desired thickness.
Absolutely love this recipe! Thanks for posting. I am going to use it on a pizza made with chicken crust. Sooo good!
My first time trying homemade BBQ sauce. And it tastes divine. Easy to follow recipe with ingredients that are in my pantry already!
Absolutely deeelish! I tend to improvise on the recipe a bit, depending on what we have available at the time, but the result is always superb. For example, sometimes I use a mix of red wine and apple cider vinegar, or even some malt or balsamic vinegar. Liquid smoke is hard to come by here in Belgium. Last time we were in the U.S. we got a bottle of hickory and a bottle of applewood flavour, so I tend to alternate between the two. I’ve also added a few splashes of Worcesterhire sauce and Mexican chipotle sauce.
I would also give a +1 to the comment above about storage. I double the recipe and keep it in an airtight tupperware in the fridge and it kept fine for 6 months!
This is the best tasting homemade BBQ sauce I have ever tasted.
I have a family of onion fans so we tweaked your recipe by adding 2 chopped fine white onions cooked in half butter half good olive oil until soft and just starting to carmelize. Then drained and added to the sauce recipe.
We luv your recipe and even add half cup when mixing up the ground beef for burgers.
Tomato sauce, vinegar, salt, sugar…
And a cup of ketchup? Do people not understand what ketchup is?
That’s what I was saying when I read it, I thought why not replace that with 3/4cup crush strained tomato, 1/4 cup rye and and a teaspoon of malt vinegar?
Can I substitute the liquid smoke, can’t get it where I live. Thanks
You can just leave it out.
Delicious sauce. There’s enough vinegar for this to keep in the fridge for a year or more, so don’t throw this away after three weeks like the recipe says.