Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe

This homemade BBQ sauce is sweet, smoky, and tangy with caramelized onions, molasses, and a stick of butter stirred in at the end. It comes together in under 30 minutes and is better than anything on the grocery store shelf.

I have a pretty unhealthy obsession with BBQ sauce. I put it on everything: hot dogs, bratwurst, hamburgers, and of course all of my grilled and smoked foods. I do not even care because it is that delicious. If you love BBQ sauces as much as I do, you should try my mustard BBQ sauce for a South Carolina take, or my vinegar Carolina BBQ sauce for something tangy with real punch.

BBQ Sauce

BBQ sauce has a long and rich history in American cooking. Some of the earliest recorded barbecue sauces, dating back to the 1500s and 1600s, were simple combinations of butter, cayenne pepper, and fresh herbs. African American pitmasters and Creole cooks are widely credited with developing and refining barbecue sauces as we know them today, especially in the American South where smoked meats were a way of life.

I have been making BBQ sauce from scratch for years, and the one thing I always tell people is that the butter at the end is the ingredient most people skip but should never leave out. If you look at some of the original barbecue sauce recipes from the 1400s and 1500s, they are mostly just butter, cayenne, and herbs. That tradition stuck with me.

I start by caramelizing onions low and slow until they are super browned, which takes about 15 minutes and builds the base of flavor for the entire sauce. Then I add ketchup, molasses, cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire, and spices, simmer it all together, puree it smooth, and finish it with a whole stick of butter whisked in at the end. My daughter and I dip everything we can get our hands on into this sauce. Ha! I highly recommend making it!

Ingredients and Substitutions

BBQ sauce can definitely have many flavor variations, but here are the basic ingredients needed to make a simple BBQ sauce:

• Ketchup – This is the tomato base of the sauce and gives it that familiar BBQ consistency. Tomato puree works as a substitute, but you will need to add tomato paste to help thicken it.
• Apple Cider Vinegar – The tang that cuts through all the sweetness. White distilled vinegar works too, but I prefer the mellower flavor of apple cider.
• Molasses and Brown Sugar – These two create the sweetness and the dark color. I use light molasses because dark molasses is way too strong and will overpower the sauce. The brown sugar gets packed into the measuring cup.
• Onion and Garlic – I small dice a yellow onion and finely mince a couple of garlic cloves.
• Spices – Dry mustard, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper are all I use.
• Lemon Juice – A squeeze at the end to brighten everything up.
• Worcestershire Sauce – Adds a savory, umami depth that ties the sweet and tangy elements together.
• Butter – A whole stick of unsalted butter whisked in at the very end.
• Liquid Smoke – Optional, but I like it. A couple of teaspoons add smokiness without needing a smoker.

How to Make BBQ Sauce from Scratch

Caramelize the onions: I add oil to a medium sauce pot, then add the diced onion and cook over low to medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes. This step builds the foundation of flavor for the whole sauce.

Cook the garlic: I add the finely minced garlic to the pot and stir it in for 1 to 2 minutes. Once I can smell the garlic, it is done.

Add the sauce ingredients: I add the ketchup, molasses, apple cider vinegar, packed brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, liquid smoke, cayenne, dry mustard, salt, and black pepper to the pot. I stir everything together and bring it to a low simmer.

Simmer the sauce: I cook the sauce over low to medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens.

Puree until smooth: I use an immersion blender or a regular blender to puree the sauce on low speed until it is completely smooth. I do not over blend it because that will change the color.

Finish with butter: I whisk in a whole stick of unsalted butter until it melts into the sauce and everything is smooth and glossy. This is the step that makes this sauce different from anything you will buy in a store.

BBQ Sauce Variations

There are many ways to alter the flavor of a homemade BBQ sauce to make it to your liking.  My main goal is to capture a little bit of all of these things for the perfectly balanced sauce.  Here are a few different variations:

• Sweet: You can add more sweeteners such as molasses, honey, sugar, or brown sugar to this recipe. Remember to season once and taste twice.
• Spicy: I like adding a hot roasted pepper in when caramelizing the onions or I simply add in some cayenne pepper when adding in the remaining ingredients.
• Smoky: Consider adding some liquid smoke to the bbq sauce while cooking it.
• Tangy: Sometimes I like adding more vinegar or lemon juice to the sauce.

Serving Suggestions

This BBQ sauce is one of those recipes that once you make a batch, you start finding ways to put it on everything. I use it as a finishing glaze on my smoked pulled pork right when it comes off the smoker, and it goes just as well brushed on grilled pork chops during the last couple of minutes on the grill. I also use it as a dipping sauce for steak kebabs and cheeseburger sliders when we have people over.

When I am doing a full BBQ spread, I set this sauce out alongside my vinegar coleslaw, a skillet of easy homemade cornbread, and a pot of homemade baked beans. I also discovered that dipping sweet potato fries in this sauce is incredible, and once you try it you will not go back.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: I make this sauce up to 3 days ahead of time. The longer it sits in the refrigerator, the more the flavors develop and meld together.

How to Store: I cover it and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. If I used granules instead of fresh onion and garlic, it will keep for up to 3 weeks. This sauce does not freeze well.

More Sauce Recipes

• Aioli
• Comeback Sauce
• Tahini
• Balsamic Reduction
• Pesto