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.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ peeled small diced yellow onion
- 2 finely minced garlic cloves
- 2 cups ketchup
- 2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- Optional 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
Instructions
- In a medium size sauce pot add in the oil and cook the onions over low heat for 15-20 minutes or until well browned. Stir occasionally.
- Add in the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Next, add in the remaining ingredients except for the butter and cook over low to medium heat for 5-10 minutes while occasionally stirring to combined everything.
- Puree everything using a blender or a hand blender on low speed just until smooth.
- Finish by whisking in the butter and serve.
Notes
The secret to a great homemade BBQ sauce is patience with the onions at the beginning and butter at the end. Those two steps are what separate a homemade sauce from a doctored-up bottle of ketchup.
Do not skip the caramelization: Rushing the onions means you lose all that natural sweetness and depth. Keep the heat low and give them the full 12 to 15 minutes. The browning is where the flavor lives.
Use light molasses only: Dark molasses is too intense and will make the sauce taste bitter. Light molasses gives a mellow, warm sweetness that blends in without taking over.
Blend on low: Over blending the sauce at high speed will lighten the color and change the texture. A few pulses on low speed until smooth is all you need.
Customize the heat: I keep the cayenne mild in the base recipe, but if you want more fire, add a roasted hot pepper to the pot when you sauté the onions, or increase the cayenne to taste.
Fresh onion vs. granules: Using fresh onion gives the sauce a richer, more complex flavor, but granules work if you want to skip the sauté. If you use granules, the sauce will last up to three weeks in the refrigerator instead of ten days.
Make-Ahead: You can make this up to 3 days ahead of time. The longer it sits the more flavors that will come out.
How to Reheat: Add the desired amount to a small size saucepot and cook over low heat until warm.
How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. This will not freeze well.
Nutrition
Calories: 467kcalCarbohydrates: 105gProtein: 2gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 1738mgPotassium: 870mgFiber: 1gSugar: 96gVitamin A: 732IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 128mgIron: 2mg