This lusciously thick BBQ sauce is sweet, smoky and tangy.
Using simple store cupboard ingredients, it’s ready in less than 10 minutes.
Use it as a basting sauce, dip or pouring sauce – perfect for chicken wings, hot dogs and burgers!
This is THE sauce.
The sauce that turned me from a barbecue sauce ‘meh’ person, to barbecue sauce lover.
It’s the first time in my life that I now reach for barbecue sauce rather than ketchup for my french fries and hot dogs.
Made of store cupboard ingredients, it’s got a lovely smoky, sweet and tangy flavour to it.
And this recipe makes 2 cups. So that’ll last at least a week right? ahem.
Ingredients for barbecue sauce
- For sweetness – tomato ketchup, dark brown sugar, black treacle and honey
- For tang – white wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce
- For a bit of heat and smokiness – mustard powder, smoked paprika and black pepper
- Plus a little vegetable oil to bring it all together and make it smooth and glossy.
How to make barbecue sauce from scratch
Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Place all of the ingredients in a saucepan and mix together.
- Heat over a medium-high heat, until boiling, then simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat. That’s it!
You might notice that the sauce smells a little vinegary when bubbling in the pan, but the vinegar smell and taste mellows beautifully as the sauce cools
What to serve it with
You can serve this tasty homemade bbq sauce with:
- Crispy Baked BBQ Chicken Wings
- Buttermilk Chicken Burger
- Oven-Baked Bacon – on a lovely soft Brioche Roll
- Crispy Copycat KFC Chicken
- My juicy Brisket Sandwich
- Just as a dip for some fries
Or Pretty much anything on the BBQ
What would you serve it on or with?
Now I’m a BBQ sauce convert, I need more ideas!!
How do you use barbecue sauce?
Use it as a dip for fries or veggies, as a basting sauce for wings, ribs and chicken pieces (brush on during cooking for the last 10 minutes of cooking), as a pouring sauce for hot dogs and burgers or even as a base sauce for pizzas.
You can also add a tablespoon or two to chilli con carne, casseroles, bolognese or shepherds pie for a nice flavour kick!
Want a bit of spice?
Add 2 tbsp of sriracha or 0.5 – 1 tsp hot chilli powder to the pan at the same time as the rest of the ingredients.
Watch how to make it
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BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) tomato ketchup
- 4 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 5 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 2 tbsp black treacle or molasses
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp mustard powder or 1 tsp English mustard
- 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients in a saucepan and mix together.300 ml (1 1/4 cups) tomato ketchup, 4 tbsp white wine vinegar, 5 tbsp dark brown sugar, 2 tbsp black treacle or molasses, 3 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 tsp mustard powder, 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Heat over a medium-high heat, until boiling, then simmer for 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and allow to cool before serving or storing.
Video
Notes
So if you only want to make 1 cup of sauce, halve the ingredients.
If you want to make 4 cups of sauce, double the ingredients.
It will take longer to come to the boil if you’re making more, but you will still only need 5 minutes simmering time. Nutritional information is per serving – this recipe makes approx 2 cups – which is about 30 servings of 1 tablespoon.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
Hi Nicky,
I don’t have black treacle or molasses as never use them, is there a substitute you could recommend please.
Thanks, PS I love your recipes 😊
Super easy, had everything required in the cupboard. Tastes great.
You could also try Pit Brothers BBQ sauce. Checkout our website. https://www.pitbrothersbbq.com.au/
Never really liked BBQ sauce but this 8s delicious….and easy
Have never used this on its own, but always use this as a base to add to my pulled pork, along with the juices from the sous vide process, producing the most deliciously sweet, smokey and tangy, moist pulled pork that has impressed all who have tried.
Grouse
This bbq sauce has a great smoky hit Tom the smoked paprika. But was far too sweet for my liking.
Just going through a divorce so gotta get cooking & look after myself & was looking for a bbq sauce to go with my chicken breasts for tea & thought I would give this a go
I didn’t put in the paprika or black pepper as non in cupboard but the sauce turned out delicious & so pleased at my first attempt at it
Lovely & sweet but also nice & tangy & so easy to make
Highly recommend & thank you for the recipe 👏👏👏👏
Made this for the first time. So lovely and I managed to get two Jars from it. Not sure how long it will keep in the fridge or even if I can freeze it.
Love this! I was out of store bought bbq sauce, but was planning to make hunter’s chicken, so I found your recipe, made it, and loved it! I’ve never made bbq sauce before and I was pleasantly suprised.
And, I like how I wasn’t the only one who experimented! I, also, reduced the brown sugar, as well as swapped it for coconut sugar. I had no choice but to swap white wine vinegar for apple cider vinegar, but it worked well. And I added chilli powder, and garlic and onion granules, I think next time I’ll try some herbs.