Easy Homemade BBQ Sauce

Skip the sugary store-bought sauces and make this straightforward home made BBQ sauce as a substitute! It has the identical candy, smoky, and tangy taste you’re keen on—simply with much less sugar and easy, real-food elements.

I don’t know if it’s the considered summer time or what, however I’ve been craving all issues BBQ these days!

My first intuition was to seize a jar of BBQ sauce from the shop, however I shortly realized that discovering a more healthy bottled choice is surprisingly robust. Most store-bought sauces are loaded with sugar—some even listing excessive fructose corn syrup because the first ingredient! On high of that, they’re filled with sodium and preservatives… not precisely actual meals or EBF-friendly.

So I mentioned “no thanks” to the bottle and grabbed elements to make my very own wholesome home made BBQ sauce as a substitute.

Seems, making BBQ sauce from scratch is extremely straightforward. Every thing goes into one pot and it’s prepared in beneath 20 minutes.

The ultimate consequence? A daring, flavorful, sweet-and-spicy sauce that’s actually higher than any store-bought model I’ve tried.

Why You’ll Love This Sauce

Should you’re a BBQ sauce lover however need to hold issues a bit cleaner, this recipe is for you:

Fast + Simple – Simply toss the whole lot right into a saucepan and simmer. No sophisticated steps, and it’s prepared in about 20 minutes.
Naturally Sweetened – We use maple syrup and molasses as sweeteners on this sauce. It has solely 5 grams of sugar per 2 tablespoons, in comparison with Candy Child Ray’s BBQ Sauce, which packs in 17 grams for a similar serving!
More healthy – No excessive fructose corn syrup or preservatives on this home made model!
Versatile – Use it as a marinade, dip, and even as a salad dressing. The choices are countless! I particularly like it on my grilled BBQ hen breasts and BBQ hen salad throughout grilling season!

// ★★★★★ Evaluation //

“Glorious taste and comes collectively shortly. Day two: utilizing this as a base for baked beans. Yum!!” – Lynn

Elements Wanted

You solely want a handful of pantry staples to whip up this daring and tangy BBQ sauce at residence.

olive oil – only a contact to sauté the onion and garlic. You may also use coconut oil if most popular.
garlic and yellow onion – these aromatics are the bottom of taste and make the sauce further savory.
tomato sauce and tomato paste – this duo creates a wealthy, velvety tomato base.
maple syrup – naturally sweetens the sauce with out refined sugar. You need to use honey or coconut sugar as a substitute in the event you desire.
molasses – provides depth and that basic BBQ richness.
apple cider vinegar – brings the tang! This can be a should for steadiness.
tamari – provides a savory, umami kick. Coconut aminos or soy sauce can be utilized as a substitute. Simply be aware: in the event you use soy sauce, the recipe gained’t be gluten-free anymore
dijon mustard – slightly sharpness to spherical out the sweetness.
spices – we’re utilizing sea salt, paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder, black pepper, and a splash of cinnamon for heat and smoky warmth.

Recipe Notes

This recipe is tremendous versatile and straightforward to customise with what you may have readily available. Listed here are just a few easy swaps to make it give you the results you want:

Need extra spice? Love a spicy BBQ sauce? Add further cayenne, a pinch of crimson pepper flakes, or stir in a chopped chipotle pepper in adobo.
Need extra smokiness? Strive utilizing smoked paprika as a substitute of normal or add a tiny splash of liquid smoke for a deeper BBQ taste.

How one can Make Selfmade BBQ Sauce

Step 1: Add oil to a medium sized saucepan and warmth over medium warmth. Add garlic and onion and sauté till aromatic, about 5 minutes. .

Step 2: Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, maple syrup, molasses, apple cider vinegar, tamari and mustard into the pan. Stir to mix.

Step 3: Add in seasonings and spices: salt, paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder, floor pepper and cinnamon. Stir to mix.

Step 4: Enable sauce to a simmer over medium-low warmth and cook dinner for about 12-Quarter-hour, stirring incessantly.

Suggestions For Making The Greatest BBQ Sauce!

Low and sluggish is essential: Letting the sauce simmer gently permits the flavors to meld superbly. Simply don’t rush it or cook dinner on excessive, otherwise you may find yourself with splatters in every single place!
Style and tweak: After simmering, style your sauce. Need it tangier? Add a splash extra vinegar. Too candy? Stability it with extra mustard or salt.
Double it! This recipe makes about 2 cups, however it freezes properly, so contemplate making a double batch and saving some for later.

Methods to Use BBQ Sauce

When you make this BBQ sauce, you’ll need to slather it on the whole lot. From grilled proteins to grain bowls and sandwiches, it brings daring, tangy taste to only about any meal. Listed here are some concepts:

How one can Retailer Leftovers

Let the BBQ sauce cool fully earlier than transferring it to an hermetic container or glass jar. Retailer it within the fridge for as much as 2 weeks.

Often Requested Questions

Can I take advantage of this sauce as a marinade?

Positively! This BBQ sauce works nice as a marinade for proteins like hen, tofu, tempeh, and even jackfruit (like my BBQ jackfruit sandwiches). Let your protein sit within the sauce for just a few hours earlier than cooking.

What’s a wholesome store-bought BBQ sauce choice?

Should you’re quick on time, there are just a few store-bought BBQ sauces I like to recommend. Search for ones with out excessive fructose corn syrup and with lower than 10g of sugar and 300mg of sodium per serving. I like Primal Kitchen’s BBQ sauce (their golden BBQ model is scrumptious).

Is that this BBQ sauce gluten-free?

Sure — so long as you employ tamari or coconut aminos as a substitute of normal soy sauce, this BBQ sauce is of course gluten-free. Should you swap in soy sauce, the recipe will not be gluten-free.