Recipe: Homemade BBQ Sauce (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient to a good BBQ sauce? ›

By adding molasses to your recipe, you'll get a smoother, creamier sauce that adheres perfectly to the meat. Compared to white sugar, which can crystallize and make the sauce grainy, molasses offers a pleasant, hom*ogenous consistency, guaranteeing an even distribution of flavor over the entire surface of your dish.

The base ingredients of barbecue sauce usually include tomato sauce or ketchup, vinegar, and sweeteners, such as molasses or brown sugar. Other common ingredients include Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, onion powder, and various spices, which can include paprika, cumin, and chili powder.

You might try 2TB Flour and a 1/4 cup cold water and mix thoroughly before adding to the BBQ sauce. Depending on the type of BBQ sauce you are wanting, other ingredients can be added as well to some mixtures to add a bit of thickness, such as; tomato paste, or honey.

What Is Barbecue Sauce Made Of? Every red barbecue sauce starts with a tomato base. In this recipe, ketchup makes a fantastic foundation. Classic barbecue sauce gets its signature sweetness from brown sugar.

Ingredients vary, but most include vinegar or tomato paste (or a combination) as a base, as well as liquid smoke, onion powder, spices such as mustard and black pepper, and sweeteners such as sugar or molasses.

Generally, barbecue sauces is categorized into four varieties: tomato-based sauces, vinegar-based sauces, mustard-based sauces, and mayonnaise-based sauces. Each category can have a range of BBQ sauce styles, ranging from sweet and tangy to hot and spicy.

Tomato-Based Barbecue Sauces

By far the most common type of barbecue sauce is the tomato-based sauce.

The problem is that most store-bought barbecue sauces just aren't that stellar. They're off-the-scales sweet, packed with fake "smoke" flavor, or weirdly viscous like butterscotch. If you want to really elevate your barbecue, you're going to have to make your own sauce.

Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar is a versatile choice for BBQ sauce. It has a slightly fruity and tangy flavor that pairs well with the smoky and savory elements of BBQ. It adds a pleasant acidity and a touch of sweetness to the sauce.

Why do you put vinegar in BBQ sauce? ›

The gentle acid of vinegar tenderizes the meat during the process making it as tender as possible as well as adding that tangy flavor that is the cornerstone of Carolina barbecue. Now, like any other barbecue sauce, vinegar sauces are best made in advance. You want to give the flavors time to mix and combine over time.

Add remaining brown sugar and reduce the heat, stirring occasionally. The sauce will become richer in flavor and thicker as it cooks. Use as a baste on pork spareribs during cooking and as a sauce to add to grilled and barbequed foods after cooking before eating.

Create depth by adding dark chocolate and coffee to your barbecue sauce. These two, feature a bitter-sweet combo that can truly enhance the blend of spices and flavors present in your bottled barbecue sauce. Enhance your Barbecue Sauce using almost anything, including your favorite beer.

Onion powder, cumin, garlic, peppers: these are all go-to flavors for amping up the flavor profile of a too-bland, too-generic barbecue sauce. My two personal favorite ingredients to add are Worcestershire sauce and plain yellow mustard.

PRO TIP: Add wood chips or chunks for smoking, directly to your charcoal after adding the food to the grill. Make sure the lid is on tight. This will add smoky flavor to whatever you are BBQing.

Its perfect balance of sweet, tangy and spicy makes it a versatile option to accompany grilled meats, burgers or even vegetarian dishes. What's more, molasses adds depth and nuance to this sauce.