With minimal time and easy ingredients, you can make your own Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe that tastes amazing and goes well with so many different things.
BBQ Sauce, what would I do without it? I will admit that it is one of my favorite condiments ever. We like to use it on pretty much a lot of things, it’s just delicious. Our Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe is so easy to throw together, you can have it on hand at all times.
I love the recipes you can easily buy in the store that I can make at home, and it isn’t hard at all!
Trust me, this barbecue sauce recipe will be one of the easiest recipes you make – it is truly the best bbq sauce.
It also makes a larger batch at 3 cups for one recipe, so you will have enough on hand to use on whatever and however, you’d like.
Of course, you could cut this in half to have less! It is easily customizable to fit how much you need.
We are sweet sauce fanatics around here, so this is the normal amount that we make because we use it so much, especially for grilling, so we always like to keep some on hand.
This is the perfect easy homemade bbq sauce recipe to have in your arsenal, especially when the weather is getting warmer and people are pulling their grills and smokers out. It is so perfect with all bbq recipes.
But, this Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe can be used year-round on a variety of dishes. Use it in recipes or as a dipping sauce! Let’s get those aprons on and make some homemade sauce!
Some of my favorite sauce recipes on our site include: The Best Spicy Sriracha Mayo Sauce Recipe, The Best Sweet and Sour Sauce, and Chick-Fil-A Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce (Copycat Recipe).
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- Just a handful of ingredients found in the grocery store help this come together quickly.
- You can double or halve the recipe if you like.
- This best homemade barbecue sauce is so versatile that you can use it on all the things.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):
- Light brown sugar
- Ketchup
- Apple cider vinegar
- Yellow mustard
- Smoked paprika – this helps make it a smoky bbq sauce
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Black Pepper
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE BBQ SAUCE RECIPE:
- Place the brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, mustard, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper into a medium saucepan, and whisk to combine.
- Place the pan over medium-low heat, stir occasionally until it comes to a simmer.
- Take off the heat and let it cool.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Let the bbq sauce sit for at least 4 hours in the fridge to let the flavors meld together. Letting it sit overnight is best.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
WHAT RECIPES CAN I USE THIS ON?
There are so many things that you can use it on, or you can simply use it as a dipping sauce for chicken, French fries, etc. It is really up to you!
It is also fantastic with bbq chicken pizza, chicken wings, chicken tenders, on pulled pork, pork tenderloin, pork chops, beef brisket, to name a few – ha!
HOW LONG DOES HOMEMADE BBQ SAUCE LAST IN THE FRIDGE?
After cooking, allow the sauce to come to room temperature. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
HOW TO MAKE THIS SPICY BARBEQUE SAUCE:
If you are looking for a little kick and like a spicy sauce, here are some items you can add:
- Chopped up hot peppers like jalapeno or habanero, add it right to the pot with all the other ingredients. If you want to smooth out the sauce, you can use an immersion blender to do so.
- Cayenne Pepper
- Chipotle Powder
- Your favorite hot sauce like Tabasco sauce
- Chili powder
ANY SUBSTITUTIONS?
Yes, here are some ideas:
- Dark brown sugar in place of light brown sugar
- White vinegar in place of apple cider vinegar
- Spicy or whole grain mustard in place of yellow mustard, or you can use dry mustard powder
- Sweet paprika in place of smoked
- Minced dried onion in place of onion powder
- Granulated garlic in place of garlic powder
HOW TO STORE:
To store this Homemade BBQ Sauce recipe you will want to let it cool completely and then transfer it to a mason jar or an airtight container where it will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
This can also be frozen, you can freeze in a large mason jar (make sure to leave some headspace for expansion) or a freezer bag squeezing out as much air as possible.
Place in freezer and it should keep for up to 3 months, let defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:
- You can easily double to halve this recipe to your liking.
- If you can’t find smoked paprika you can use regular.
- This can be served on a variety of things, so use it for grilling, topping, or dunking.
- This can be frozen, see my tips above on how to do that.
Want a deliciously easy condiment recipe that you can make at home? You NEED to make this Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe!
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
If you’ve tried this HOMEMADE BBQ SAUCE RECIPE let me know in the comments how it turned out! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!
Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 ¼ cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place the brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, mustard, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper into a medium saucepan, and whisk to combine.
- Place the pan over medium-low heat, stir occasionally until it comes to a simmer.
- Take off the heat and let it cool.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Let the bbq sauce sit for at least 4 hours in the fridge to let the flavors meld together. Letting it sit overnight is best.
Notes
- You can easily double to halve this recipe to your liking.
- If you can’t find smoked paprika you can use regular.
- This can be served on a variety of things, so use it for grilling, topping, or dunking.
- This can be frozen, see my tips above on how to do that.
Nutrition
Originally posted October 10, 2012
Updated with new post text August 2023
Comments & Reviews
Meg says
wow homemade bbq sauce seems easy enough to make! i will have to make my own sometime
Dana DeVolk says
Oh yea, it is insanely easy!
Jennifer says
I’ve always wanted to make my own bbq sauce!
xo Jennifer
http://seekingstyleblog.wordpress.com
SassyModernMom says
Ohhh will have to check this out!! I love a good BBQ 🙂
Liz says
I always forget how simple it is to make BBQ sauce…yours sounds just perfect!
Dana DeVolk says
Thanks!
Dana DeVolk says
SO easy, thanks!
Iliyana says
yummy!
http://glamourgirl-bg.blogspot.com/
Andi (The Weary Chef) says
Funny, I found myself in the exact same situation and found the exact same recipe just last night! I heavily altered it because I didn’t have enough of all the ingredients on hand, but it still turned out really good.
Dana DeVolk says
🙂
Elisa says
Hi! I came to your site thru Twitter. 🙂 I love the idea of a no-cook BBQ sauce. I experimented the other day with some leftover chipotle adobo peppers, and I liked the depth they added to the sauce. Although I’m out of those peppers, I might reconstitute some dried red peppers and blend them into your base, because I like the simplicity of your recipe. Thanks for the ideas! ~Elisa 🙂
Dana DeVolk says
I suggest omitting the water in the recipe if you’re not going to let it reduce on the stove, it will just be a thicker consistency. But, if you like it a little thinner leave it in! Thanks for coming by!
John Martinez says
Looks like it would be easy to make and looks pretty tasty