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With minimal time and easy ingredients, you can make your own Easy BBQ Sauce that tastes amazing and goes well with so many different things.

Easy 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 Easy BBQ Sauce Recipe is so easy to throw together, you can have it on hand at all times.
HERE IS WHAT OUR READERS ARE SAYING:
“I just made this I love how simple it was.. ❤️” – Lisa
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. Simple ingredients are simple to change up!
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 Easy BBQ Sauce 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).

Jump to:
- WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):
- HOW TO MAKE EASY BBQ SAUCE:
- FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
- WHAT RECIPES CAN I USE THIS ON?
- HOW LONG DOES HOMEMADE BBQ SAUCE LAST IN THE FRIDGE?
- HOW TO MAKE THIS SPICY BARBEQUE SAUCE:
- ANY SUBSTITUTIONS?
- HOW TO STORE:
- DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:
- Homemade Easy BBQ Sauce Recipe
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- Just a handful of ingredients found in the grocery store help this great recipe come together quickly.
- You can double or halve the recipe if you like. Sweet flavors either way!
- This best homemade barbecue sauce is so versatile that you can use a little bit 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 EASY BBQ SAUCE:
- 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 your own bbq sauce on, or you can simply use it as a dipping sauce for chicken, French fries, etc. Whatever great way you want!
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 sweet bbq 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 to this easy recipe:
- Chopped up hot peppers like jalapeno or habanero are some of my personal favorites. Add them 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 Easy BBQ Sauce!
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
If you’ve tried this EASY BBQ SAUCE 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 Easy 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.1 ½ cup light brown sugar, 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
- 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
Love This Recipe?
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Originally posted October 10, 2012
Updated with new post text Nov 2024















Due to many food intolerances, I must make just about everything from scratch. This BBQ sauce was easy to make, delicious and did not disappoint. Even my picky eater loved it!
Very good!
I have made this bbq sauce a few times now and love it! This is so easy to make and I know what’s in it. I prefer the flavour over store bought bbq sauce. Things I added to mine but it is not necessary
-fresh crushed garlic
-sautéed onions
-some hot spice .
I will be making this again!
Awesome ingredients. Chicken has sooo much flavor. My husband enjoyed it as well.
Thank you.
Im planning on making a big batch and can it up. Will last me all summer. Ty
We were out of barbecue sauce and desperate. We tried your recipe because it was the easiest and it turned out great! The only thing we changed was to add a little hot sauce and a little cornstarch to thicken it but was awesome! Thanks for the recipe 👍🏾♥️
I love how easy this is . Can this be canned?
about 3 cups
How much does this make?
I just made this I love how simple it was.. ❤️
Super easy and quite yummy … not to mention a great money saver! 🙌🏼
Yes
Could you use white vinegar in place of the ACV?
This sauce is so good!! My husband went on and on about it. Perfect in every way👍🏻
Looks like it would be easy to make and looks pretty tasty