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This easy homemade BBQ Sauce is easy to make and full of flavor. Made with simple ingredients like ketchup, maple syrup, roasted bell peppers and seasonings, it’s perfect for all your grilling needs. Serve it up with your favorite meats and veggies for a meal that everyone will love.
We like to save money by making our own sauces and condiments. It feels great when our homemade versions taste better than the store-bought ones. We enjoy making kitchen staples like BBQ sauce, hummus, and marinara.
Easy Homemade Barbeque Sauce Recipe
This homemade BBQ sauce beats any store-bought BBQ sauce – it’s that amazing! It has the ideal seasoning, sweetness, and you can customize it. Here’s why you’ll love this recipe:
- It’s effortless – just mix everything in a food processor or blender and process.
- It’s delicious – it’s the ultimate BBQ sauce with a perfect blend of flavors.
- It’s healthier – by making it from scratch, you can avoid preservatives and artificial flavors.
- It’s versatile – whether you want to use it on Instant Pot Ribs, burgers, or as a marinade for grilled chicken, there are so many ways to use this sauce.
You’ll Need
The Homemade BBQ Sauce recipe uses a variety of flavorful ingredients, including:
- Ketchup: The base for the sauce. You can use any brand of ketchup you prefer.
- Maple syrup: It adds a sweet, rich flavor that complements the other ingredients. When selecting maple syrup for your BBQ sauce, opt for a pure, high-quality syrup for the best flavor. You can also adjust the amount to your liking, depending on how sweet you want your sauce to be.
- Molasses: It adds a rich, complex sweetness and depth of flavor to the sauce. Choose a high-quality, unsulphured molasses for the best flavor. You can also adjust the amount of molasses used in the recipe to your liking.
- Roasted red bell peppers: They add a smoky, sweet flavor and a vibrant red color. You can roast the peppers yourself by placing them under a broiler or on a grill until the skin is charred, then peeling off the skin and removing the seeds before adding to the sauce. Alternatively, you can use jarred roasted red bell peppers for convenience.
- Green chili: Adds a spicy kick.
- Onion: Adds flavor and texture.
- Garlic: It adds a pungent, savory flavor that complements the sweetness of the sauce.
- Salt: Enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Pepper: Adds a mild heat.
- Ginger: Adds a warm, spicy flavor.
- Lemon juice: It adds a bright, tangy flavor that helps to balance out the sweetness and richness of the sauce.
- Liquid smoke ( optional): It adds a smoky flavor.
❗ Note that these ingredients can be adjusted to your taste preferences, such as adding more or less spice or sweetness.
How to Make Homemade BBQ Sauce
- Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until the mixture is completely smooth.
Ways to Use BBQ Sauce
Here are some delicious ways to use your homemade BBQ sauce:
- Traditional BBQ meat: Use it on grilled or pulled chicken, ribs and more.
- Baked beans: Add some BBQ sauce to your baked beans for a simple and tasty flavor boost.
- Burgers: Spread some BBQ sauce on your burgers for a delicious twist.
- Pizzas: Swap out your pizza sauce for BBQ sauce and make a tasty BBQ chicken pizza.
- Salads: Use it as a dressing for your salad.
- Tacos/quesadillas/burritos: Give your favorite Mexican dishes a new flavor by adding some BBQ sauce.
- Dipping sauce: It’s a great dipping sauce for everything from chicken nuggets to veggie sticks to cocktail meatballs and more!
Storage
Transfer the sauce to an airtight container, such as a jar or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or in the freezer for up to three months.
You don’t need an expensive bottle to store your BBQ sauce. A Mason jar or an empty jam jar works perfectly fine. You can also use an airtight plastic container if you prefer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can adjust the sweetness of the BBQ sauce by adding more or less maple syrup, or molasses.
Yes, you can make the BBQ sauce spicier by adding more chili peppers or hot sauce.
Yes, you can omit or substitute an ingredient, but keep in mind that it may alter the flavor of the sauce. For example, you can skip the ginger if you don’t have any on hand.
Other Sauce Recipes
If you make this recipe be sure to leave a comment or give this recipe a rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐! I will be happy to hear from you!
Easy Homemade BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup molasses
- 1 cup tomato ketchup
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 1 green chili
- 2 spring onions, roughly chopped
- 2 roasted bell peppers
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, roughly chopped
- Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
- A bunch of fresh cilantro or parsley, roughly chopped
- 1/8 teaspoon liquid smoke, optional
- Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
- Store in the airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This BBQ sauce was incredible! Sweet, tangy, and just the right amount of spice. I’ll never buy store-bought again!
That’s the best compliment, Tina! Homemade BBQ sauce really does make a difference. So glad you loved it!