This Homemade BBQ Sauce is bursting with sweet, tangy, and smoky flavors. It’s the perfect complement to all your summer grilled favorites.

General
Why you'll love this
Popular bbq sauces
Ingredients
How to make
Get the recipe
Frequently Asked Questions
Pairing suggestions
How to store
Nutrition information

Why you’ll love this

Easy. Measure, simmer, blend, done!
Customizable. Make this homemade barbecue sauce your own by playing around with different spiciness, sweetness, tanginess, and smokiness.

Versatile. Serve this with protein of choice such as ribs, chicken, tofu, and more.
More Affordable and Nutritious. Making your own sauce can be more cost-effective and bonus: no preservatives!

Popular types of bbq sauces in the u.s.

There are so many different types of barbecue sauce in the United States, here’s a list of what I think are the 5 most popular.

Kansas City-Style. This is probably the most popular and most widely known sauce. Today’s recipe is most like a Kansas City style, because it’s thick, sweet, tomato-y, and a little bit tangy.
Texas-Style. Texas sauce is similar to Kansas City style, but it tends to be spicier and typically includes cumin, peppers, onions, and beef drippings.
Eastern North Carolina-Style. This is my favorite sauce and very unique, because it’s vinegar-based. This sauce is much thinner than the others.
South Carolina-Style. Aka Carolina Gold; this sauce is unique due to its mustard base.
Alabama White. Again very different than the traditional red, sweet, spicy, smoky barbecue sauce; this sauce has a base of mayo and is creamy, yet tangy.

Pro tip

Obviously this is not an extensive list of all the different types of barbecue sauce is found in the United States. These are just the ones that I have had over the years!

Ingredients

Ketchup – whatever ketchup you have on hand is fine. Feel free to use a variety without added sugar if you’d like to control the amount of sugar in this recipe.
Red Wine Vinegar – apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar will also work. If you only have balsamic vinegar on hand, you may need less sugar than called for in the original recipe. If you only have white vinegar on hand, I’d reduce the amount in half then add more as needed.
Water – is used to thin out the sauce and there is no replacement for it. Sometimes some thing like chicken broth maybe used as a substitute, but I don’t recommend it for this recipe, because you’ll want to control the amount of salt and spices going into this.
Worcestershire Sauce – check your labels and use a vegan variety, if necessary. Many store-bought brands contain anchovies.
Hot Sauce – I highly recommend using the chipotle Tabasco, because it adds the perfect amount of heat and smokiness. Feel free to use your favorite hot sauce instead, but you may need to use more or less depending on how spicy it is. If you don’t use the chipotle flavor, you may want to add some liquid smoke or smoked paprika to give a subtle smoky flavor.
Brown Sugar – use dark brown sugar for the best results, because it contains a higher amount of molasses than light brown sugar and this will give a truer Kansas style barbecue flavor. Other sweeteners such as granulated sugar, maple syrup, or honey may be used but the flavor will be affected.
Spices: Dry mustard, Paprika, Chili Powder, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Crushed Rosemary, Ground Ginger, Salt, and Black Pepper – I absolutely love this combination of spices, the rosemary and ginger add a really unique and delicious flavor. I use similar spices in my grilled chicken recipe and my slow cooker ribs (coming soon!).Feel free to play around with your favorite spices instead.

How to make

In a large saucepan, whisk together all ingredients, simmer, then pour into a high-powered blender and blend until smooth.
Taste and re-season then enjoy!

What to serve with barbecue sauce

Chicken: grilled chicken, popcorn chicken, air fryer chicken nuggets, baked chicken tenders.
Potatoes: potato wedges, air fryer fries, tater tots, sweet potato fries.
Pork: ribs (coming soon), air fryer pork chops, pulled pork, pork tenderloin.
Beef: smashburgers.
Vegan/Vegetarian: grilled tofu (coming soon), vegan meatloaf, vegan chicken nuggets.

How to store

Leftovers will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To enjoy again, simply thaw in the fridge overnight.

– Jennifer