So Easy!!! Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe (2024)

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It is easy to make homemade barbecue sauce from scratch using this quick and easy recipe.

This is a sweet and spicy BBQ sauce recipe. While this is a quick and easy homemade barbecue sauce, to fully develop the spiciness of the sauce, be sure to simmer it for the full 5 minutes called for in the recipe. While the sauce simmers the flavors of the ingredients will meld creating a delicious BBQ sauce that will be a hit with your family.

How to Make BBQ Sauce

You can make this quick and easy barbecue sauce with either homemade tomato sauce or canned tomato sauce.

This BBQ sauce is sweetened with brown sugar and molasses. If you don’t have molasses, you may substitute honey.

Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce add a depth of flavor the sauce.

I like to use smoked paprika to add a smoky flavor, but if you don’t have it on hand, you can use regular paprika.

The red pepper flakes provide a mild heat and spiciness. If you are afraid this recipe will be too spicy for you, then reduce the red pepper flakes and add a little at a time to taste. However, the sweetness offsets the spiciness.

Garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard, and white pepper add their bold flavors to the sauce. If you don’t have white pepper, you can substitute black pepper.

Homemade Barbecue Sauce Recipe

This recipe makes approximately 5 cups of barbecue sauce. You can cut the recipe in half if you would like a smaller batch.

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups of tomato sauce or 2 – 15-ounce cans of tomato sauce
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 3 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (use a gluten-free Worcestershire sauce to make this recipe gluten-free)
• 3 tablespoon soy sauce(use a gluten-free soy sauce to make this recipe gluten-free)
• 2 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Directions:

1. Add the tomato sauce, brown sugar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce to a saucepan. Stir to combine.
2. Add the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard, red pepper flakes, and white pepper. Stir to combine
3. Cook over a medium flame until it reaches a boil.
4. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes.

Use the homemade barbecue sauce as called for in your recipe. Store unused BBQ sauce in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

This BBQ sauce is good on chicken, ribs, pulled pork, barbecue beef, and shrimp. You can use it when you grill, roast, broil your meat. You can also use it when you cook your meat in a Crock-Pot, pressure cooker, Instant Pot, or multi-cooker.

Homemade BBQ Sauce Video Tutorial

You can find the printable recipe below, but I wanted to share this video, so you can see how simple it is to make this homemade barbecue sauce.

Subscribe to my Youtube Channel for more easy cooking tips!

How to Freeze Barbecue Sauce

For some people, a recipe that makes 5 cups may be a lot of barbecue sauce. If you are one of those people you may wonder if you can freeze the barbecue sauce. The good news is that yes, you can freeze BBQ sauce!

1. To freeze your homemade barbecue sauce, allow it to cool completely.
2. Then ladle it into a sealable freezer-safe container, leave 1/2 headspace. If you want to avoid staining plastic, freeze your BBQ sauce in Pyrex containers.
3. Place the containers in the freezer.

The barbecue sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

How to Can Barbecue Sauce

If you wish, you may can your BBQ sauce in canning jars to make it shelf-stable. While canning takes a little while, canned barbecue sauce usually lasts for a year in your pantry. If you wish you can double, triple, or even quadruple the above BBQ sauce recipe and fill your pantry with ready to use jars of homemade barbecue sauce.

1. Prepare your water canner. Heat the jars in simmering water. Quickly dry before filling with the barbecue sauce. Wash the lids and bands in warm soapy water, then dry.
2. Ladle the barbecue sauce into the warm jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rim. Center a lid on the jar. Apply a band until the fit is fingertip tight. Repeat until all of the jars are filled. Place the filled jars in boiling water canner.
3. Process the jars in a boiling-water canner for 20 minutes, adjusting for altitude if needed. Remove the jars and cool. Check the lids for a good seal after 24 hours. The lids should not flex up and down when pressed in the center.

Printable Recipe for Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Sauce

More BBQ Recipes

Barbecue Beef Stuffed Potatoes

Pulled Pork Nachos

Barbecue Chicken Stuffed Potatoes

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

How to make BBQ Chicken in a Pressure Cooker

BBQ Chicken Roll-Ups