Making homemade barbecue sauce is easier than you might think! And, if I might add, WAY better tasting (and healthier) than store-bought brands.
It's actually been an ongoing mission of mine to make homemade versions of sauces, dips, and dressings because most brands usually contain absurd amounts of salt, sugar, preservatives, dyes, and high fructose corn syrup! YUCK!! No need to flood your body with unnatural and unhealthy ingredients when you can so easily make your own.
This BBQ sauce took a bit of experimentation to get juuuust right, but I think you're really going to enjoy it!
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30-40 minutes
Total time: 35-45 minutes
Servings: Approximately 15 (2-3 oz. each)
Ingredients |
|---|
| 28 oz. organic tomato sauce (feel free to puree fresh tomatoes if you'd prefer) |
| 14 oz. purified water |
| 3.5 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil |
| 3.5 Tbs. fresh garlic |
| 1.5 cups unrefined honey |
| 1/4 cup + 3 Tbs. apple cider vinegar |
| 1/2 cup mustard powder |
| 1/4 cup + 2 Tbs. garlic powder |
| 2.5 Tbs. fish sauce |
| 1/2 cup + 1 Tbs. molasses |
| 1/2 tsp. salt (more to taste) |
| (optional) 1 Tbs. smoked paprika for an extra smokey flavor |
Directions
- Bring a large sauce pan up to medium heat. Add 3.5 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil. When the oil is hot, add fresh garlic and allow to brown slightly.
- Next, add the tomato sauce and water and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil (uncovered) and let simmer for about 8-10 minutes.
- Finally, add the honey, apple cider vinegar, mustard powder, garlic powder, fish sauce, molasses, and salt. Let simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and browned to your preference.
This BBQ sauce goes really well on wings, quinoa bowls, stir fries, pizza, and....well....just about everything. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Happy cooking!
-Britt
P.S. Don't forget to follow me for more tasty recipes, or if you, too, like tacos, puns, and long walks to the refrigerator. (Jeez Britt...Taco bout cheesy!)
OH BOY! That looks good can I have some? I did not know the BBQ sauce had sugar, that is so weird!
Oh my! I just made ribs tonight with a rub that I like and they were delicious once again! I'll have to try this next time. Thanks for sharing!
I make my own rub, for the record. I use salt, black pepper, white pepper, paprika, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and mustard powder. Slow roasted for a couple of hours. It's fantastic! I usually use a sauce like Sweet Baby Ray's on top, but I like to try new things. I love that this is sugar-free, since my wife and I are trying to eliminate as much refined sugar from our diet as possible.
That rub sounds great! You actually pointed out an interesting thing about this recipe -- no onion! Unfortunately, I am highly allergic. I would actually totally recommended adding that in here, though.
I'd love to hear what you and your wife think! :)
I will bookmark this and let you know. I was wondering what the purpose of the fish sauce is. Does that come through once everything has cooked down?
It doesn't make a huge impact on the sauce overall, but I think it rounds out the flavor, especially in combination with the apple cider vinegar. If you wanted to omit, that would be fine. :)
I missed this one so thanks for sending me the link! It looks and sounds amazing, and I love those little jars you put it in, I must get me some of those!
Homemade BBQ Sounds Good!
I've Made Some Myself In Past,
It Really Does Have A Better Taste!
Hi Britt! This looks so good, I will definitely try to make it. It's good timing as well, as I just moved to Australia - the land of BBQ! Ha ha
Thanks @susanne!! I had no idea Australia was known for BBQ! If you end up trying out the recipe, let me know how it compares or if it could use some tweaks. 😄