This sweet-and-savory Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe tastes so much better than store-bought, and it’s cheaper too. Best of all, you can make it with better ingredients and fewer preservatives. Watch the video tutorial and see how easy it is.
If you love homemade sauce recipes like Classic Pesto, and Tartar Sauce, this BBQ Sauce will be a new favorite.
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We’re always looking for ways to save money by making our own sauces and condiments, and when those money-saving recipes also end up tasting better than the original, it’s definitely a win. There’s just something so satisfying about making your own kitchen staples like BBQ sauce, hummus, and marinara.
Homemade BBQ Sauce Video
Watch Natasha make homemade barbecue sauce, then grab the ingredients below and give it a try.
Easy Barbecue Sauce Recipe
This homemade BBQ sauce is the best I’ve ever had, and I’d put it up against any store-bought BBQ sauce—it’s just that good. It’s perfectly seasoned, sweet without being too sweet, and it can be easily customized to your liking. Here’s why you will love this recipe:
- Easy – Once you mix all the ingredients in a saucepan, this recipe is pretty hands-off. Just let it simmer until it’s nice and thick, stirring occasionally.
- Delicious – It’s literally the best BBQ sauce, with the perfect balance of flavors.
- Healthier – Okay, barbecue sauce isn’t exactly a health food, but when you make it from scratch, you can skip the preservatives, corn syrup, and artificial flavors.
- Versatile – Whether you use it as a sauce for Instant Pot Ribs, a topping for a burger, or a marinade for grilled chicken, you’ll have plenty of ways to use this sauce.
We love making sauces and condiments from scratch, from Easy Hollandaise Sauce to Tzatziki Sauce. If you do too, then you’ll want to save this homemade BBQ sauce recipe.
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Tomato ketchup – Use any brand you like.
- Apple cider vinegar – Apple cider vinegar is the classic choice for homemade barbecue sauce, but white vinegar will work in a pinch.
- Worcestershire sauce – This adds irresistible umami flavor to balance out the sweet, savory, and acidic flavors in the recipe. It’s a must.
- Light brown sugar – Dark brown sugar has a more pronounced molasses flavor than light; you can use it in this recipe, but the flavor of the finished sauce will be different.
- Yellow mustard – The kind you put on hot dogs is just fine here.
- Paprika – Sweet or smoked paprika will work in this recipe.
- Onion powder – Onion powder is a fantastic way to add lots of savory flavor to a recipe without loading it with actual pieces of onion.
- Ground black pepper – Grind this fresh, if you can.
- Garlic cloves – We use 4 garlic cloves here to make the BBQ sauce extra delicious.
- Water – You could use chicken stock if you happen to have some on hand.
How to Make Homemade BBQ Sauce
When I say this recipe is easy, I really mean it. There are only two steps involved:
- Simmer – Place all of the ingredients in a large saucepan. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Continue to simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the sauce has thickened.
- Season – Taste the sauce and season to taste. You can add more sugar, spices, or salt at this point. Remove from heat and use the sauce right away or store it. This BBQ sauce is best when you let it rest for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Pro Tip: Right off the heat, the sauce will taste a little spicy and it will smell vinegary – this is normal. Once you refrigerate it, the flavors will meld and mellow out.
Common Questions
Barbecue sauce is one of those kitchen staples that can be used in a number of ways, including marinating meat, dipping, topping, and basting. It typically has a tomato base and a flavor that’s sweet and a little bit spicy.
This is a mild sauce. It has a hint of spice when tasted right off the stove but mellows out even further when applied to grilled meats.
You can use an equal amount of dijon mustard or substitute it with 1 tablespoon of mustard powder.
I recommend an everyday kind of ketchup. There’s no need to spend extra money on gourmet ketchup when you’re using it to make barbecue sauce since you’ll be adding so many of your own seasonings.
Yes, you can double the recipe. Keep in mind that it will need to simmer longer in order to thicken.
Add cayenne pepper to taste if you want to make a spicy barbecue sauce.
Serve BBQ Sauce with
My family loves this homemade barbecue sauce in and with:
- Grilled Steak
- Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
- Pulled Pork
- Grilled Chicken Breast
- Barbecued Chicken Thighs
- Instant Pot Ribs
Make-Ahead
You don’t need a fancy bottle for your BBQ sauce; a glass Mason jar is perfect (or empty jam jars, which is what I used), or you can even store it in an airtight plastic container.
- To Refrigerate: Store homemade BBQ sauce in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Freezing: Transfer the sauce to a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag; press out the excess air and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To Thaw: Frozen barbecue sauce can be thawed in the refrigerator overnight before using, or if you’re in a time crunch, you can place the sealed freezer bag in a bowl of warm water to thaw it faster.
Once you try this homemade BBQ sauce recipe, you’ll never buy store-bought again.
More Homemade Condiments and Sauces
If you love this Homemade BBQ Sauce, then you won’t want to miss these sauce recipes.
- Chimichurri Sauce
- Horseradish Sauce
- Pizza Sauce
- Easy Cherry Sauce Recipe
- White Pizza Sauce (Quick & Easy)
Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups tomato ketchup
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 Tbsp paprika or to taste
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp ground black pepper, or to taste
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes or until sauce is thickened.
- Add more sugar or seasonings to taste if desired, then remove from heat. Cool completely to room temperature then cover and store in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks. You can use it right away for grilling, but the BBQ sauce will taste best with a 1-hour rest in the refrigerator before use.*
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Love this recipe! I usually tweak an ingredient or 2 with recipes I get from online, but I made it exactly as it it should be made. I used it on some chicken and it was so good! Thank you, I will most definitely be using this recipe again! 🫶🏻
How can I make it not taste like homemade sloppy joe sauce? Really wanting that bbq kick
Hi Lili, this shouldn’t taste like sloppy joe sauce – did you change anything in the ingredients? Also, the vinegar aroma is stronger initially but after letting the bbq sauce rest, the flavors meld and it naturally tones down the vinegar.
This is the best barbecue sauce I’ve ever tasted and so easy to make. Natasha comes thru again.
I’m on a low histamine diet so I swapped out the ketchup for my homemade “no-mato” sauce. I swapped the Worcestershire sauce for Tamari sauce. I also added a bit of seeded mustard, cloves and cardamon to give it more depth (due to not using Worcestershire) and honestly this BBQ sauce is perfection!
Loved your bbq sauce, especially on chicken. If I decide to double the recipe, can it be frozen, & for how long?
Thank you Natasha, God Bless
I’m glad you love it! This is also written in the Make Ahead section of the recipe “Freezing: Transfer the sauce to a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag; press out the excess air and freeze for up to 3 months.”
Made this for the first time added a little liquid smoke and it was amazing
My granddaughter is allergic to garlic, so I had to make my own barbecue sauce. This was delicious and easy.
I’m so glad you still enjoyed that with the change! Thank you for your great review, Susan!
Really tasty and husband liked it better than store bought! Well done!
That’s so wonderful! I’m happy to hear it was a hit!
My Dad made a similar bbq sauce. He’s gone now and never got the recipe. Thanks for sharing.
You’re very welcome, Rita!
Did the same recipe but added 3 drops of liquid smoke and splash of Carolina reaper sauce. Thank you!
This BBQ sauce Is wonderful (Sweet and spicy) made it just like your recipe without any changes
love it love it thank you so much!!
I’m glad you loved it. Thank you for the feedback.
Love this! Added a pinch of fresh thyme to brighten the thick tomato base. Yummy!
Great idea! Glad you loved it.
natasha’s recipes always hit just right and this one is no exception. i’ve made this sauce several times – sometimes exactly according to the recipe and other times i’ve adjusted slightly to create a different sauce for a specific protein. my whole family raves about the sauce and even my kids ask for extra on their plates for dipping! 10/10!
This sauce is AWESOME!!!! I used unsweetened ketchup and So Nourished Gold Monk Fruit Erythritol blend, because I did not want all the sugar, and it turned out fantastic!!!
I made grilled BBQ ribs for my mom and sister and they both absolutely loved the sauce! (They wanted me to make sure I mentioned that, if I left you a review.)
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! It’s SO good!
Thank you for sharing that with us, Rachel!
*EXCELLENT and very very very easy and quick quick quick to make!*
Hi! This sounds delicious. Im trying keto and have made substitutions but What is the serving size?
Hi Nivia, per the recipe card, the recipe yields 2 1/4 cups and we estimated the nutrition label for 1 serving if there were 20 servings total. There are 16 Tbsp in a cup so each serving is about 1.8 Tbsp which you could round up to 2 Tbsp per serving for practicality.
Could this recipe be canned and stored for future use?
Hi Paula, I have not tried canning this to advise.
My hubby and I loved this recipe! The only change I made was not adding water and it was just the right consistency. Also, we used Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Chef’s Magic BBQ seasoning in lieu of the individual spices. I will definitely be making this again and again!
Hi, I’d love to try the recipe. I have an intolerance to mustard unfortunately. Is there an alternative option someone can suggest or should I just omit the mustard? Thanks!
You can use an equal amount of dijon mustard or substitute it with 1 tablespoon of mustard powder. I have not tried other substitutions aside from those.
Very easy to make. I added some blended jalapeño to the sauce since we all like a little heat on are pulled pork.
Great idea! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!