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Home » Recipes » Dinner » Sauce + Seasoning + Condiments » Easy Homemade BBQ Sauce

Easy Homemade BBQ Sauce

4.81 from 21 votes
By Dani Spies
Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links.

Homemade BBQ Sauce is so easy to make and is much more healthy than the sugary store-bought barbecue sauce. This recipe is the perfect blend of sweet, spicy, and smoky and it’s delicious on chicken, pork, pizzas, or whatever your heart desires.

Homemade BBQ sauce in a small mason jar.

Spring is here and summer will be right around the corner and that means grill season is upon us. I can’t wait to fire up the grill more frequently very soon!

I know it’s really convenient to grab a bottle of barbecue sauce from the grocery store. However, most store-bought BBQ sauces are overly sweet and contain ingredients like high fructose corn syrup and preservatives. This homemade BBQ sauce tastes so much better and contains less than half the sugar than anything you could pick up from the store. It’s so worth it to take the extra time to make your own. 

A jar of BBQ sauce with a spoon in it.

Ingredients needed:

If you like sweet, smokey, tangy BBQ sauce with just a kiss of heat, this recipe is for you! Here’s everything you’ll need:

  • Tomato sauce & paste – This is a tomato based barbecue sauce. There are other types that have more of a mustard/vinegar base, and even one that has a mayonnaise base. A tomato-based BBQ sauce is probably the most common.
  • Apple cider vinegar – A bit of vinegar balances the sweetness with a little tang and acid.
  • Honey & molasses – Provides a subtle sweetness to balance out the savory seasonings.
  • Worcestershire sauce – Adds depth to the overall flavor of the sauce.
  • Spices – A simple blend of chipotle powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper gives this sauce an amazing flavor.

Small bowls of ingredients for making barbecue sauce.

How to Make this Recipe 

This is honestly the very BEST BBQ sauce I have ever tasted! And if you’ve never made your own barbecue sauce from scratch, you may be surprised at just how easy it is. Here’s the simple method:

Please see the recipe card for the full, printable recipe with all of the details.

Simply measure out all of the ingredients into a medium saucepan. Give it a good stir, bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer (uncovered) for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, and until the sauce has slightly thickened. Let the sauce cool slightly and then enjoy!

Mixing and cooking ingredients to make BBQ sauce.

Customize this Recipe

  • Sweeter – Like your BBQ sauce on the sweet side? Increase the amount of honey, starting with about 1/3 cup. 
  • Maple flavored – Substitute maple syrup for the honey, if you’d prefer a maple flavored sauce.
  • Don’t have chipotle powder and don’t want to buy it just for this recipe? You can substitute regular chili powder. There won’t be as much of a smoky flavor, but the sauce will still be delicious.
  • Spicy – Feel free to add more cayenne pepper or omit it, depending on the heat level you prefer. Remember, it’s easy to add more later and a little goes a long ways. Start with a pinch and add more after you taste the sauce. You can’t take it out once it’s in there! 

Ways to Use this Sauce

Homemade barbecue sauce is delicious on any pretty much any type of meat! We even love it in salad and on pizza! Here’s some of our favorite ways to use it: 

  • Chopped BBQ Tofu Salad
  • Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
  • Baked BBQ Chicken
  • Grilled Chicken Breast

Storage Tips

How long does homemade BBQ sauce last? This is a very common question I get with sauces and dressings. It should last for a couple weeks in your fridge, maybe more. To store, transfer the sauce to an airtight container or small jar and place it in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to about 3 months.

Barbecue sauce in a small glass jar.

More Healthy Sauces & Condiments 

Looking for more healthy dressing, seasoning and sauce recipes? Here’s some favs:

  • Greek Yogurt Blue Cheese Dressing
  • Radish Leaf Pesto
  • Taco Seasoning Recipe
  • Chimichurri

Thanks so much for reading! If you make this recipe I would love for you to give it a ★ rating below.  And be sure to follow me on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook for more healthy food inspiration. Cheers!

Homemade BBQ sauce in a small mason jar.
Print Recipe
4.81 from 21 votes

Homemade BBQ Sauce (Easy Recipe!)

Homemade BBQ Sauce is so easy to make and is much more healthy than the sugary store-bought barbecue sauce. This recipe is the perfect blend of sweet, spicy, and smoky and it’s delicious on chicken, pork, pizzas, or whatever your heart desires.
Course: DINNER, sauce + seasoning + condiments
Cuisine: American
Author: Dani Spies
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time25 mins
Servings: 8 servings (1/4 cup each)
Calories: 53kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 tbsp. molasses
  • 3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp. chipotle powder
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper add more or less depending on how much kick you like
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Whisk all ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer (uncovered) for 20 minutes, or until the sauce has slightly thickened.

Notes

Store sauce in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for a couple of weeks or freeze for up to about 3 months.
Slightly adapted from Gimme Some Oven.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 53kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 269mg | Potassium: 178mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 319IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg

Recipes, Sauce + Seasoning + Condiments

About Dani Spies

Dani Spies is the founder and host of Clean & Delicious; a weekly cooking show on YouTube and a healthy eating blog that celebrates real, whole foods! She takes a holistic approach to health and wellness and is loved for her approachable, down to earth style both in and out of the kitchen.

Learn MoreWork With Me

Reader Interactions

Yum! I love this recipe.

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    If you loved this recipe please leave a comment and star rating below. Questions are also welcome. Cheers!

    Recipe Rating




    Comments

  1. Hope says

    June 5, 2016 at 5:33 pm

    5 stars
    Just made this BBQ sauce for the first time. It is fantastic! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Dani says

      June 6, 2016 at 12:23 pm

      5 stars
      So glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  2. Jenn says

    June 9, 2016 at 1:14 am

    5 stars
    Made this tonight used some for chicken on the BBQ and put the rest in the crockpot for tomorrow! Delicious and I love and appreciate that you list the nutritional info! Thank you thank you thank you!!! (Sent from mind over munch) 🙂

    Reply
    • Dani says

      June 9, 2016 at 1:43 am

      5 stars
      Hi Jenn, happy to have you here! I’m glad that you enjoyed the recipe and the nutritional info 😉

      Reply
  3. Melanie says

    June 11, 2016 at 10:06 am

    5 stars
    Hi!  I’m making this today (for your shredded chicken bbq) and just wanted to note that the youtube video for this recipe includes smoked paprika, but it’s missing from the website version.  And the Worcestershire sauce is in the web version, but not the youtube version.  I was curious if these are just variations of the recipe?  I’m making it now, so I’m just throwing both of them in :).

    Reply
  4. Jamie says

    November 4, 2016 at 5:30 pm

    5 stars
    I have made this BBQ sauce a few times and it is fantastic!! My whole family loves it. I used it to make oven BBQ drumsticks and the shredded chicken in the crockpot…..delicious!!!! Thank you so much for such a great recipe and thank you for your blog and YouTube videos!!

    Reply
  5. Jaclyn says

    May 29, 2017 at 9:38 am

    5 stars
    This looks fantastic. I’m a horrible cook, but this looks like even I can’t mess it up (or maybe …). Is the 1/4 molasses a 1/4 cup? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Dani says

      May 31, 2017 at 11:45 am

      5 stars
      You definitely can’t mess this up! And yes… it’s 1/4 cup:)

      Reply
  6. Marie says

    May 6, 2018 at 7:53 pm

    5 stars
    I had some tomato sauce going out of date so I quadruple the recipe. Canning 11 1/2 pint jars Now making pulled chicken out of 12th jar. Very flavorful, thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Dani says

      May 11, 2018 at 9:29 am

      5 stars
      Anytime!! So glad you enjoyed it.

      Reply
  7. Anderson Gomes says

    May 12, 2018 at 9:14 pm

    5 stars
    In the paste, can it be a dry tomato paste?

    Reply
    • Dani says

      May 19, 2018 at 11:30 am

      5 stars
      Hmmm, Ive never tried that. I bet it would work.

      Reply
  8. Anderson Gomes says

    June 5, 2018 at 5:18 pm

    5 stars
    I have a pasta that is dried tomatoes with green banana biomass in the composition as well. Here not only has the pure tomato paste, only found in this configuration described. I will use a tomato sauce that is very organic, even sold in the supermarket. Do you think that my onslaught can work?

    Reply
  9. Sami Alshahri says

    December 17, 2018 at 5:17 pm

    5 stars
    We enjoyed it, if I had any comment about the recipe that it came out very spicy, I think my smoked paprika is a hot&spicy one.

    On your youtube channel you didn’t include the Worcestershire sauce in the HM BBQ sauce clip, does make a significant difference?

    Reply
    • Dani says

      December 28, 2018 at 4:01 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks for pointing that out! It shouldn’t make a big difference 🙂

      Reply
  10. Justin says

    August 12, 2019 at 11:20 pm

    5 stars
    Was wondering being a vegan what can I replace the honey with? I love bbq sauce and would love to make this! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Dani says

      August 25, 2019 at 6:44 pm

      I think maple syrup would work just fine!

      Reply
  11. Jason Milanesi says

    September 7, 2019 at 12:29 pm

    I think I left a comment but I can’t find where I left it a couple of weeks ago, so I’ll risk asking it a second time, sorry. If someone wants to avoid the “toxic” stuff in canned tomatoes is a glass jarred sauce at the grocery store a safer option (if one doesn’t have time to make it from scratch)? Or what is the safer method to purchasing tomato sauce?

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Dani says

      September 8, 2019 at 8:17 pm

      Hi Jason! Glass is definitely a safer option than cans 🙂

      Reply

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