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Easy Homemade BBQ Sauce

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:

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.

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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: 

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:

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 YouTubeInstagram, and Facebook for more healthy food inspiration. Cheers!

Homemade BBQ sauce in a small mason jar.
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4.84 from 24 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 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
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 cup 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

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