Bbq Sauce Recipe

Prep

Measure and prepare all ingredients: finely chop the onion and mince the garlic. Have ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, honey, molasses and spices ready.

Sauté aromatics

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat and add 1 tbs neutral oil. When shimmering, add the chopped onion (0.25 cups) and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and softened, about 3–4 minutes. Add the minced garlic (2 cloves) and cook 30–45 seconds more until fragrant—do not let it brown.

Combine wet ingredients

Lower the heat to medium-low and add 2 cups ketchup, 0.5 cups packed brown sugar, 2 tbs molasses, 0.5 cups apple cider vinegar, 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbs yellow mustard, and 1 tbs honey to the pan. Stir thoroughly to combine with the softened onion and garlic.

Add water and spices

Pour in 0.25 cups water to loosen the mixture, then add 2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 0.5 tsp ground black pepper. Whisk or stir until the sugar dissolves and the spices are evenly distributed.

Simmer to thicken

Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 12–15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency. If it thickens too much, stir in small amounts of water (1 tbs at a time) to adjust.

Finish and blend (optional)

Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning if needed. For a very smooth texture, remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender in the pot until smooth (or transfer carefully to a blender in batches). If you prefer a chunkier sauce, skip blending.

Cool and store

Let the sauce cool to room temperature, then transfer to a clean jar or airtight container. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using to let flavors meld; sauce keeps in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Add any of the optional ingredients (liquid smoke 1 tsp, cayenne 0.25 tsp, or hot sauce 1 tbs) during the last 2–3 minutes of simmering. Stir well, simmer briefly to meld, then taste and adjust—add more cayenne or hot sauce if you want more heat, or more liquid smoke (in very small increments) for stronger smoke flavor.

If you add liquid smoke or hot sauce, allow the sauce to cool and taste again before storing, since these flavors can intensify as the sauce rests.