Thick and smoky, tangy and sweet, this is the best homemade barbecue sauce I have ever made. I’ve tried recipe after recipe and while they have been alright, nothing can quite compare to my husband’s beloved favorite store brand. Until now.
He’ll probably confess that he raised his eyebrows in skepticism when I announced a few Saturdays ago that I was going to attempt a new homemade barbecue sauce recipe that my friend, Liz, had sent me. But even he admitted after the big reveal and taste test that this blows every other recipe we’ve tried out of the water.
Here’s the beauty – barbecue sauce freezes remarkably well. I doubled this batch, froze it in 1 cup increments in freezer ziploc bags and have been able to pull it out for use in all sorts of delicious applications, two of which I’ll be sharing with you this week.
The flavors of this sauce are exactly what we’ve been looking for and while I may continue to make, say, 50 more chocolate chip cookie recipes before the end of the world, barbecue sauce is one of those things where once I’ve found it, I’ve found it. Thanks, Liz! You’ve saved us from a lot of future pain and agony over too-sweet, too-vinegary, too-watery, too-tomatoey barbecue sauces.
One Year Ago: Skillet Chicken with Broccoli, Pasta, and Parmesan
Two Years Ago: Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
The Best Barbecue Sauce
Printable Version
Printable Version with Picture
*Makes about 7 cups of barbecue sauce
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups ketchup
2 cups tomato sauce
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 1/4 cups red wine vinegar
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
4 teaspoons hickory flavored liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
DIRECTIONS:
In a large saucepan, over medium heat, mix together all the wet ingredients and then add the seasonings. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken as it simmers (and then as it cools). I try to plan ahead and simmer for at least an hour. Use the sauce to brush onto meats the last ten minutes of grilling or for any other recipe where barbecue sauce is used.
Once cooled, the sauce can be frozen. Thaw in the refrigerator and use as needed.
Recipe Source: Liz K.
{ 45 comments… read them below or add one }
Hmmm, we are avid Sweet Baby Ray fans! But since YOU say it's the best, I will have to give it a whirl. You have yet to let us down
GREAT! On my must-try list, now… No HFCS, and that is a HUGE bonus for me!!!
Sounds fantastic! And as we don't buy bbq that has high fructose corn syrup (bad stuff, that!) I've been wanting to try my hand at making some myself. : )where would I find the hickory flavored liquid smoke though?
I have made an almost identical recipe and just left out the liquid smoke because I don't have it and it is wonderful! The only BBQ sauce we use anymore!
i won't lie–sweet baby ray does it much better than i've ever been able to do.
great recipe, though, and stellar photos!
i'm now thinking of what i could grill as an excuse to try this sauce! it looks amazing!
I'm thinking pulled pork sandwiches with this best of the best! Sounds wonderful!
Is your friend Liz that recommended this the Liz I know? Can't wait to try it!!! We love BBQ sauce! I made the sweet & spicy chicken a while back when I left my freezer door open & thawed a bunch of meat all at once– so I made freezer meals. Anyway, just tried the chicken tonight in tacos. DI-VINE. LOVE IT SO MUCH. NEW STAPLE AT MY HOUSE! Thanks!
I am so glad you liked it. I have not bought bottled sauce since I started making this. I think I had 5 bottles of bbq sauce in my storage room that I donated to the food bank because I knew we would never use them now that I had this recipe. I think my favorite way to use this sauce is in pulled pork sandwiches. So, so good! -Liz K.
Chef Hymie Grande (www.chefhymiegrande.com ) is the first and only bottled BBQ sauce to carry the seal of the American Diabetes Association on the label. It has no high fructose corn syrup, no processed sugar, it is all natural and vegan friendly. It is produced by Jamie Failtelson, a.k.a. Chef Hymie Grande of Carlstadt, NJ. 5% of proceeds go to the American Diabetes Association.
I have this exact recipe, and it is so good. I found it on allrecipes.com, where it has 471 5-star ratings. Hard to go wrong with reviews like that! I think it's darn near perfect. Try it….try it!
This was very good. I loved the hint of cinnamon and the flavor. My ketchup had high fructose corn syrup in it but I used it anyway. I loved the balance of sweet and tangy. The BBQ chicken braid was melt in your mouth good.
We made this sauce and the BBQ Chicken Braid. Both were delicious. It was a big hit with the family. I cut the onions pretty thin, even the picky eaters didn't find them. We snacked on it all night, even great cold. The sauce is wonderful. I love the sweet smokiness.
Tami – it’s ok, my ketchup has high fructose corn syrup in it, too. I haven’t figured out how to deal with that conundrum since my husband is brand-specific on that issue. Glad you liked the sauce,though!
Sally, thanks for letting me know the sauce and braid worked out! I’m glad it was a hit with your family.
I made this last Saturday along with the BBQ chicken braid and it was absolutley delicious! My husband and I already ate the entire braid! I can’t wait to use the rest of the BBQ sauce. So. Good.
Danielle – so glad that you liked this BBQ sauce – AND the braid. Thanks for letting me know!
Mel,
I’m trying this out on Monday. What is unsulphured molasses? Will normal molasses work? Actually, yes it will work because that’s all I have. And what would be totally awesome is if someone smart and ambitious did a cost comparison of this versus say generic store-brand bbq sauce. What would your estimate be? Close to breaking even? Cheaper more expensive? Your recipes always hit the spot for me!
Thanks,
Michelle
Michelle – I’m pretty sure I used just the everyday dark molasses I had in my pantry…so go ahead and use what you have on hand. I’m almost positive this would be cheaper than store-bought BBQ sauce, although I’ve never done an official comparison (I’m neither smart nor ambitious!!). It might not be significantly cheaper, but it has to be at least a little bit less expensive (at least compared to the KC Masterpiece we used to buy).
what is hickory flavored liquid smoke, is their anoter name for it, as we live in Australia things are called by other names.
Thanks
julie – sorry it has taken me a few days to get back to you. I don’t know of another name for liquid smoke – it is basically smoke flavor in a bottle. Here’s an article that may help you identify if it can be found where you live based on how it is made, etc:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_smoke
I finally made this, and I’m smacking myself that I didn’t do it sooner. My life may not have been complete up until this point. This is everything I want in a BBQ sauce–sweet, tangy, smoky..with a kick. I would eat my own shoe if it were slathered in this. Perfection.
Thanks, Reyna! Coming from a food connoisseur like yourself, this is a huge compliment!
What kind of tomato sauce do you use for this? Does it have the herbs and seasonings like a spagheti saue or is it just crushed tomato’s?
Greg – I use plain old tomato sauce that is most commonly sold in the 8-ounce cans. It is right by the diced tomatoes and such but is not the same as crushed tomatoes. I buy the tomato sauce without added herbs.
I live near Kansas City which is famous for its BBQ. I have tried many different BBQ sauces and this one is in my top 3, maybe even my very favorite. It surprised me that it didn’t solidify in the freezer. Is that because of the molasses?
Natalie – that’s high praise! Thanks for letting me know. I’m thrilled you love this BBQ sauce. As for the freezing question, it’s a phenomenon and I have no idea why. You might be right about the molasses!
Mel-
I made this a little less than 2 weeks ago, I however did not freeze it….bummer. Is it too late, how long does it last in the fridge???? And I loved it by the way, so good. I made BBQ Chicken pizza with it!
Kattie – I don’t know the scientific formula for how long this stays good but I have kept mine in the fridge for at least up to a month.
Wow – this is the best bbq sauce recipe we’ve found! Definitely as good or better than all of the storebought sauces. I made it tonight for the bbq chicken salad w/cilantro lime dressing and it was perfect! Thanks!
Mel, this was absolutely AMAZING! I made your pulled pork sandwiches and realized about an hour before dinner that I out of barbecue sauce and didn’t want to run to the store. Instead, I whipped this up and it was lick-the-bowl delicious. Thanks for sharing! I’ll definitely be making it again and again. I especially love the hit of cinnamon. Yum!
I. Love. This. Sauce!
thanks so much for this recipe! i made it tonight with some BBQ chicken, it was absolutely fantastic!
Do you think this recipe would still turn out alright if it was cut in half? Can’t wait to try it!
Great recipe! My husband is always difficult to please when it comes to BBQ sauce, and the exact words out of his mouth were “This is awesome!” We are slowly working to remove as much processed foods from our house as possible, and BBQ sauce was a tough one until now. I did make one alteration to more suit my family, as we are have to be sensitive to glycemic values. I substituted amber agave nectar for the molasses and brown sugar, and it turned out great. Thanks for the great recipe.
My son has requested this for his birthday dinner (to use with the pulled pork). I don’t have any cayenne pepper though. Do you think red pepper flakes would work okay? Can’t wait to try it!
Hi Lisa – yes, I think you could sub the red pepper flakes with good results. Play around with the amount and start small and taste along the way so it doesn’t get too spicy (or not enough!).
hi there! I just made your BBQ sauce last night, and holy smokes! it was absolutely amazing. I couldn’t stop licking my fingers!! It was finger lickin’ good!! Def a keeper! Thank you so much for sharing!
Mel! This sauce is truly fantastic (and I’m from Texas where we have LOTS of really good sauce)! I now regret not doubling it as you suggested!
Thanks for always having great recipes to share. Our families must have similar tastes as every one of your recipes I’ve made is a hit at our house!
Made this today and it is fantastic!
Thanks for the recipe! I will never use bottled sauce again. Made it with your pulled pork. I have never used (or heard of!) liquid smoke before. Makes such a difference in the meat. Having friends over to enjoy this! Thanks again!
This came out soooo good! I’m thinking of having a saucy Christmas this year….and gifting out this bbq sauce, your caramel sauce, and your hot fudge sauce!
You are so right, this IS the best barbecue sauce! I made a half batch of this recipe last night, then threw some chicken and sliced onions in the crockpot and poured this sauce on top, and it turned out great. It was the best barbecue chicken I’ve made, by far, and my boyfriend went for second helpings and cleaned his plate, so I know it was a success! This one will go in my permanent recipe collection. Thanks!
Im about to make this sauce but am not familiar with the celery seed, is it ground or do you leave it whole? Thanks and can’t wait to make it.
Anna – you can buy it whole and grind it yourself if you have a spice grinder but I buy it preground and it is usually pretty widely available at most grocery stores.
Can’t wait to try this. I’ve been testing out ALOT of homemade bbq sauces and at best they’ve been okay. Hoping it will taste great on spare ribs just like your baby backs.
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