BBQ Sauce Recipe (Simple & Easy!) (2024)

FAQs

What are the basics of BBQ sauce? ›

Combine brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, water, and Worcestershire sauce in a blender. Season with mustard, paprika, salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce. Blend until smooth.

The base ingredients of barbecue sauce usually include tomato sauce or ketchup, vinegar, and sweeteners, such as molasses or brown sugar. Other common ingredients include Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, onion powder, and various spices, which can include paprika, cumin, and chili powder.

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.

To make it more flavorful

Try adding some barbecue sauce mix, or any other seasonings you like. Some popular choices include mustard, garlic powder, paprika, salt, or brown sugar. Worcestershire sauce is also a popular additive to help with the flavor.

Spices and seasonings: A variety of spices and seasonings are added to BBQ sauce to enhance its flavor. Common spices include paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and mustard powder. These ingredients contribute to the distinct taste and aroma of the sauce.

Generally, barbecue sauces is categorized into four varieties: tomato-based sauces, vinegar-based sauces, mustard-based sauces, and mayonnaise-based sauces. Each category can have a range of BBQ sauce styles, ranging from sweet and tangy to hot and spicy.

Tomato-Based Sauce

The most typical type of barbecue sauce is tomato-based.

Our Tangy BBQ Sauce recipe is made with a tomato paste base, vinegar, and savory spices with a hint of sweet hickory smoke flavor. It's the perfect BBQ dipping sauce for Chicken McNuggets® and our World Famous Fries®. *Mobile Order & Pay and McDelivery at participating McDonald's.

Pectin. One of the best options as to how to thicken a BBQ sauce is to use pectin. Depending on where you get it from, pectin can come in two different varieties; high- and low-methoxyl pectin. Both however are available in the bakery aisle of many supermarkets and are typically made from apple cores or citrus rinds.

How to make BBQ sauce tastier? ›

Add a few glugs of Frank's RedHot or Louisiana-style Crystal. Or any other spicy condiment, really: swirl in some sambal oelek, gochujang, or harissa. Play with the smoky notes found in a can of adobo sauce, or the citrus flavors in Cuban mojo. Another source of smoky flavor: smoked paprika.

Making BBQ sauce is a lot easier than many people think. It requires only a few ingredients most people have already in their homes and minimal cooking! I prefer to make most of my condiments homemade. That way you can control the taste and quality, and it's cheaper than buying store-bought versions.

For flavor chili powder is usually on the top of the list as well as garlic, onion, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and sometimes a sweet spice such as clove. Finally, there's liquid smoke because, well, it's barbecue.

The smoke that is created is made up of a variety of compounds, including carbon dioxide, water vapor, and a variety of organic compounds. These compounds are responsible for the delicious smoky flavor that we all love. The smoke also contains a variety of volatile compounds, which are responsible for the aroma of BBQ.