Ready to try your hand at making your own BBQ sauce? This quick and easy Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe will have you feeling like a pro saucier in no time!
Learn how to whip up BBQ sauce at home in less than 15 minutes! This recipe is made with 8 simple ingredients, including ketchup and brown sugar, and comes together in a matter of minutes.
Homemade sauce is such an easy way to elevate your meals, and this one is so simple and quick, that even as a time-strapped mom, I find myself making it often!
I love to prep it ahead of time and use it throughout the week for meals like these BBQ Jackfruit Quesadillas.
The condiment is a great accompaniment to many more dishes! With its perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors, this do-it-yourself BBQ sauce tastes great on everything!
Homemade BBQ Sauce Ingredient Highlights
Dark brown sugar works in place of light brown sugar. You can also use an alternative vinegar like white wine vinegar or rice vinegar. Lemon juice works in place of vinegar in a pinch.
Homemade BBQ Sauce Tips and Tricks
How to Make Homemade BBQ Sauce
When it comes to DIY sauce and dressing recipes, it all comes down to technique. Start by adding all your ketchup, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper to a small pot over low heat.
As the sauce thickens, it may start to spatter. Keep your heat low and monitor it closely.
If it starts to spatter, give it a stir. If you are unable to stand over your stove while it’s cooking, simply cover it with a lid, and keep it on the lowest heat.
We don’t want the sauce to stick to the bottom of the pot and burn or to get too thick and almost gluey, so make sure to stir it pretty frequently and monitor it closely.
We cook the sauce not just to thicken it, but also to dissolve all the spices and seasonings into the liquid to make a smooth, velvety sauce.
Using a whisk will aid in this process, and ensure you aren’t left with any lumps.
Serving Up Your BBQ Sauce
This homemade BBQ sauce is great on almost anything! Here are some of my favorite plant-based recipe ideas to serve up this BBQ sauce:
How to Properly Store Homemade BBQ Sauce
The apple cider vinegar acts as a natural preservative in this plant-based BBQ sauce, so when stored correctly, it can last for about 2 weeks.
Just keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Check for signs of bacterial growth, texture change, or an “off” smell or taste if enjoying after 14 days.
You can also freeze individual servings for up to 3 months, and just allow the sauce to defrost before using it.
12-Minute Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe
SAVE RECIPE TO COLLECTION PIN PRINT RATEIngredients
- ⅔ cup ketchup
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add all your ingredients to a small pot and whisk together.⅔ cup ketchup, ½ cup apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Heat on low until the spices and sugar are dissolved and the sauce thickens (8-10 minutes). Stir frequently to avoid spatter and the sauce sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning.
- Allow to cool and serve at room temperature. Try it with these BBQ Jackfruit Quesadillas!
Pro Tips
- If you like a little spice in your sauce, add a pinch of cayenne pepper!
- You can freeze individual servings for up to 3 months! Allow sauce to thaw in the refrigerator before enjoying.
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4 thoughts on “12-Minute Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe”
would love to know sugar/carb count!
Hi Judith!!
I didn’t include this info because it can vary greatly depending on the ketchup you use, but a rough estimate is about 7g carbs and 6g sugar per 1 tablespoon of sauce. Hope that helps!
Delicious sauce. I’ll be pouring it on everything I eat. Great combination of sweet and tangy.
(Review provided by a family/friend of marleysmenu.com)
I love to hear that, thank you Bruce!