This recipe for Kansas City style Homemade BBQ Sauce is easy, quick, and simple to prepare. It has a sweet, tangy kick you are going to love! With a hint of smoke and just a little spicy, I think it is one of the best I have tasted!

Homemade BBQ sauce is so simple to make yourself. After you try this sauce will never want to buy BBQ sauce from the grocery store again!

Growing up, this is what I thought BBQ sauce was supposed to be. You know, thick, tomato-based, a little sweet, and a little spicy. Of course, now I know better; there are other choices for BBQ sauce in the world! This sauce, however, always reminds me of growing up, and that’s kinda special.

What is in Homemade BBQ sauce?

I would bet that if you have a reasonably well-stocked kitchen, you will already have all the ingredients to make your own homemade BBQ sauce. For this recipe, you use common everyday ingredients. Isn’t it amazing how everyday items can be combined into something that is different but awesomely delicious!

It doesn’t take very long to whip this up. You could, in fact, make this BBQ sauce in the time that it takes to preheat your grill! I’m sure this is going to become one of your favorite recipes.

In a medium saucepan, add the ketchup, brown sugar, tomato paste, vinegar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and cayenne.

Whisk all the ingredients together until well combined. The mixture should have a smooth consistency to it. You don’t want any lumps in the sauce.

Place the pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and allow the sauce to simmer slow over low heat for about 10 – 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should thicken slightly while it cooks.

You should allow the sauce to cool to room temperature before using. This will allow it to thicken a little more and will be easier to brush or pour.

Can I substitute ingredients for Homemade bbq sauce?

The short answer is yes, absolutely you can substitute ingredients in your homemade BBQ sauce. The one thing that you need to keep in mind is that this is a tomato-based sauce, so you will need to include tomatoes.

Saying that, you could add tomato sauce as an ingredient. Although you will want to keep the ketchup for the tomato flavor and the sweetness. You could, however, reduce the tomato paste and add tomato sauce. Keep in mind that if you do this, your sauce will be a little thinner. You may need to simmer it a little longer to thicken it.

Some people like to add maple syrup to their homemade BBQ sauce recipe. This is a great idea. If you want to add a little zing, you could add a little dry mustard, boom! Sweet and tangy! I have cayenne pepper listed on the ingredients. If you like it spicy, you can add a little more cayenne. If you don’t like it spicy at all, you can omit it completely.

One thing I have noted is that you will want to use “fancy” and not “blackstrap” molasses. The fancy molasses is slightly lighter in color and a little sweeter. Blackstrap molasses is darker in color, which is OK, but it tends to have a slightly bitter flavor and is less sweet. Trust me, you will taste the difference if you use the wrong molasses!

What goes well with homemade bbq sauce?

Where to start? Homemade BBQ sauce goes with pretty much anything you cook, grill, BBQ, or smoke! I love BBQ sauce on BBQ chicken! It seems to me that chicken and BBQ sauce just go hand in hand.

Whether you are brushing the sauce on the chicken while it is cooking, or you are dipping the chicken or chicken wings in the BBQ sauce as you are eating it. Chicken without BBQ sauce just isn’t done in our house!

Oh, and what about pork ribs? Ribs and BBQ sauce were MFEO (Made for Each Other, to quote a line from Sleepless in Seattle, one of my favorite movies). If you are serving ribs, either pork or beef ribs, you absolutely have to have a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce to serve with them, brushed on them. I like a small bowl for dipping too!

I also like to sauce my steaks when I grill them. Not always, mind you. I don’t want BBQ sauce on my fillet mignon because I want the outstanding flavor of the beef to stand out.

If I’m grilling up a beautiful strip loin, NY strip, or even a ribeye, I will often brush a little BBQ sauce on just before I remove it from the grill to rest. I like that sweet, tangy flavor with just a hint of char on my steak. The sugar in the BBQ sauce, when slightly charred, adds a flavor that you just can’t beat!

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Yield: 3 Cups

Homemade BBQ Sauce

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Nothing could be easier than making your own Homemade BBQ Sauce. This sweet, tangy sauce will have you brushing it on everything. It's perfect for dipping too!

Prep Time 2 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 22 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 6 ounces tomato paste
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less to taste

Instructions

1. Place the ketchup, brown sugar, tomato paste, vinegar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne into a medium-sized saucepot.
2. Whisk to combine until smooth.
3. Place the pot over medium-low heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and slowly simmer for 10 minutes; mixture will thicken slightly, stir occasionally.
4. Let the bbq sauce cool on the countertop before use. 

Notes

While simmering, the sauce may splatter some, be careful! It should simmer without a top, though, so it can thicken. 

Store in an air-tight container once cooled to room temperature. It will keep in the fridge for 7-10 days.

This amount of cayenne adds the slightest bit of heat, add more or less to your taste.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 139Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 317mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 1gSugar: 31gProtein: 1g