Easy to make barbecue sauce is sweet, tangy and kick of spice. Made with simple pantry ingredients, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, maple syrup and spices. Perfect for dipping and grilling. Seriously the BEST BBQ sauce you’ll ever make – ready in 20-minutes.
It can be refrigerated or water bath canned to make it shelf stable for up to 18-months. You’ll never buy store-bought again!
Barbecue sauce from scratch is delicious on barbecue pulled pork, BBQ ribs, BBQ chicken, baked beans, cowboy baked beans, and for dipping chicken nuggets.
Homemade BBQ sauce is easier to make than you think! It gives you fresh, preservative free barbecue sauce all-year long.
Water bath canning is a safe and effective canning method for this barbecue sauce recipe. This barbecue sauce recipe has been well-tested for pH levels to ensure it is properly home canned.
I developed this barbecue sauce recipe over 25 years ago in the commercial kitchen on my parents’ farm. This must-have condiment is easy to make using simple ingredients readily available at your local grocery store.
Why this recipe works
- Versatile & ease – Stock your shelves with your own homemade pasta sauce, saving money and less trips to the grocery store.
- Simple ingredients – Simple to make with easy to find ingredients. No preservatives or unnecessary additives.
- Shelf stable – Home canned barbecue sauce will last for up to 18-months in a cool, dry space. Store in either pint Mason jars or barbecue sauce bottles.
What you’ll need
- Water – Use warm water and whisk with the tomato paste to create the base for this sauce.
- Apple cider vinegar – Key in making homemade barbecue sauce.
- Tomato paste – Canned tomato paste adds a concentrated tomato flavor.
- Brown sugar – Sweetens and adds depth of flavor profile.
- Molasses – Gives the sauce a rich, depth of flavor.
- Honey & maple syrup – Unrefined sugars to sweeten the BBQ sauce.
- Salt & pepper – Seasons the sauce to balance flavors.
- Spices – Simple pantry spices; onion & garlic powder, cayenne powder, smoked paprika and pinch of ground chipotle (optional).
Mom’s coleslaw is delicious with BBQ pulled pork. Be sure and try baked beans, cowboy baked beans, twice baked potatoes, homemade coleslaw, Southern potato salad and scalloped potatoes.
How to make homemade barbecue sauce
- Dissolve tomato paste – Whisk together warm water, tomato paste and apple cider vinegar. This important step will help dissolve the tomato paste into the mixture.
- Add sugars & spice – Add brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, and molasses and combine well. Add the spices and stir to incorporate.
- Bring to a simmer – Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon so it does not burn.
- Let cook & thicken – Turn the heat down cook over medium to low heat until the mixture thickens. Continue to stir occasionally with a wooden spoon so the mixture does not burn.
- Pour into jars & water bath – Place in a sterile jar or container and let cool completely. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. Or process in a water bath canner to make it shelf stable.
This is the best BBQ sauce ever! It’s sweet, tangy, a bit smoky, with a kick of spices at the end. Perfect for dipping, grilling or on top of a cheeseburger.
We love packaging the sauce in barbecue sauce bottles.
PRO TIP: When bottling hot barbecue sauce into jars use a clean damp paper towel to wipe the rims of the bottle clean before placing on the lids. Should you get any barbecue sauce down the sides of the jars, WAIT for the bottle to cool completely BEFORE running under water or wiping the jar with a damp cloth! If you don’t, you may break the glass jar. For more information on canning visit Ball Canning.
Did you make one of my recipes? Please take a moment to leave a star rating. Also, if you are on Pinterest, please feel free to leave a comment there! Follow A Farmgirl’s Kitchen on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST and YouTube and subscribe my mailing list for ALL the latest recipes!
Homemade Barbecue Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup warm water
- ¾ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup tomato paste
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup molasses
- ½ cup honey
- ⅔ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- pinch of ground chipotle to taste
Instructions
- Whisk together warm water, tomato paste and apple cider vinegar. This important step will help dissolve the tomato paste into the mixture.
- Add brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, and molasses and combine well. Add the spices and stir to incorporate.
- Bring to a simmer over medium to high heat. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon so it does not burn.
- Turn the heat down cook over medium to low heat until the mixture thickens. Continue to stir occasionally with a wooden spoon so the mixture does not burn.
- The sauce will thicken as it cools. To check the thickness, transfer a small amount to a small cup and place it in the freezer until cool.
- Place in a sterile jar or container and let cool completely. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. Or process in a water bath canner to make it shelf stable.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: As an Affiliate Marketer, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click a product affiliate link on A Farmgirl’s Kitchen and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you! I own every cooking product I recommend and love how they perform.
Nancy Ward says
Where do you purchase the Bbq bottles?
Jessica Robinson says
I’ve dropped a link into the post. You can find them online on Amazon or through bulk honey or maple syrup equipment suppliers.
Dottie says
can I add blackberry jelly to this to make it sweet and tangy?
Jessica Robinson says
That would likely be delicious
Mary Gilkes says
Can this sauce be frozen?
Jessica Robinson says
Yes of course!!! Put in freezer friendly containers and freeze.
Jim says
what can I substitute the maple syrup for or add more of . I don’t like the taste of maple in anything.
Jessica Robinson says
substitute brown sugar, sugar or sugar in the raw.
Monica Monge says
how do you water bath in the bbq jars? are there special jars you have to use?
Jessica Robinson says
I use BBQ sauce jars that don’t water bath. They have a paper/Styrofoam seal that gets sucked down as the jars cool. You have to monitor your temperature and make sure you are placing barbecue sauce around 200 degrees F into each jar, seal them before they loose heat. Or you can certainly water bath can in pint or half pint Mason jars.
Season says
Hello, thank you so much for this recipe it looks delicious. I was wondering how long you would process this in the water bath? I know all the other stuff I need to know about camping I would just wonder what the time is? For me to look it up and Ball canning the recipe would have to be from Ball canning. Thanks in advance for any help you’re able to offer
Jessica Robinson says
Hello,
You would want to put into a sterilized jar, wipe the rim of the jar, put the lid on fingertip tight and water bath for 12-15 minutes. Let cool completely and sit for 24 hours before wiping down jars or moving jars.
Seanna says
This Barbecue Sauce Recipe is everything! Super tasty and easy to make. So good!
Jessica Robinson says
Thank you! So happy to hear you enjoyed it!
Amy says
I’m so excited for BBQ grilling/smoking season! This is our favorite on pulled pork! Thanks!
Jessica Robinson says
You and me both! We’ve got our grill fired up this weekend!
Lisa Hatfield says
A rich yummy BBQ sauce, love it on ribs!!
Jessica Robinson says
Oh thank you!!
Wendy says
What is your recommendation for maple syrup amounts for only as the sweetner?
Jessica Robinson says
Wendy,
I would highly suggest making the recipe exactly as written. However, should you choose to just use maple syrup for a sweetener, I would use about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups. I would NOT eliminate the molasses.
Wendy says
Thank you..
Nicole says
How much (cups) does the recipe make? How long would you water bath it for?
Jessica Robinson says
Nicole,
This recipe roughly makes 2-3 cups of barbecue sauce. I usually multiply the recipe by 10x and get about 22-24 bottles of barbecue sauce. Really all depends on how thick you make it.
You’ll want to water bath for about 10 minutes. I use a digital thermometer to make sure it’s really hot (about 200 degrees F) when I bottle it.
Lisa says
Yum!!! Love this BBQ Sauce recipe.. .the maple syrup and and chipotle make it so different and yummy!! My go to BBQ sauce recipe now
Jessica Robinson says
Thanks so much Lisa!