This barbecue sauce recipe is easy to make and is sweet, tangy, and with a kick of spice. Homemade BBQ sauce can be refrigerated or water bath canned to make it shelf stable for up to 18-months. Once you make your own homemade barbecue sauce, you’ll never buy store-bought again!
Barbecue sauce from scratch is delicious on pulled pork, baby back ribs, BBQ chicken, baked beans and for dipping chicken nuggets.
It’s summer and warmer weather for grilling outside! We love making barbecue chicken! And, there’s nothing better than homemade barbecue sauce. What better combination that barbecue chicken with homemade barbecue sauce?!
I developed this barbecue sauce recipe over fifteen years ago in the commercial kitchen on my parents farm. This must-have condiment is super easy to make with simple ingredients readily available in your local grocery store.
We use this Southern barbecue sauce regularly on BBQ Pulled Pork, Barbecue Chicken Loaded Fries, Homemade Baked Beans, and on Bacon Cheeseburgers.
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.
Mix half and half with balsamic dressing and serve over top my Whiskey Marinated Steak. Oh how delicious does that sound?! Be sure and try my Peach Barbecue Sauce or drizzle this barbecue sauce over my Loaded BBQ Fries.
How to make the best Homemade BBQ sauce
Step 1: Whisk together warm water, tomato paste and apple cider vinegar. This important step will help dissolve the tomato paste into the mixture.
Step 2: Add brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, and molasses and combine well. Add the spices and stir to incorporate.
Step 3: Bring to a simmer over medium to high heat. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon so it does not burn.
Step 4: 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.
Step 5: 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.
I multiplied the recipe twelve times and bottled it in barbecue sauce jars. Then added red seals which helps customers know it’s not been tampered with. You can certainly bottle BBQ sauce in half pint or pint Mason jars if you don’t have barbecue sauce bottles available like I do. Be sure and try my BBQ Chicken Kebabs, Barbecue Ribs, and a big ole glass of Peach Sweet Tea.
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.
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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
- ¼ 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
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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!