How to Make Great Barbecue Sauce
Some say the sauce makes the barbecue. Whip up your own distinctive batch with these tips.
Up next in Sauces, Dressings, & Condiments (29 videos)
Dress up your favorite dishes with these tasty sauces and condiments; just follow the recipes and cooking instructions in these videos.
You Will Need
- 2 c. ketchup
- ¼ c. cider vinegar
- ¼ c. Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ c. brown sugar
- 2 tbsp. molasses
- 2 tbsp. prepared yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp. hot sauce
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- ¼ c. pineapple juice
- ¼ c. sautéed onions
- ¼ c. chiles in adobo sauce
- Barbecue
- 1 tbsp. barbecue rub (optional)
- Liquid smoke (optional)
Steps
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Step 1
Make the base
Make a basic sauce to use as a foundation. Mix the ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, molasses, mustard, hot sauce, and black pepper in a saucepan.
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Add a teaspoon of your favorite barbecue rub for a more complex flavor.
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Step 2
Simmer
Bring to a boil and simmer 10 to 15 minutes until it's dark and thick.
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Step 3
Experiment with additional ingredients
Experiment with additional ingredients to give the sauce your own distinctive flair. Add sautéed onions to give it a fuller flavor, pineapple juice for sweetness, or chili peppers in adobo sauce for a spicy kick.
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Add a splash of liquid smoke to give your sauce a smoky flavor.
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Step 4
Use it
Field-test your sauce at a barbecue. Slather it on meat while it's still on the grill, or use it as a dip for meat that's already been cooked.
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Step 5
Store the excess
Store any extra sauce in a sealed container in a refrigerator. It will keep for several months, but sauce this good is bound to disappear in no time!
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The Oxford English Dictionary claims the first recorded use of the word "barbecue" in the English language occurred in the 1690s.
