Whether it’s for a special occasion or if you want to make your food taste delicious, having good BBQ sauce around your house can elevate your meal. This is no exaggeration, either! Good BBQ sauce can turn a good steak into a delicious savory one. Even the driest of meats can taste juicy and smoky with the help of good BBQ sauce.
Getting BBQ sauce from the shelves of your local grocery store lacks the excitement and thrill of experimentation that comes with making your own. Not to mention that homemade BBQ sauce tastes a thousand times better and possibly even cheaper than bottled BBQ sauce.
Now we understand how intimidating making your BBQ sauce can be, so here are 3 BBQ sauce recipes for beginners that’ll make your taste buds fall in love!
Sweet Honey BBQ Sauce
This sauce is perfect if you have a sweet tooth. The smoked flavor of the BBQ sauce is still there, but it has a hint of sweetness from the honey, molasses, and sugar. The aftertaste is also not too overpowering and is quite light in comparison to more intense BBQ sauces.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of ketchup
- two teaspoons of ground mustard
- 1/3 cup of honey
- ¼ cup of molasses
- ¾ cup of brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of rough sea salt/Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- 2/3 cup of apple cider vinegar
Instructions
Mix all of the ingredients, starting with the liquid ingredients first to make it easier. When adding in the honey and molasses, try to eyeball the measurements. Eyeballing means that you should estimate how much you’re putting in based on how it looks. Honey and molasses tend to stick on measuring cups, so most of it gets stuck when you use measuring cups.
After mixing the ingredients, simmer it on low to medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes. By letting it simmer, you’re dissolving any powder that still hasn’t disappeared, and you’re also cooking the sauce and giving it the classic smoky flavor that we all know and love. Don’t be afraid to taste the sauce for seasoning. If it feels like it’s missing more salt, honey, sugar, or garlic powder, then you can go ahead and add them in.
Put the sauce in a readily available jar and cool it down before serving.
Mustard BBQ Sauce
This sauce has mustard as the base instead of the classic ketchup. It complements grilled meats as a sauce, or you can use it to baste and marinate chicken.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of yellow mustard
- ½ cup of honey
- ¼ cup of ketchup
- 1 tablespoon of chili powder
- 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup of apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon each of onion and garlic powder
- Kosher salt to taste
Instructions
Similar to the first one, all you have to do is mix the ingredients (wet ingredients first before the spices) and let it simmer in low to medium-low heat for 20 minutes or until the desired consistency is achieved. Add salt to taste and experiment with the portions!
Classic Smoky BBQ Sauce
The classic spicy, smooth, and versatile BBQ sauce that we all know and love. Perfect for dipping meat in or perfect when paired with grilled meat. Just brush this sauce and create a beautiful smoky crust for your meat!
Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- 2 cloves of minced garlic
- 1-2 cup(s) of ketchup
- ¼ cup of water
- ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup brown sugar (optional)
- 2 teaspoons of paprika
- 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon of chili powder
- 1 teaspoon of cayenne
- 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low to medium heat
- Wait till the pan gets hot and then sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add red pepper flakes after mincing garlic (if you opted to go red pepper flakes as well).
- Add the remaining ingredients starting with the liquids.
- Cook for three minutes and then reduce the heat to low. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes until it’s nice and thick.