Easy Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe

Making our easy homemade bbq sauce is a must for summer months.  I hate buying the bottled variety with all of the added chemicals.  I much prefer knowing I can make my own easily in just a few minutes with things I likely already have on hand in my kitchen.

While this calls for some brown sugar, you can easily substitute with a sugar substitute if you prefer. We use coconut sugar to keep it paleo.  I love our homemade bbq sauce because you don't need a ton of ingredients, and it isn't super spicy.  That said, if you prefer a bit of spice, you can add some chili powder or even a bit of sriracha for heat.

Easy Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe

The boys love to dip everything into a sauce, and of course, I want it to be something that isn't laden with ingredients I don't want them having.  Making a homemade bbq sauce is always a great choice. I feel less guilt when they ask for dipping sauce, and they think I am giving in.

I prefer to mix this up ahead of time so it has time to let the flavors meld together well.  You'll cook for 10-15 minutes on the stovetop, but you could make larger batches and cook on low in your Crockpot for 1-2 hours if you prefer.

Ingredients:
2 cups Ketchup or Tomato Sauce
1 ½ cups Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon minced Onion (or one small diced fresh onion)
½ teaspoon Garlic Powder (or 1 teaspoon fresh minced)
2 Tablespoons Liquid Smoke

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together until blended in a medium sized bowl.

Pour the contents into a saucepan and simmer on the stovetop until the onions are soft and the sugar has melted into the sauce.

The sauce can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week in your refrigerator.  It doesn't usually last  that long for us!  You can even make large batches and can this using your home canning system or tips from the Ball Home Canning book so you have it on hand at all times.

If you are serving at a picnic or backyard barbecue, I like grabbing a few of these inexpensive squeeze bottles to pour the homemade bbq sauce into.  It makes it much less messy for serving, and easy for everyone to add more or less as they prefer.

This homemade bbq sauce goes perfectly with chicken, beef, pork, or even shrimp.  You can use it as a dipping sauce for things like homemade chicken nuggets, or even drizzle over a homemade pizza.  This is such a classic sauce that it works with almost anything.

More great recipes:

• Crockpot Root Beer Sandwiches
• Homemade Fajita Seasoning Mix Recipe
• Bacon Bombs Recipe
• Baked Cheddar Chicken