One of the most classic American foods is barbecue. Across the nation, different areas have their own specialties and favorites when it comes to the grill. Growing up in Alabama, I took good BBQ for granted. Once, as a know-it-all young teenager who desperately wanted to get older and move to a big city (any of them would do), I came across a small article in YM magazine where the author, who had traveled to different areas of the country, noted the iconic foods of those states. She actually came to Alabama, which was cool to see, and she noted pickles and BBQ pork as food specific to the state. Then, I was terribly confused, because who doesn’t love pickles and what kind of BBQ isn’t pork? To me, all BBQ was pork, and if it was chicken, you had to say the whole thing, like BBQ chicken.
Since then, I’ve grown up and moved around, trying the range of BBQ offered by the Midwest and South. One of my favorites is Kansas City barbecue. It’s such a pleasant complement to smoked meat, with so much spice and flavor set against the savory tomato background. Unless you are blessed to live in an area with really specific BBQ stylings, you probably think of this sauce when you think of classic BBQ sauce. This is the classic, the tangy, acidic, mouthwatering BBQ sauce that gets its richness from tomatoes, its twang from apple cider vinegar, and its sweetness from brown sugar and molasses.
Why Make Your Own Classic BBQ Sauce?
Because it’s such an American classic, I bet you could find a store bought version of this sauce in just about any household across the country. People tend to get really brand specific when it comes to KC barbeque sauce, too, but of course I’m here as a “from scratch” advocate! You get all the benefits of from scratch food including knowing what’s in there, using the best ingredients, and controlling for any nutrition concerns you may have. BBQ sauces from the store can be really sweet to me without any balance, so I like making one that is spicy without being just HOT.
This is also an easy way to show your guests and family you care. There are some tasty store-bought sauces for sure, but nothing compares to a homemade sauce from scratch. It’s more thoughtful, in a way, when they know you didn’t HAVE to scratch make it, but you chose to anyway.
This recipe makes about 3 cups of classic BBQ sauce. You can definitely double or half this recipe based on your needs!
Time
- Prep: 5 minutes
- Inactive: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 15 oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 6 oz. can tomato paste
- 1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 c. ketchup
- 1/4 c. blackstrap molasses
- 1/4 c. brown sugar
- 2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 2 tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. ground mustard
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. Wochestershire
- big pinch kosher salt
- big pinch black pepper
Process
- In a saucepan, combine everything. Yep, seriously – dump it all in the pot!
- To make this vegan, leave out the Worchestershire. This sauce is smoky and spicy without it!
- Cook everything together over medium-low to low heat. Don’t let your sauce start boiling and popping everywhere! If it gets too hot, just cut the heat down a little more.
- Simmer your sauce for at least 20 minutes. It will thicken some, but most importantly the flavors will marry.
- Turn off your burner and take your sauce off the heat. Let it cool on the stovetop for 5-10 minutes.
- Blend your sauce using your machine of choice. I used an immersion blender, but you could use a regular blender or, in a pinch, a food processor, though it might not get as smooth that way.
Once your classic BBQ sauce is made, it can be stored in the fridge for about 2 weeks. This is a fantastic BBQ sauce to use on grilled chicken, mixed with pulled pork, brushed on ribs, or for grilling tempeh skewers. I also love using this as a base sauce for my saucy baked beans. It’s honestly the most versatile, crowd-pleasing BBQ sauce, so you could use this whenever you are grilling or heading to a picnic! This would also be a great option for canning and giving as a gift. You can personalize this (just like all my recipes) by changing the spice blend or adding a spicier heat. It’s all up to you, so try it out this way, and if you customize it, let me know!
Classic BBQ Sauce
Equipment
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 15 oz. fire-roasted tomatoes (1 can)
- 6 oz. tomato paste (1 can)
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup blackstrap molasses
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.
- Bring up to barely a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, not allowing the sauce to pop out of the pan.
- Simmer for at least 20 minutes.
- Turn off your burner and take your sauce off the heat. Let it cool on the stovetop for 5-10 minutes.
- Blend your sauce until smooth.
Notes
- Once the sauce is simmering, you can let it go longer if you want a thicker sauce. That will reduce your total yield, though.
- This recipe can be easily halved or doubled. It will store in the fridge for about 2 weeks.
- To blend the sauce, I used an immersion blender, but you can use whatever blender works best for you.
For more photos of this recipe and all the other homemaking projects I’m doing, including recipes, knitting patterns, and other home projects, find me on Instagram!
[…] recipe calls for my homemade sauce as well. You can find the recipe for my classic BBQ sauce here. Making this takes about 30 additional minutes. If you want to use a store-bought sauce, you […]