This Kansas City-style homemade BBQ sauce recipe is super quick and easy to make, and full of the best tangy, smoky and slightly-sweet flavors that everyone is sure to love!
Friends, have you ever tried making homemade BBQ sauce?
If not, it’s time. ♡
And as a KC girl, I’m going to vote that you make this Kansas City-style bbq sauce recipe! It’s super-easy to make — just stir everything together and simmer for about 15 minutes — and it’s full of that famous tangy, smoky and slightly-sweet blend of flavors that we all love in Kansas City.
We use this sauce regularly in our house to make traditional bbq chicken, pulled pork, ribs and baked beans. But it also works great as a pizza sauce (hello, bbq chicken pizza ♡) and as a glaze (on meatballs, meatloaf, etc). And of course, you’re welcome to get creative and add it into everything from soups to salads, tacos, burgers, casseroles and more.
So many ways to use homemade bbq sauce. So let’s make a batch!
Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Homemade BBQ Sauce Ingredients:
To make this homemade bbq sauce recipe, you will need the following ingredients (amounts included in the full recipe below):
- Tomato sauce: One can of plain tomato sauce (just puréed tomatoes, no extra ingredients).
- Apple cider vinegar: To add some tang to the sauce.
- Honey: I really prefer the taste of honey as the natural sweetener in this bbq sauce. But you could also sub in brown sugar or maple syrup.
- Tomato paste: To intensify the rich tomato flavor in this sauce.
- Molasses: A must in Kansas City bbq sauce!
- Worcestershire: If making this sauce vegan, be sure to use a vegan brand of Worcestershire.
- Liquid smoke: To give the sauce those important smoky notes.
- Spices: A combo of smoked paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder and salt. Plus a few optional pinches of cayenne, if you would like to give the sauce some heat.
How To Make BBQ Sauce:
This bbq sauce recipe couldn’t be easier to make! Simply…
- Combine ingredients. Stir everything together in a saucepan.
- Simmer. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then let it continue to simmer for 15-20 minutes or until it has thickened slightly.
- Serve. Then that’s literally it — your sauce is ready to go and use in any of your favorite recipes!
Possible Recipe Variations:
Want to customize your own BBQ sauce recipe a bit? Feel free to:
- Make it gluten-free: To make gluten-free BBQ sauce, just be sure to use gluten-free liquid smoke. (I recommend Wright’s or Colgin.)
- Make it vegan: To make vegan BBQ sauce, just be sure to use vegan Worcestershire. (I recommend Annie’s.)
- Make it sweeter: Add more honey, to taste.
- Make it smokier: Add a touch more liquid smoke, to taste.
- Make it thicker: Simmer the sauce for longer until it reduces to your desired consistency.
Ways To Use BBQ Sauce:
There are so many great ways to put a batch of homemade BBQ sauce to delicious use! Some of our faves include:
- Traditional bbq meat: Grilled or pulled chicken, pulled pork, ribs, burnt ends, etc.
- Baked beans: BBQ sauce is a simple and delicious way to flavor a batch of baked beans.
- Burgers: Use it as a spread on your favorite burgers.
- Pizzas: Use it in place of pizza sauce. (Hello, bbq chicken pizza!)
- Soups/salads: Mix it into broths to flavor soups, or use the sauce as a dressing for your salad.
- Tacos/quesadillas/burritos: BBQ sauce is a great way to give your favorite Mexican dishes a different twist.
- Dipping sauce: And of course, it’s always a great dipping sauce for everything from chicken nuggets to veggie sticks to cocktail meatballs and more!
Homemade BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- optional: a few pinches of cayenne for extra heat, if desired
Instructions
- Combine ingredients. Whisk all ingredients together in a medium saucepan.
- Simmer. Cook over medium-high heat until the sauce reaches a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer (uncovered) for 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce has slightly thickened.
- Serve. Use the sauce immediately, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 1 week.
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Anyone have tried to can this sauce? Pressure canner or boiling water? How much time?
Best BBQ sauce ever BTW
Wow!!!! So good :). I used half the amount of Worcester, but that’s just my preference. Very very good recipe.
Awesome sauce!
Went to make ribs, and discovered we didn’t have any bbq sauce in the house, which is a shocker, because we always have bbq sauce. Jumped online, found this recipe, and I’m glad I did. I made it exactly as listed, and it is perfectly tangy with a little bit of sweet. Used the leftovers the next day on pasta with veggies. Love this!
How long will this store if bottled correctly?
This recipe is ah maze ing!! Soooo delicious! I didn’t have tomato sauce so I subbed the tomato sauce, vinegar, and tomato paste for ketchup! Used it in slow cooker to make bbq beef on a bun!
Very good. Dig this on some get down chicken..thanks for this recipe…
Could this barbecue sauce be jarred/canned at home for room temperature storage?
I’m trying to figure this out as well.
According to the USDA, you should make sure the sauce has a ph below 4.6, and process for 10 minutes in boiling water bath. I used their guidelines for tomato hot sauce with vinegar for this answer.
I suggest you read the USDA canning guidelines yourself because getting it wrong can mean illness or even death.
https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/usda/GUIDE03_HomeCan_rev0715.pdf
so….can this recipe be canned?
I just realized I was out of bbq sauce and needed some for a recipe. I am missing a lot of ingredients and did eat too many substitutions, but somehow it’s still good!!
Things I did not have: tomato paste, Worcester sauce, liquid smoke, tomato sauce. I used canned diced tomatoes I blended with extra to make up for the paste, Worcester substitution that was soy sauce, lemon juice, and some hot sauce, and no liquid smoke. Also only had regular paprika. Kind of blown away it’s not terrible! Look forward to trying the proper recipe soon!!
I have now used this recipe for a smoked brisket and smoked pulled pork. Each time I added a full tablespoon of red pepper to give it an extra kick. Its absolutely amazing. How amazing you ask? Well I’ve never left a comment on a recipe before.