Homemade BBQ Sauce is a quick and easy sauce for all of your BBQ needs. Tangy, but not too sweet, my version is incredibly savory and just absolutely wonderful…on everything. It’s so good, you’ll never buy another bottle in the store again.
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I start my Homemade BBQ Sauce with something that might be a little out of the box – bacon fat. That’s right, I start by sautéing onions in bacon fat for a flavor that is just out of this world. After the onions soften, the usual suspects like ketchup, apple cider vinegar go in along with some mustard and spices. I finish it off with a healthy splash of Worcestershire to really amp up the savory notes in this BBQ sauce.
This BBQ sauce is great on all kinds of BBQ and smoked meats. Pork ribs, beef brisket, pulled pork, sausage – the meats usually found on a smoker sing with this sauce. My kids love it as dip for nuggets, but it is also great as a pizza sauce, a chicken sandwich spread, or even as a dip for sweet potato fries.
Whatever you do, try it once and you’ll go back to it again and again.
homemade bbq sauce ingredients
- Bacon
- Onion
- Garlic
- Ketchup
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Brown Sugar
- Smoked Paprika
- Yellow Mustard
- Fresh Ground Pepper
- Kosher Salt
how to make homemade bbq sauce
Why do I use bacon in my BBQ sauce recipe? Because it’s bacon and it’s amazing. That’s why. Start by rendering the bacon fat in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Once the fat has rendered remove the bacon. You can have that as a snack or add it to breakfast the next day.
To the bacon fat, add the chopped onions and cook until they are mostly soft. In goes the ketchup, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, smoked paprika, yellow mustard, salt and pepper. Throw in the rough chopped garlic and let this mixture simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Once the sauce has simmered, remove it from the heat and grab your immersion blender. Carefully blend the sauce until smooth. You can serve it immediately or store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
frequently asked questions
This Homemade BBQ Sauce is both gluten and dairy-free! No need to worry!
I have several great recipes that you can serve at your BBQ.
Try my:
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
Creamy Coleslaw
Classic Potato Salad
Because of the bacon in this recipe, this BBQ sauce will stay good in the fridge for about a week – if it lasts that long.
other great sauce recipes
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Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon, chopped
- ½ onion, chopped
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 4-5 cloves garlic, rough chopped
- ½ tsp fresh ground pepper
- kosher salt, to taste
Instructions
- Sauté bacon pieces in a sauce pan over medium high heat to render out the fat.
- Once the fat is rendered, remove bacon and set aside for another use.
- Add the onion to the bacon fat and cook until onion softens. Reduce heat to medium.
- Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring often.
- Remove sauce from the heat and carefully blend sauce until smooth with an immersion blender.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Thank you!
I am so incredibly happy that you are here! I hope you try my BBQ Sauce recipe and fall in love with it. If you make this recipe, please share and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok! And, please leave a comment or star rating below. I absolutely love seeing each and every one of your kitchen masterpieces. And, as always, if you ever have any questions about any of my recipes, please don’t hesitate to contact me!
Happy Cooking!
–Rufus
Rufus for Real is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. I may earn a commission, with no additional cost to you, if you purchase through those links.
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