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If you want to start making homemade sauces, try this delicious Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce. It’s a classic grilling sauce that you should have in the fridge at all times. The sauce has the perfect balance of sweetness you would expect and a tangy surprise that balances the savoriness from grilled meat.
And if you like bourbon, check out my Easy Bourbon BBQ Sauce. It has a rich, warming flavor without the effects of alcohol.
Table of Contents
Ingredients List for a Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce.
Ketchup: this is the base for any tomato based BBQ sauce.
Yellow mustard: provide acidy and tanginess to the sauce.
Honey: adds natural sweetness and shine.
Brown sugar: adds caramelization to the sauce when brushed on meats.
Molasses: adds a sweet and smokey flavor to the sauce.
Apple cider vinegar: creates a tangy balance to the sweetness from the brown sugar and molasses.
Hot sauce: adds a little kick and breaks up the sweetness of the sauce. Adjust heat levels to your liking.
Worcestershire sauce: adds a savory and umami flavor the BBQ sauce.
All Purpose seasoning: adds savoriness and BBQ flavors like smoked paprika to the sauce.
Step 1: How to make a delicious Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce.
Once you make your first BBQ sauce, there is no going back to store bought options. Best of all, you can modify the spice or sweetness levels to your liking. It’s fast and easy to make a large batch and save for later or enjoy all week long!
In a sauce pan, add ketchup, yellow mustard, brown sugar, honey, molasses, Dad’s All Purpose rub, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar and hot sauce.
Simmer on the store top over low heat until the sauce starts to thicken. Be sure to whisk it every few minutes to ensure nothing burns to the bottom. You want to make sure that all the ingredients are well incorporated together.
Recipe Tip
Adjust heat levels with hot sauce. Traditional BBQ sauce is on the sweeter side, adding hot sauce breaks up the sweetness and adds a little punch at the end.
Adjust smokey levels with smoked paprika. Instead of adding liquid smoke, add natural flavoring through spices.
Once the sauce is done, brush it on your smoked beer can chicken, dunk grilled chicken lollipops into the sticky BBQ sauce or add it as a condiment on your favorite grilled burger.
Step 2: How to store leftover BBQ sauce.
One of the benefits of making BBQ sauce at home is you can make it in advance. I like to store my sauce in air tight mason jars. Simply pour the sauce in the jar, close the top and pop it in the fridge. Store the Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Enjoy your labor of love every day for lunch and dinner. This is also a great holiday gift idea for those foodies in your family or the avid BBQ’er.
How to serve a Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce
- Glaze the delicious sauce over my Braided Pork Loin or Grilled Spatchcock Chicken while still on the grill. This allows the sauce to caramelize over the savory meat making it sticky and delicious with each bite.
- Dip Grilled Butterflied Chicken Drumsticks in the sweet sauce for a beautiful glaze and finish.
- Spread it on your favorite summer burger or sandwich as your choice of condiment.
Frequently Asked Questions:
The perfect balance of ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, paprika, salt and pepper, honey and Worcestershire combined make up the taste of a tomato based BBQ sauce.
Adding molasses or higher amounts brown sugar adds flavor to a classic BBQ sauce. Hot sauce will add heat, alcohol will add savoriness and richness to a BBQ sauce.
Try these unique BBQ sauce recipes:
If you tried this Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the📝 comments. I love hearing from you!
Sweet and Tangy BBQ sauce
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Ketchup
- 1.5 cups Brown sugar
- 1/2 cup Honey
- 1/4 cup Apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup Molasses
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp Yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp Hot sauce
- 1 tbsp All purpose seasoning
Instructions
- Measure out your ingredients.
- Taste and adjust for heat, sweetness of tanginess.
- Brush on protein or store in airtight mason jars for later use.
Notes
- Add smoked paprika for a more smokey flavor.
- Add bourbon for a savory rich finish.
- Add your favorite soda pop for a fun twist on a recipe
- Add more hot sauce for more kick.
- Homemade BBQ sauce can be used up to 2 weeks if stored in the fridge.
- Pour the sauce into airtight mason jars. Use when needed.
We love making homemade BBQ sauce and this is one my favorite recipes. You can easily customize it to your liking by adding more heat or sweet! I hope you like it.