Homemade BBQ Sauce Without Ketchup
Made in less than 30 minutes with pantry staples, this homemade barbecue sauce is thick, tangy, and perfectly sweet.
Servings: 16
Ingredients
- 1 (15-oz) can tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup 100% pineapple juice or apple juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup honey or maple syrup
- ¼ cup molasses
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper or more if desired
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a medium saucepan and whisk until well combined.
- Bring to a gentle bubble over medium heat. As soon as small bubbles form along the edges of the pan, reduce the heat to low and let cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens. This will take anywhere from 25-30 minutes. If the sauce thickens too quickly, add additional water or juice and reduce the heat.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Allow to cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
No Juice? Use water and increase the honey to ½ cup to help sweeten the BBQ sauce.
Adjust Sweetness: Double the brown sugar for sweeter BBQ sauce or swap the tomato sauce for prepared ketchup.
Adjust Heat/Smokiness: Use regular paprika in place of smoked and decrease the cayenne pepper.
Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free Worcestershire sauce.
Low-Sodium: Use salt-free tomato sauce, low-sodium Worcestershire sauce, and omit the salt from the seasonings.
Nutrition
Calories: 48kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 300mg | Potassium: 199mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 276IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg
