Forget what you buy in a bottle, the best barbecue sauces are homemade. Why would you go to all the work of cooking deliciously grilled food only to drown it in a generic sauce? This is one of the biggest mistakes BBQ rookies make, and many people are content to rely on commercial sauces for years. But the true secret to becoming a barbecue master is being able to create your own special blend of flavors. When you can create a signature sauce that enhances your food, that’s when you’re on the road to barbecue heaven. Here are some of the best barbecue sauce recipes that will absolutely blow the roof off your next BBQ meal.
The Sidewinder
This sauce gets its name because it works perfectly on the side rather than directly on your food. This follows in the tradition of Memphis barbecue and is usually served without a sauce, or with it on the side. This is perfect for when you want to give your guests an opportunity to determine exactly when they get a blast of barbecue tastes.
Ingredients:
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon mild chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried thyme
Mixin’ it up – start by melting the butter into a saucepan being careful not to use high heat. Throwing in your fresh vegetables and let them sauté until they are caramelized and turn a slight brown. Now comes the fun part, put every other ingredient in leaving your vinegar for last. Simmer everything for about 20 minutes, making sure to stir and check on the sauce occasionally. Allow everything to cool and let it rest for a little bit so that things settle down. As you can see, there’s lots of room for adaptations and changes since there are so many different ingredients. You can make it spicier, more mild, thicker, or sweeter depending on your preference.
The No-nonsense
This sauce is perfect for people who want a straightforward product that doesn’t pull any punches. There are no fancy ingredients, and you aren’t going to taste any particularly interesting hints of unusual ingredients. This is a basic barbecue sauce as many people would imagine it, and there’s nothing wrong with that at all. It works perfectly for ribs and chicken.
Ingredients:
2 cups ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup minced onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons water
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
fresh ground pepper to taste
Mixin’ it Up – take your fresh onion and carefully mince it up evenly. Combine it with your water and then purée it until smooth. Heat up your saucepan and add the olive oil and when it is at the appropriate temperature, blend in your onion purée. Add the rest of the ingredients and then simmer until it starts to form into a sauce. You’ll be able to tell by looking at it when it’s done, but of course you want to give it a taste as well. You can punch it up with a bit of heat, but this is already a great sauce on its own.
The Finishing Touch
This is more of a glaze than an outright sauce, but when used perfectly you can reach heights of barbecue perfection. It’s a great way to finish off the cooking process while ensuring that your food is flavorful. It also has the ability to help seal the juices so that you get the most tender product possible. This is another sauce that works great for ribs, and of course you can put it on pork chops or chicken, and you might even want to try it if you’re grilling jumbo prawns.
Ingredients:
1 cup Jack Daniel’s Whiskey
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Mixin’ it Up – oh did we forget to mention that this sauce uses Jack Daniels? That’s the secret ingredient that really take things up to a whole new level. This is an easy sauce to make because you basically simmer everything all at once until it’s done which usually takes around 20 min. Just make sure that you prepare the sauce beforehand so that you have time to cool it in the refrigerator. Giving this sauce time to marinade will make it into a better marinade and glaze itself. The addition of the whiskey packs a punch that true barbecue fans are going to love.
Sweet Child O’ Mine
Every list of the best barbecue recipes has to have an offering that is on the sweet side. This is a great land that doesn’t go overboard but also gives you a nice of flavorful sweetness that will go great with many of your BBQ dishes. You’ll also like the smoky touch that will be enhanced by your gas or charcoal barbecue.
Ingredients:
2 cups ketchup
2 cups tomato sauce
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 teaspoons hickory-flavored liquid smoke
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups red wine vinegar
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
Mixin’ it Up – using medium heat, bring all of the liquid ingredients to a gentle simmer. Don’t worry about mixing them all at once, make sure that they become really familiar with each other. After adding in the butter last, start to put in the seasonings and feel free to adjust the amounts according to your preferences. Simmer everything for about 20 minutes, and keep in mind you can make this sauce thinner or thicker depending on the overall cooking time.
Carolina Dreaming
They’ve got their own personal spin down Carolina, but there’s no reason you can’t get in on the action. This is a sauce that focuses more on vinegar and mustard rather than catch up as you would find in traditional BBQ sauce recipes. It’s got a unique tang thanks to the vinegar and a bold flavor that isn’t overpowering at all.
Ingredients:
1 cup prepared yellow mustard
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon liquid smoke (hickory flavoring)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper
Mixin’ it Up – take your liquid smoke, soy sauce, and butter and set it on the side. Put everything else into your saucepan and let it simmer together for about 30 minutes. Keep the careful eye on everything while adjusting to taste. After 30 minutes, put in the rest of your ingredients and let the process continue for another 10 minutes. By the end, you’ll get a smooth almost creamy sauce that works great all kinds of meat.
Grandma’s Mama’s Mama
This is one of the most traditional sauces you’ll find and you can see its roots that stretch all the way back several generations. It’s likely that the first people who ever had a barbecue used to sauce similar to this. While it might not extend back to caveman, you can certainly see the authenticity of this great choice. If you want something that your great great grandmother used to whip up for family barbecue, then this is the way to go (Just ignore the fact grandmothers usually don’t barbecue)
Ingredients:
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cayenne
Mixin’ it Up – look at that, almost no ingredients at all. Every ingredient serves a purpose and there are no fancy extras to worry about. Sauté your garlic in olive oil until it turns like to brown. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer until things start to get thicker. This should only take about 15 minutes, after which you will have a classic sauce at your disposal. Lots of room for adjustment here, but it’s a great sauce as it stands.