Sweet BBQ Sauce
Homemade Sweet BBQ Sauce Recipe is perfect for chicken, pork, or burgers. Don't grab the store bought bottle, it's easy to make your own barbecue sauce!
So Many Types Of Barbecue Sauce
Have you ever taken a look at how many different styles of barbecue sauce are out there?
Yes, they all vary slightly in taste, but really, what's the difference?
Barbecue sauce ingredients can vary widely, but typically you will always find a vinegar or tomato base, sweetened, and seasoned with things like mustard, pepper, or liquid smoke.
That's pretty basic.
But what about the regions of the US that fight over their sauce?
The Great Barbecue Sauce Debate In The US
Here's how we understand the breakdown:
Kansas City BBQ sauces are thick, tomato based condiments that are sweet with molasses or brown sugar and have a slight vinegar tang.
St Louis takes a similar tomato base, but ads more vinegar for a thinner sauce with a bit more bite than the Kansas version.
South Carolina uses vinegar and mustard to achieve their sweet tang that pairs perfectly with pork.
Texas barbecue is characterized by more of a thin and spicy, vinegar-based basting sauce for their meats.
Memphis goes a whole different route by using a dry rub rather than the more traditional sauces the rest of us are used to.
Are there more? Did I get your neighborhood wrong? Let's chat in the comments. I'd love to hear about your favorite BBQ and your region's flare!
Our Homemade Sweet BBQ Sauce Recipe
This homemade bbq sauce is a sweet and smoky sauce that starts with a tomato base.
Even though the ingredients list is long, it comes together quickly to give you a sweet barbecue sauce that is great with chicken or as an all-purpose dipping sauce.
We even like to add some to our burgers!
Sweet BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 ½ (6 oz) cans tomato paste
- ½ c water
- ¼ c ketchup
- ¼ c molasses
- ¼ c brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon vinegar
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 4 dashes liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon season salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Store in the fridge or use immediately. The flavors will improve if you let the sauce set overnight before using.
Notes
When grilling your chicken, cook until it is very firm, or use a thermometer to be sure it has reached 160F. Bone-in chicken cooks slower than a boneless breast, so be extra careful to cook it through. Flip once while cooking, and after the chicken is mostly cooked, then base your chicken with the BBQ sauce, flipping once to coat and warm the sauce on both sides.
Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
Great recipe. Tastes awesome. Added some Jim Beam for some added kick.
Thank you! Great idea on teh Jim Beam!
We loved your Sweet BBQ Sauce recipe. It was the highlight to our pulled pork this weekend. Perfect sweet and sour balance.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Love a good BBQ sauce! YUM!
Oh, don't forget Caribbean BBQ, yes this one has been created by Jon Toner, of Pirate Jonnys, Yummm. Awards won and eating begun... Check out the Sweet, Garlic, Guava or Caribbean BBQ sauces...
You forgot Kentucky. We do dry rub like Memphis but put almost straight vinegar sauce on the table for those who want it wet.
Good to know! Thanks!
Mmmm...your sweet BBQ sauce looks terrific. I don't like smokiness, but it's easy just to leave out the liquid smoke 🙂