How to Make Homemade Barbeque Sauce from Scratch

Barbecue sauce is tasty on pork, chicken and other meats.

Barbecue sauce is often traced back to the 15th century and a well known explorer named Christopher Columbus. It is thought that he was introduced to the sauce during a trip to Hispaniola, which is the present-day countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Regardless of its origin, barbeque sauce is used on many poultry and meat dishes throughout the United States and is relatively simple to make.

Things You'll Need

• Sweet sauce:
• 1 large onion
• 2 seeded red chillies
• Paring knife
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Large saucepan
• 1 cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons light molasses
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon English mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• Large mixing bowl
• Saucepan cover
• Spicy sauce:
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 2 minced dried and seeded ancho chillies
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
• 2 drops Tabasco
• Salt

Instructions

Sweet Sauce

1. Chop one large onion and two seeded red chillies into small, finely chopped pieces with a paring knife.

2. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the chopped onions and red chillies. Cook for 4 minutes.

3. Add 1 cup ketchup, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 3 tablespoons light molasses, 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon English mustard, 1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke, 1 teaspoon garlic salt and 1 teaspoon ground pepper to a large mixing bowl. Mix all of the ingredients together.

4. Pour the combined ingredients into the large saucepan and bring the contents to a boil.

5. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and allow the sauce to simmer for 10 minutes.

Spicy Sauce

1. Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

2. Add 1/4 cup minced onion, 2 minced garlic cloves and 2 minced dried and seeded ancho chillies to the oil in the saucepan and cook for 4 minutes.

3. Combine 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons orange juice, 1 teaspoon chopped thyme, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes and 2 drops of Tabasco in a large mixing bowl. Mix all of the ingredients together.

4. Pour the combined ingredients into the large saucepan.

5. Allow the sauce to simmer for 20 minutes over medium heat.

6. Season with salt, as desired.

Tips & Warnings

• Apply barbecue sauce to meats cooked over a gentle heat to avoid burning the sauce. Or apply the barbecue sauce for the last 15 minutes of the cook time.

• Handle chili peppers and other spicy ingredients with care, as seeds and juices can harm the skin, eyes and mouth.

• Do not bring the spicy barbecue sauce recipe to a boil, as this may burn the ingredients.

References

• Epicurious; Bourbon and Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce; Steven Raichlen; July 2010
• Barbecue-smoker-recipes.com: Memphis Barbecue Sauce Recipe
• Barbecue-smoker-recipes.com: Free Southern Barbecue Sauce Recipes
• Food & Wine; Red Chile BBQ Sauce; David Walzog
• Ultimate BBQ Sauce Recipes: The History and Origin of BBQ Sauce