Homemade Honey Barbecue Sauce
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This homemade honey barbecue sauce is such an easy, delicious condiment to make from scratch. It tastes much better than store-bought bbq sauce!
I love barbecue sauce, but the store-bought version is usually too sweet for me. Even when I order bbq at a restaurant, I’m rarely happy with the flavor.
I’ve started making my own homemade honey barbecue sauce, and it’s so simple to make. It’s free of refined sugar and other questionable ingredients that store-bought barbecue sauce tends to include, and it tastes delicious.
I like to serve this homemade bbq sauce with shredded chicken over a baked potato for a delicious, gluten-free meal. It’s also a great topping for my Instant Pot country style ribs or a pulled pork sandwich.
Homemade Honey Barbecue Sauce Tips
The vinegar and spices in this recipe give it a delicious, unique flavor. Feel free to play with the seasonings to suit your tastes. Cayenne pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce can all be added or substituted as desired. If the tang is too much for you, cut back on the amount of apple cider vinegar.
I use 2 tablespoons of tomato paste to thicken this homemade honey barbecue sauce. You can add even more tomato paste if you want a thicker sauce.
Simmer the ingredients in the pot until the mixture has reached a consistency you like. I cook it for about 15 minutes. Let the sauce cool before transferring it to a jar for storage in the fridge.
Recommended Equipment
- one cup mason jars optional
Ingredients
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 2 tbs tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tbs soy sauce
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 tsp cumin
- 3/4 tsp dry mustard
- 3/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
Instructions
- Whisk all the ingredients together in a small saucepan.
- Bring just to a boil over medium high heat, then turn the heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until it has thickened to suit your tastes. Stir occasionally while it simmers.
- Let the sauce cool, then transfer it to a jar. Refrigerate or freeze.
Approximate Nutrition Info
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Barbecue Sauce Price Breakdown
This recipe yields 2 cups of sauce, and it costs $2.66 to make. This comes out to $.08 per tablespoon. You may be able to find barbecue sauce at the supermarket for less money, but its list of ingredients would include things like high fructose corn syrup, modified food starch, and sodium benzoate. Make this homemade bbq sauce recipe and you’ll be happier with the taste and the ingredient list.
Can this be canned ?
I haven’t canned this sauce, so I can’t say for sure.
My husband is the bbq king of our house and for some reason doens’t make his own sauce.
It’s time for him to make his own sauce!
Annemarie, we are not huge BBQ people, but reading the beginning of this post has inspired me to attempt to make my own ketchup with some of the slow-roasted tomatoes I’ve put up in my freezer.
Thanks!
Funny, Kirsten, I can’t stand ketchup! The two sauces are similar but just different enough. My family loves ketchup, though, so please share your recipe if you come up with a good one.
Fun! I haven’t tried homemade BBQ sauce yet. This looks yummy and easy, and so much better than the store bought stuff. I’ll have to try it soon!
Thanks, Jill. I hope you try it. We had this with your Mexican rice, which was delicious!