This homemade barbecue sauce recipe is my husband’s creation, and I think it is maybe one of his best yet. Made with ingredients you probably have in your fridge and pantry, I like to keep a jar of this around all the time. Makes a great homemade gift too!

Homemade Barbecue Sauce Recipe

BBQ sauce is one of my favorite condiments, and for good reason. It can make or break mediocre bbq, and with outstanding bbq it can really bring out some of the best qualities of the meat.

There are so many bottled commercial varieties out there that it can sometimes be hard to decide which one to use, and there are more bad ones than good ones, it seems.

Get our 75 ESSENTIAL Traeger Recipes here!

BBQ Sauce shopping list

Wondering if you have the ingredients on hand that you’d need to whip up this homemade bbq sauce? Here’s the run-down! Make sure to read the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list that includes amounts and instructions.

• Ketchup
• Apple cider vinegar
• Soy sauce
• Worcestershire
• Dry mustard powder
• Yellow mustard
• Black pepper
• Onion
• Garlic salt
• Red pepper flakes

Try our Whiskey Coke Barbecue Sauce too!

How to make homemade barbecue sauce

This is just the overview so you can see what you’re actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.

Making this sauce is simple. Basically, you just throw all the ingredients into a pot and let it simmer for a while. 45 minutes to an hour seems to be the sweet spot.

As with the majority of my recipes, feel free to experiment. Do I include an ingredient that’s not your favorite? Swap it out. Think it’ll be spicier than you prefer? Omit or change the amount of spice you include.

Don’t skip our Cherry Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce!

What other variations can you make using this recipe as a base?

This is a great base to use to make all kinds of sauce variations. Here are some things I’ve tried and enjoyed!

• Add a shot of whiskey
• Add dark brown sugar for a sweeter sauce
• Change up the vinegar you use
• Add honey or maple syrup for a different sweet note
• Amp up the spice by adding in your favorite hot sauce or extra chili flakes

How should you store the leftovers?

We usually keep our sauce in canning jars in the fridge. You could also make a big batch and freeze the excess in freezer baggies to extend the life of it.

This sauce is NOT shelf-stable, so ensure it goes in the fridge when you’re finished!

Try this sauce on our Smoked Pulled Pork!

Should this recipe be canned for long-term storage?

You likely would be able to can this recipe, but that isn’t a thing we’ve tested here so I can’t recommend it one way or another.

If you are considering water-bath canning, I would recommend only using tested recipes that have been proven to be safe for that canning method.

This recipe from Food In Jars looks pretty awesome!

BBQ Sauce Makes Everything Better

I love this homemade barbecue sauce because it is so versatile, and I know when I serve food cooked with it everyone is going to ask for seconds.

If I don’t want to think too hard about what to make for dinner or don’t have time to do anything overly ambitious, then it is a great “go-to” sauce.

Pour this barbecue sauce all over…

All the things, but some, in particular, that would be great with this sauce are:

• Smoked Pulled Pork
• Baby Back Ribs
• BBQ Beef Sandwiches
• Smoked and Fried Chicken Wings
• Chicken Leg Lollipops

Need some sides for your next cookout?

• Creamy macaroni salad
• Caprese salad with balsamic reduction
• Broccoli salad
• Loaded baked potato salad
• Tuna Salad

Can you double the recipe?

Yes! You can easily scale this recipe up to be as big as you need it to be.

How long does homemade bbq sauce last in the fridge?

Our homemade bbq sauce lasts for a couple of weeks in the fridge. If you start seeing stuff grow on it, toss it out. I typically freeze any excess that we won’t use in a week or so.