For years, I had been searching for the perfect BBQ sauce. I tried all sorts of brands, from mass-produced to artisanal, and from industrial to organic, but none of them were quite right. Some were too sweet, some were too bland, and some were just too weird. Most of the time I ended up “improving” store-bought BBQ sauces in some way or another, so, I decided to make my own.
After much trial and error, I finally came up with a recipe that would satisfy my needs. It is also versatile enough to be used in marinades, to baste, accompany, or dip your favorite BBQ foods. I have different versions depending on my mood and what type of meal I am preparing, but this is the one recipe I end up preparing most of the time due to its versatility and broad range of acceptance. You can also prepare it in just minutes with ingredients that you most probably already have at home.
The sauce has a perfect balance of smoky, sweet, hot, and tangy flavors. The ketchup, lemon, and apple cider vinegar provide the acidity. The agave syrup, and maple syrup, the sweetness, while the Worcestershire sauce, and garlic add flavor. The cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika provide some heat and smokyness.
This Home Made BBQ Sauce pairs well with chicken, ribs, pork, and even tofu. You can also use it to make BBQ meatballs, wings, and hamburgers.
Here are a few tips for customizing this Home Made BBQ Sauce recipe:
- For a thicker sauce, simmer it for longer.
- If you like a spicier sauce, add more cayenne pepper, or try adding your favorite hot pepper sauce.
- If you want a sweeter sauce, add more agave or maple syrup.
- For a smokier sauce, add more smoked paprika.
- To use as a marinade, just coat your meat in the sauce and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
- To use as a baste, brush the sauce onto your meat while it’s cooking, this goes especially well with baby back ribs
Here are a few recipe ideas for Javier’s Home Made BBQ Sauce:
- BBQ Back Ribs: I’ll be posting this recipe soon, but this recipe is the backbone of these ribs, and they come out fabulous.
- BBQ Burgers: Another recipe that is coming soon to this blog, just add this BBQ sauce recipe to your smoked beef burgers for a delightfully smoky combination.
- BBQ Brisket: Serve my signature brisket with this sauce and your favorite sides for a true culinary adventure.
Javier’s Home Made BBQ Sauce is a delicious and versatile sauce that will make all your BBQ foods taste amazing. Try it today and see for yourself!
Javier’s Home Made BBQ Sauce: My Smoky, Sweet, and Tangy Response to BBQ
12
servings5
minutes20
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
2 cups 2 Ketchup
1/2 cup 1/2 Apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup 1/4 Agave syrup
2 tbsp 2 Maple syrup
2 1/2 tbsp 2 1/2 Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp 1/2 Cayenne pepper
1 tbsp 1 Smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp 1 1/2 Garlic powder
1 tbsp 1 Lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)
Salt / Pepper to taste
Directions
- Heat a sauce pan in medium heat, and add all the ingredients.
- Once the sauce starts boiling, lower the heat and simmer until thickened. The process should take about 15 – 20 minutes depending on how thick you want the sauce
- Let the sauce cool off and store in a glass container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks
Notes
- You can add more cayenne pepper if you want extra heat on your sauce, you can also feel free to add more agave or maple syrup to make it sweeter depending on your taste or what kind of food you want to use this sauce with.
- I try to stay away from products that have high fructose corn syrup of artificial sweetners. I favor Thrive market organic ketchup made with cane sugar and it doesn’t really have much anyways.
- If you want to prepare a Keto friendly version of this recipe you can substitute Maple and Agave syrup with Erythritol for sweet. We warned that you’ll lose the distinctive taste of maple on your sauce though.
- If you want a bourbon BBQ sauce variation, you can add 1/4 cup of your favorite Bourbon Whiskey to the mix at the start, let the alcohol evaporate and add the rest of the ingredients to the mix.
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Smoked Brisket on a Pellet Grill – My Culinary Adventure
Difficulty: Difficult
