Here’s a Barbecue Sauce recipe that’s every bit as delicious as Sweet Baby Ray’s famous sauce. It’s all natural, made by you, and only takes a few minutes.
Recipe ingredients:
Ingredient notes:
- Molasses: Substitute ¼ cup dark corn syrup, honey, or maple syrup, or 3 tablespoons firmly-packed brown sugar (the flavor of the sauce will change).
- Tamarind paste: Look for this sour paste in Asian and Indian sections of grocery stores. In a pinch, you can substitute 1 teaspoon brown sugar + 1 teaspoon white vinegar or lime juice. You can also buy it online (Culinary Hill may earn money if you buy through this link).
- Liquid smoke: In a pinch, substitute 2 teaspoons smoked paprika (the flavor of the sauce will change).
- Cayenne pepper: Add to taste (I like ⅛ teaspoon) or omit entirely.
Step-by-step instructions:
- In a non-reactive saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, pineapple juice, molasses, tamarind paste, liquid smoke, mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder.
- Then turn down the heat and cover the saucepan. Simmer the sauce for 15-20 minutes to let the flavors mingle. Season to taste with vinegar, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Recipe tips and variations:
- Yield: One batch makes about 4 cups of sauce.
- Make ahead: Cool and refrigerate up to 4 days in advance.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- Freezing: Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Great recipes for barbecue sauce:
Barbecue Sauce
Here’s a Barbecue Sauce recipe that’s every bit as Sweet Baby Ray’s famous sauce. It’s all natural, made by you, and only takes a few minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 4 tablespoons molasses (see note 1)
- 2 teaspoons tamarind paste (see note 2)
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke (see note 3)
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or white vinegar, to taste
- cayenne pepper to taste (see note 4)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a non-reactive saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, pineapple juice, molasses, tamarind paste, liquid smoke, mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder.
- Bring the sauce to a low boil; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until flavors have blended, about 15 to 20 minutes. Season to taste with apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Notes
- Molasses: Substitute ¼ cup dark corn syrup, honey, or maple syrup, or 3 tablespoons firmly-packed brown sugar (the flavor of the sauce will change).
- Tamarind paste: Look for this sour paste in Asian and Indian sections of grocery stores. In a pinch, you can substitute 1 teaspoon brown sugar + 1 teaspoon white vinegar or lime juice. You can also buy it online (Culinary Hill may earn money if you buy through this link).
- Liquid smoke: In a pinch, substitute 2 teaspoons smoked paprika (the flavor of the sauce will change).
- Cayenne pepper: Add to taste (I like ⅛ teaspoon) or omit entirely.
- Yield: One batch makes about 4 cups of sauce.
- Make ahead: Cool and refrigerate up to 4 days in advance.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- Freezing: Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Serving: 1tbspCalories: 27kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 94mgPotassium: 64mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 57IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 1mg
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This is the best barbecue sauce I have ever had.
I cannot see the quantity slider. Would love to make this for a big party as this is by far the best bbq sauce i have made and tasted
Hi Kimberly, I’m so sorry about that. I have fixed the quantity slider for you. This recipe will yield about 48 tablespoons.
I ran across this recipe and it looks good if you can have tons of carbs. I can’t so I personally buy a brand called AlternaSweets. Have you tried them? So close to Sweet Baby Rays but keto friendly. I would buy this stuff if I didn’t have to eat a ketogenic diet. I’d love to see if you think AlternaSweets is as great as I do!!
Megan,
This recipe is the BOMB!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾💣💣💣💣
I do have a question regarding the amount of service mare. I love Manning enough (1 gallon), for the entire summer as well as have enough to share with friends. By adjusting it’s this, how do I adjust the recipe to produce the amount I want? I know I can take the ketchup up to 36 or 48 ounces, but wechat do I increase everything else too?
Hi Keith, I’m so glad you like it! Thanks! There is a little “slider” on the recipe that you can drag, so you can increase the recipe quantity. It will adjust all of the amounts of the ingredients automatically so you don’t have to do the math. Does that make sense? Are you able to locate the quantity slider? If not let me know. Thank you! -Meggan
please review your barb q sauce recipe. prepared mustard is called’the dry stuff’, but in your picture,yellow mustard from a squeeze bottle is shown. please correct and re post
Hi David! I’m so sorry about that! Thank you for catching that. I have reposted it now. Thanks so much for reading! :D -Meggan