BBQ Sauce
This BBQ sauce recipe turns a cup and a half of ketchup into a dark, glossy glaze in about 20 minutes on the stove, with brown sugar and molasses for caramel sweetness, apple cider vinegar and Worcestershire for tang, and smoked paprika for a grill-side note without a grill.
Equipment
- 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan - for even heat
- Silicone whisk - that reaches the corners of the pan
- Measuring cups and spoons - for the dry and wet ingredients
- Heat-resistant spatula - for scraping the bottom as the sauce thickens
- Glass mason jars - for storing the finished sauce
- Silicone basting brush - for glazing meat
- Small funnel - (optional) for filling jars without drips
- Fine-mesh strainer - (optional) if you want a perfectly smooth sauce
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Heinz ketchup - 360 g; use a thick ketchup
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar - 110 g, packed
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar - 80 ml
- 1/2 cup water - 120 ml
- 2 tablespoons unsulphured molasses - 40 g
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce - 30 ml
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard - 15 g
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper - optional; whisked in with the dry seasonings in step 2
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke - optional; stirred in off the heat in step 5
Instructions
- Measure the ketchup into a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan, then add the dark brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, water, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, and yellow mustard. Whisk off the heat until mostly smooth; small sugar clumps are fine.
- Add the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and fine salt, plus the cayenne if using. Whisk for about 30 seconds so the spices disperse instead of floating in clumps.
- Place the pan over medium heat and stir every minute or so. After 3 to 4 minutes, small bubbles should form around the edge and the sugar should be fully dissolved; reduce the heat to medium-low as soon as you see steady bubbling.
- Cook at a gentle simmer for 15 to 16 minutes, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes and scraping the bottom and corners. The sauce is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and a finger dragged across the spoon leaves a clean line.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the liquid smoke if using. Taste a small spoonful once it cools for a minute, then adjust with a splash of vinegar, a teaspoon of brown sugar, or a pinch of salt as needed.
- Let the sauce cool in the pan for about 15 minutes; it will thicken noticeably as it cools. Pour into clean glass jars using a funnel, then seal, label with the date, and refrigerate.
Notes
- Keep the heat at medium-low. Sugar-based sauces scorch easily, and black flecks of burnt sugar will ruin the whole batch.
- Use dark brown sugar for a deeper, almost toffee-like flavor than light brown sugar because it contains more molasses.
- Start with thick ketchup. A thin, watery ketchup needs several more minutes of simmering to reach the same body.
- Add the vinegar at the start. Simmering mellows the sharpness, and adding it at the end tastes harsher.
- Stir the corners of the pan, where sugar collects and burns first.
- Judge thickness when the sauce is warm; it looks thinner in the pan than it will in the jar.
- Season with salt last, since ketchup and Worcestershire already contain salt.
- Store in an airtight glass jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 3 months (ice cube trays work well for small portions).
- Never save sauce that has touched raw meat, and discard any sauce that smells sour or shows mold.
- Variations: add chipotle for spicy, swap molasses for honey, add bourbon, swap water for pineapple juice, increase mustard to 3 tablespoons, or use vegan Worcestershire.
Nutrition
Serving: 2tablespoonsCalories: 65kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 0.4gFat: 0.1gSodium: 340mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 15g
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