Sheila’s Backyard BBQ Sauce

This homemade BBQ sauce is a backyard grilling essential, offering a perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors. Unlike store-bought bottles, this recipe uses fresh aromatics like garlic and onion to build a deep, savory foundation. The combination of ketchup, brown sugar, and molasses creates a rich, glossy coating that caramelizes beautifully on grilled meats. With notes of orange and lemon juice cutting through the sweetness, it pairs exceptionally well with ribs, chicken, or pulled pork. It's thick enough to baste and bold enough to stand alone as a dipping sauce. Easy to make in large batches, this versatile sauce keeps well in the fridge, making it a reliable staple for summer cookouts and weeknight dinners alike.

Cooking Method: Grilling

Cuisine: American

Courses: Sauces & Condiments

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 4

Calories: 299.8

Dietary: Vegan

Description

This homemade BBQ sauce is a backyard grilling essential, offering a perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors. Unlike store-bought bottles, this recipe uses fresh aromatics like garlic and onion to build a deep, savory foundation. The combination of ketchup, brown sugar, and molasses creates a rich, glossy coating that caramelizes beautifully on grilled meats. With notes of orange and lemon juice cutting through the sweetness, it pairs exceptionally well with ribs, chicken, or pulled pork. It's thick enough to baste and bold enough to stand alone as a dipping sauce. Easy to make in large batches, this versatile sauce keeps well in the fridge, making it a reliable staple for summer cookouts and weeknight dinners alike.

Ingredients

Vegetable oil
Onion, peeled and slivered
Garlic, peeled
Plum tomatoes, peeled and crushed with juice
Ketchup
Fresh orange juice
Fresh lemon juice
Red-wine vinegar
Water
Honey
Dark brown sugar, packed
Crystallized ginger, finely chopped
Dark molasses
Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco sauce, or more to taste
Chili powder
Ground coriander
Dry mustard
Salt, or more to taste

Directions

1
Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2
Add the slivered onion and sauté until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
3
Stir in the peeled garlic cloves and cook for another minute until fragrant.
4
Add the crushed plum tomatoes with their juice to the pan.
5
Stir in the ketchup, orange juice, lemon juice, red-wine vinegar, and water.
6
Add the honey, brown sugar, chopped crystallized ginger, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco.
7
Whisk in the chili powder, ground coriander, dry mustard, and salt.
8
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.
9
Reduce heat to low and let the sauce simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly.
10
Remove from heat and let cool completely before transferring to jars.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 4 servings

Amount Per Serving
Calories 299.8kcal

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 8.3g13%
Saturated Fat 1.3g7%
Cholesterol 0.0mg0%
Sodium 26.5mg2%
Total Carbohydrate 51.8g18%
Dietary Fiber 3.6g15%
Sugars 2.5g
Protein 9.9g20%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Keywords: bbq sauce, homemade, barbecue, grilling, tangy, smoky, ribs, chicken, glaze, spicy, american, summer, cookout, condiment, ketchup, molasses, vinegar, garlic, onion, spice blend, dipping sauce

Read it online: https://www.chefs-mate.com/recipe/sheilas-backyard-bbq-sauce/