The Best Barbecue Sauce

Name: The Best Barbecue Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 28 1/4 cup Servings (About 7 cups)
Ingredients: 2 cups ketchup; 2 cups tomato sauce; 1 ¼ cups brown sugar; 1 ¼ cups red wine vinegar; ½ cup unsulphured molasses; 2 tablespoons salted butter; 4 teaspoons hickory flavored liquid smoke; ½ teaspoon onion powder; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; ¼ teaspoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon paprika; ¼ to ½ to ½ teaspoon celery seed; ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon; ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ to 1 to 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

User Reviews

4.7

378 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings
28 1/4 cup Servings (About 7 cups)
Course
Condiments
Cuisine
American

The Best Barbecue Sauce

Iris Warren

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Balanced, flavorful, and enjoyable—this recipe has it all.

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Ingredients

Servings

2 cups ketchup
2 cups tomato sauce
1 ¼ cups brown sugar
1 ¼ cups red wine vinegar
½ cup unsulphured molasses
2 tablespoons salted butter cut into small pieces
4 teaspoons hickory flavored liquid smoke
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ to ½ to ½ teaspoon celery seed
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
½ to 1 to 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

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Instructions

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, mix together all the wet ingredients and then add the seasonings.
Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for at least 20 minutes or up to an hour, stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.
Once cooled, the sauce can be frozen. Thaw in the refrigerator and use as needed.

Notes

Spices: I've found over the years that I like to reduce the celery seed to 1/4 teaspoon (I've left the amount as the original 1/2 teaspoon) and also decrease the coarse, ground black pepper to 1/2 teaspoon since it packs a little heat. The spices and flavorings in this recipe are adaptable like that! Try using smoked paprika in place of regular paprika for extra deliciousness!
Freezable: This BBQ sauce freezes great!

Nutrition Information

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Serving 1 Serving Calories 88kcal (4%) Carbohydrates 20g (7%) Protein 1g (2%) Fat 1g (2%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Cholesterol 2mg (1%) Sodium 345mg (14%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 19g (38%)