This homemade BBQ sauce recipe is easy to make, in just 25 minutes! It’s deep and smoky, tangy, sweet with a little bit of heat. Vegan, gluten-free adaptable!
There is nothing better than Homemade BBQ Sauce- deep, smoky, tangy, and subtly sweet with a little bit of heat. Perfect on well basically anything in my opinion!
Make a batch of it and store it in the fridge for up to a couple of months. It feels really good to know there is no high fructose corn syrup or other strange ingredeints on the label.
Ingredients in Homemade BBQ Sauce
- olive oil
- shallot or onion
- dried thyme (or use fresh)
- granulated garlic (or fresh!)
- smoked paprika
- tomato sauce (or sub ketchup, or tomato paste- see notes)
- liquid smoke
- apple cider vinegar
- soy sauce or Braggs Liquid Amino Acid ( GF)
- molasses (or sub honey or maple syrup)
- brown sugar (or coconut sugar or other sugar alternative)
- Optional additions:chipotle powder, cayenne, canned chipotles
How to make BBQ Sauce from Scratch
- Saute shallots in olive oil.
- Stir in thyme, smoked paprika, garlic powder, tomato sauce, liquid smoke, vinegar, soy sauce, molasses, brown sugar salt and pepper
- Reduce: Simmer gently, uncovered, for 10-ish minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
- Taste: Adjust salt, vinegar and sweetness to your liking. To add heat, use the adobo sauce from canned chipotle peppers one tablespoon at a time, or add ground chipotle or cayenne to taste.
- Store: in a sealed jar in the fridge, for up to 2 months!
Ways to use Homemade BBQ Sauce!
- BBQ Tofu Sandwich with Slaw
- BBQ Spaghetti Squash Sliders
- BBQ Stuffed Sweet Potatoes ( vegan adaptable!)
- BBQ Chicken with Chipotle BBQ Sauce
- 50 Grilling Recipes for Summer
Enjoy the BBQ Sauce and please let us know what you think of it!
xoxo
Print
Homemade BBQ Sauce
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: Condiment
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This homemade BBQ sauce recipe is easy to make, in just 25 minutes! It’s deep and smoky, tangy, sweet with a little bit of heat. Vegan, gluten-free adaptable!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup shallots (or sub 1 cup red onion) finely diced ( or sub other
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or oregano)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 15-ounce can tomato sauce (or sub 1 3/4 cups ketchup,or 6-ounce can tomato paste –see notes)
- 1–2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce or Braggs Liquid Amino Acid ( GF)
- 1/3 cup molasses (or sub honey or maple syrup)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (or coconut sugar or other sugar alternative)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
- Optional additions: chipotle powder, cayenne, adobo sauce from canned chipotles
Instructions
- Heat oil over medium heat in a medium sauce pan or pot. Add shallots and sauté, and stir continuously for 3-4 minutes. Turn heat down to medium-low, and cook until they are deeply golden, fragrant and soften, 5-6 more minutes.
- Add thyme, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and saute one minute. Add tomato sauce, liquid smoke, vinegar, soy sauce, molasses and brown sugar.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Simmer gently, uncovered, for 10-ish minutes, letting it reduce, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
- Taste. Adjust salt, vinegar and sweetness to your liking. If it lacks depth try adding a bouillon cube (break it up first), or even a little miso paste.
- To add heat, use the adobo sauce from canned chipotle peppers one tablespoon at a time, or add ground chipotle or cayenne to taste.
- Store in a sealed jar in the fridge. Keeps up to 2 months and miake a great hostess gift.
Notes
Molasses really adds beautiful deep color here.
If using 6-ounce can of tomato paste, add 1 cup water.
If using ketchup, reduce brown sugar, salt and vinegar by half, then add more back in to taste at the end.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 59
- Sugar: 10.8 g
- Sodium: 295.6 mg
- Fat: 1 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 12.1 g
- Fiber: 0.7 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: homemade bbq sauce, easy bbq sauce, bbq sauce recipe, barbecue sauce recipe, easy vegan bbq sauce
you replied to Philippa’s question but sent it to my email address.
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Hi kelly, you may have subscribed to the comments? Just unsubscribe when you get this one. 😉
Can you please provide a copy of the original recipe?
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The original recipe used a 6-ounce can of tomato paste and one cup water ( see notes). Everything else is the same. 😉
Great starting place for our no sugar or fake sugars house. I subbed homemade apple pear sauce and our canned pear water for the sugars. I know it’s not the same, but it will work on the tofu burgers with so many other wonderful flavors going on in this easy sauce. Thank you!
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Awesome Janet!
Made this to go with your BBQ chicken- both excellent.
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Great to hear Teddy!
I am so happy i found your website. It has given me a new outlook on life and cooking! I was not able to use many of my family recipes because my daughter and her family turned vegetarian and the my son became sick and cannot have dairy, gluten, soy and has given up almost all sugar. I was so tired of trying recipes and having them taste terrible everyone I have made of yours has been delicious! The one area I was wondering if you could help me on I’m trying to find a replacement for cheese that will taste good and also melt? Thank you again Sylivia for bring back joy to my cooking!
Thanks Kelly! So happy the blog has been useful. Have you tried vegan store-bought cheeses? I’m not a huge fan honestly, they are too overly processed for me, and often contain seed oils- but if use sparingly,probably OK once in a while. I’ve heard Daiya melts well. 😉
Best think I’ve tried is homemade cashew “cream” cheese, but it’s not going to melt.
soooo good! Love this sauce!
thanks Josie!
I just love this recipe! I never thought to make my own bbq sauce but since moving from the US, I’ve found it really hard to find bbq sauce I like. With that being said, I’ll continue to make this when I return home, it’s so easy and so so delicious! Thank you for letting me fill my Aussie home with delicious bbq flavors:) I’ve added this to tofu, veggie burgers, lentils, and even to hummus (had to stop myself from eating it with a spoon), I think it’s the chipotle peppers I love so much. Thank you!!
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Glad you liked this Haley!
Hi Sylvia,
This is another excellent recipe! I have never tried so many recipes from one cook/ chef and been so happy with all of them! you are very popular in our household Sylvia!
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Awww, that is so sweet, thanks so much!!!
I totally agree. Every time I’m out of ideas and tell my husband it’s his turn to think of something I get an email of more wonderful ideas from you and he’s spared for another week! 🙂
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Ahaha! love it!