How To Make BBQ sauce

Written in 2023
by Adam

    If there is one thing better than BBQ sauce, it’s homemade BBQ sauce. So, if you're wondering how to make your own in your kitchen, we have the best recipe. It’s simple and it’s easy, but it also tastes incredible. Here’s how to make it in five easy to follow steps.

     

    1. What You’ll Need

     

    • Olive oil - 1 tablespoon
    • 1 Onion - chopped finely
    • Chopped tomatoes - 400g
    • 2 Garlic cloves - chopped finely
    • Brown sugar - 90g
    • Malt vinegar - 3 tablespoons
    • Worcestershire sauce - 2 tablespoons
    • Tomato puree (or you can substitute for ketchup) - 1 tablespoon

     

    1. Cook the Onion

     

    First of all, you need to cook the onion. So, take your frying pan and put the olive oil in it. You can then start to heat up the oil over a relatively low heat before adding the finely chopped onion. It needs to be as finely chopped as possible. Otherwise, your BBQ sauce will turn out too lumpy, and that’s probably not what you want. So, the finer, the better. Cook them in the pan for about five minutes, or until they have softened.

     

    1. Add the Other Ingredients and Then Season

     

    Once you think the onions are done, you need to add all of the other ingredients into the mix. Turn the heat down as you do this. So, you will need to add the 400g of chopped tomatoes. These can be tinned tomatoes; there is no need to make your own. You should then add a couple of garlic cloves that have been finely chopped. Weigh out 90g or brown sugar, and add that to the mix too. Pour in 3 tablespoons of malt vinegar and 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce. Finally, you just need to add some tomato puree or tomato ketchup; either works. You’ll need a tablespoon of that.

     

    1. Bring to the Boil and Then Simmer Until Thick

     

    When you’ve got everything in the pan, you should turn up the heat a little. Bring the mixture to the boil, while stirring it all continually in order to ensure everything is properly mixed together. Once it reaches the boiling point, you can turn the heat down a little and let the mixture simmer for a while. This is something that should be done until the mixture thickens up. Once it starts to look like barbecue sauce, you can stop. Remember to keep tasting the mixture too. It might be necessary to add some extra seasoning while it simmers.

     

    1. For a Smoother Sauce, Put the Mixture in a Food Processor

     

    This final step is optional, so don’t feel obliged to follow it if you don’t want to. However, if the BBQ is not quite smooth enough for you, the problem is pretty easy to fix. You just need to put the sauce into a food processor and let it do its thing. If you don’t have a food processor, a hand blender can do the job just as well. It will make the whole thing a bit smoother. When that’s done, it’s ready to serve!

    Written by Adam

    Adam is the creator of the SmokeGuys website, running it since 2016. Hater of coriander, lover of all things meat... Adam currently works in marketing with a dream of being able to make food his full-time 'job' in the longer term.

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