A little tangy, a little sweet, a little spicy, and a little smoky. This easy homemade barbeque sauce has all of that in an easy to make recipe! You’ll never need bottled sauce again!
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Grilling season is a year round thing in our home. We love the smoky, tangy taste of all things barbeque. Hubby and the boy could almost drink barbeque sauce, they enjoy it so much.
The bottled barbecue sauce is “okay”, but there is something amazing about the flavor of fresh, homemade sauce that can’t be beat. Even the top brands out there are nothing compared to the full flavor of homemade bbq sauce. Really. Trust me on this one.
This easy to make homemade barbeque sauce is perfect over chicken, beef ribs, or as a dipping sauce.

Barbeque or Barbecue which is it?
Depends on who you ask. The first idea behind barbecue came from the word “barbacoa” where Spanish colonists in the late 15th and 16th centuries to describe the cooking style of indigenous Caribbean peoples, such as the Taíno. They would wrap meat in green leaves and cook it on a rack of green wood, so that the cooking implements wouldn’t catch fire during the slow-cooking process.
Today, barbecue commonly refers to grilling meat with various vinegar-, mustard-, or tomato-based sauces, while barbacoa is reserved for Mexican dishes.
So, let’s turn to the grill masters to see which spelling is correct.
In North Carolina, it’s “barbecue“. In South Carolina, it’s “barbeque“, as well as in Kansas City.
As to who is right, the most common spelling of the word is “barbecue” as it closely resembles the word barbacoa. The shorter forms, such as bar-b-q, are just abbreviations that play on the sounds from the syllables be (B) and cue (Q).
At the end of the day, whatever way you spell it, homemade barbeque sauce will make the meal.
This batch is enough to cover 4 pounds of chicken thighs, or 2 big rack of beef ribs. It will be nice and thick, yet brush on easily. If you want it thinner for any reason, add a bit of water, or apple cider vinegar.

Ingredients you need:
- Homemade Ketchup
- Apple cider vinegar
- Black strap molasses
- Cinnamon
- Chili powder
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Black pepper

Making your homemade barbecue sauce:
- Mix all the ingredients together with a whisk until well blended.
- Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes to let flavors develop.
- Store covered in the fridge.
How long will this store in the fridge?
This will keep as long as the ketchup would keep. If you use homemade ketchup, it’ll be good for about 2 months. Store bought commercial brand ketchup can last longer.
I generally make this as needed, however, because fresh made is best in my opinion.

Ways to use this homemade bbq sauce recipe:
- Drizzle it over baked potatoes.
- Use it as a pizza sauce.
- Brush on chicken, ribs, or even steak as you are grilling.
- Try these BBQ pulled chicken tacos for a twist on your favorite taco night recipe!
What would be your favorite use for homemade barbeque sauce? Let me know if you try and love this!

Easy Homemade Barbeque Sauce
A little tangy, a little sweet, a little spicy, and a little smoky. This easy homemade barbeque sauce has all of that in an easy to make recipe!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoon black strap molasses
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 garlic cloves, finelyminced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients together with a whisk until well blended.
- Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Store covered in the fridge for up to 2 months.
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1 TablespoonAmount Per Serving Calories 26Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 421mgCarbohydrates 7gFiber 1gSugar 5gProtein 0g
I do my best to make sure these numbers are accurate, however, please be your own best advocate and double check!
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