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This recipe for Homemade Kansas City BBQ Sauce is so fast and easy to make, you'll never buy another bottle of the ready-made stuff. And this version has no high fructose corn syrup.
BBQ sauce is a lot like bacon. Everything tastes better when you add it. But have you looked at the ingredients on a bottle of store-bought BBQ sauce lately? High fructose corn syrup is usually the first or second ingredient listed.
Turns out it's really easy to make barbecue sauce at home. It only takes a few minutes to whip up a batch. You can use it for all kinds of things — from BBQ ribs, BBQ shrimp or sausage, pulled pork sandwiches to BBQ chicken pizza. You can even use it for my highly nutritious BBQ Natto with Shrimp recipe. (Natto is Japanese fermented soybeans — extremely high in vitamin K2.)
This BBQ sauce is a Kansas City BBQ sauce. As opposed to Texas barbecue, North Carolina, or South Carolina BBQ sauce. I don't use any sugar (with the exception of the sugar in the ketchup). Just honey and good old-fashioned molasses. I make mine mild, but you can make it hotter if you like.
Homemade Kansas City BBQ Sauce
Homemade Kansas City BBQ Sauce: Ingredients
Butter (1 tsp)
Onion (1/2)
Garlic (2 cloves)
Paprika (2 TBS)
Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (1/2 tsp)
Sea salt (1/2 tsp)
Ketchup, organic (1 cup) — use a brand without HFCS
Apple cider vinegar or white vinegar (1 cup) — or lemon juice
Honey (1/2 cup)
Mustard (1/4 cup)
Molasses (1/8 cup)
Worcestershire sauce (2 TBS) — use a brand without HFCS
Chili powder or Tabasco sauce to taste
Homemade Kansas City BBQ Sauce: Equipment
Saucepan, stainless steel or enameled cast iron (not Teflon!)
Homemade Kansas City BBQ Sauce: Directions
1. Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium heat.
2. Chop the onion. I use my Nicer Dicer — which makes this extremely quick.
3. Add the onion and let soften, then add the garlic.
4. Add all the dry ingredients: paprika, black pepper and sea salt.
5. Add all the wet ingredients: ketchup, vinegar, honey, mustard, molasses, Worcestershire sauce. Add the chili powder to taste.
6. Let simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes and modify with seasonings to taste.
Homemade Kansas City BBQ Sauce: Recipe Notes
Make sure you use ketchup and Worcestershire sauce that are organic and free of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). You can find these brands at the health food store.
If you're in a real hurry you can make a shortcut version. Leave out the sauteeing of the onion and garlic in butter. Just mix together some ketchup, honey, molasses, mustard and vinegar, and season with some of the spices. Not AS good but it will still work, and I guarantee you, your family will not complain.
You can also make ahead and store in a quart mason jar in the fridge. It will keep for several weeks. Or make larger batches and freeze.
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I wonder if you could make large batches and freeze it in smaller jars? I’m running out of time these days and I’m trying to figure out the bulk cooking thing for stuff like this.
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going to make a batch to try- I ususally make my grandmothers- and she was from Kansas City! sounds great- molassas & worcestershire lend that smoky flavor that makes the sauce so good. Thanks for sharing, keep up the great blog!
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Yum!!! I will definitely try this one!!!!!
Worcestershire sauce?
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I’ve frozen homemade bbq sauce before, it works great.
A word of note for those that don’t have homemade ketchup to use….there is a very good brand out now that a lot of stores carry. If you have a local store that carries the Best Choice brands you can find it – Clearly Organic Best Choice Ketchup comes in a 20 oz. upside down squeeze bottle. It’s ingredients are Organic tomato concentrate ( water, organic tomato paste ) , organic sugar, organic viegar, salt, organic onion powder, organic spice…………the sugar amount is very little…this is not an over sweeten ketchup by anymeans. It’s the best tasting ketchup we’ve ever boughten. And price for it costs way cheaper than buying at a Health Food Store.
Will give this recipe a try once I can find a worchestshrie sauce that is HFCS free and Gluten Free….or maybe just play around with the recipe and see what I come up with.
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Julie – Yes you can freeze it. Did you have the baby yet? Maybe the baby will come when I finally get the resources page up… hopefully today! ;-)
Paula – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worcestershire_sauce
I noted above that you want to use one without HFCS, of course.
Pamela – Thanks for the rec! I buy organic ketchup at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. I have also found organic Worcestershire sauce at Whole Foods.
I’m going to try it, looks fantastic, sounds delicious, thanks!!
My husband and I cook competition BBQ. :) I make LOTS of different styles of BBQ sauce, Kansas City style is very popular. For those of you that don’t have access to organic or homemade ketchup, just sub homemade or organic salsa. Puree before using, unless you like it chunky. Adjust your chili powder to compensate.
Do you use all organic spices, too? Is the molasses you use blackstrap? Thanks!
Michelle – what a great tip!
Kim – I try to buy organic but I don’t always buy all my spices organic. I get my honey from a local beekeeper who sells it at the farmer’s market. The molasses is blackstrap, yes.
Hmm, I thought there was other stuff in the sauce that made it icky too…..I have a bottle kicking around still…..off to read it.
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Oh, just read my mothers (seedsofnutrition) comment about it having gluten. Could be what I was thinking about.
I am so allergic to gluten now.
Paula
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No baby yet unfortunately–maybe he or she is waiting for the resource page LOL! We are going for a long walk tonight so hopefully that will help too.
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Julie – The resources page is getting close to going live. I think the baby is waiting… I’ll hurry up!!!!
I’m looking forward to trying this! I’ve bombed on making a couple barbecue sauces myself but really want to because it would be a lot cheaper and healthier. As a Kansas Citian, I’m curious as to what type of barbecue sauce this tastes most like as we all have our preferences here among the competing barbecue restaurants and afficianados :)
Oh that sounds great, I will have to give it a whirl soon!
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Looked over the bottles label…Natural Flavorings.
Have you been able to find a brand that is MSG free?
How the heck is it that Cheeseslave seems to be reading my mind?!?!?!?! First with the awesome mayonnaise and now with the BBQ sauce. Those were literally two things I had vowed to experiment with to make myself. Thanks so much, Cheeseslave!!!!! YOU ROCK! :)
Hey Ann Marie, I just followed this to a T, but it’s waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too hot to eat! Even my spicy-food-loving husband’s lips are burning. Any suggestions on how to fix this? I’d hate to waste the double-batch I just made
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I’m going to change this in the recipe to “to taste”.
Instead of wasting the batch, just add more ketchup (you can also use tomato sauce), honey, vinegar, molasses, etc. Everything EXCEPT the chili powder.
Me and my 4 year old just whipped up a batch of this BBQ sauce tonight for dinner! My 7 year old is allergic to honey so we subbed the honey for Turbinado sugar (using 3/4 cup because we like our BBQ sauce just a tad sweeter) This was SO good!!!! I loved it, and the kids loved it so this will go in my recipe archive when I’m in the mood for a Kansas style BBQ sauce! Thank you so very much Mrs. Cheeseslave!! ;)
Honey has a fair bit of carbs and fructose as well. ;) Might have to try this with erythritol and stevia–looks scrumptious! The color is just lovely, and the fact that it’s so fast to make is a plus! Thanks for sharing.
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I was so sad to read the ingredient list on Sweet Baby Ray’s barbeque sauce. First ingredient: high fructose corn syrup. Unbelievable!
Homemade ketchup is SO easy! I can make a double or triple batch in 5 minutes. I began making it about 2 months ago, and this is our favorite recipe (adapted from Hillbilly Housewife):
6 oz. can organic tomato paste
1/3 cup filtered water
2 T raw, organic apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 pinch allspice (optional)
1 pinch garlic powder
1 pinch onion powder
1/8 cup organic evaporated cane juice
Combine all ingredients with a wire wisk. Blend well. Place into a glass jar and chill to blend flavors.
I’ve used this ketchup in homemade barbeque sauce, and it’s awesome!
Off topic: Eden organic yellow and brown mustards are yummy, and very affordable at Tropical Traditions.
Thanks for a the barbeque sauce recipe!!
Thank you for the incredible recipe here. I am going to make it. I make Julia Child herb roasted chicken and I will try to adapt a recipe for a BBQ sauce to match that flavor. =)
Thanks! It really is excellent.
have to try this one! I’ve yet to be happy with a homemade bbq sauce!
That is too complicated. Mine takes literally 2 minutes. 1 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup Modena red wine vinegar, 2 T brown sugar. Mix well. The Modena vinegar gives a really tangy complex flavor. We put it on chicken and everything. Soooo good.
Is that prepared mustard, or ground?
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Hi there! I made this recipe. I found that it was too acidic. I ended up adding some butter to mellow out the vinegar. My husband like it and he thinks that when we put it on the chicken more of the vinegar will cook off. I like the addition of the mustard. I just need to tweek this for my taste and it will be great. Thanks for sharing :)