This Homemade BBQ Sauce is ready in about 10 minutes and is the perfect combination of sweetness and spiciness. It’s perfect for any time you need a delicious bbq sauce and it’s good on ribs, poultry, and much more.

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Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the
recipe card at the bottom of the post.
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.
I love making my own spices and sauces when it comes to bbq. This BBQ seasoning recipe is our favorite rub to put on poultry and pork. So it just made sense that I developed a bbq sauce to go right along with it.
This sauce has the perfect combo of sweetness and spiciness and only needs a cook time of 10 minutes to get those flavors to mend together. It’s the perfect homemade condiment to have in your fridge.
How to make BBQ Sauce
Add ketchup, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, chili powder, apple cider vinegar, molasses, dry mustard, salt, cayenne pepper, and liquid smoke to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir to combine.

Allow the mixture to gently cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and use in your favorite BBQ recipe.
NOTES
- This bbq sauce has a slight kick to it because of the cayenne. Feel free to omit to keep it kick free.
- Make sure your heat is set to medium-low heat to avoid burning your sauce or scorching your pan.
- This recipe as written makes a little more than 2 cups of sauce. It can be doubled or tripled or cut in half. If doubling or tripling, increase the heat time by about 5 minutes.
- This sauce can be made ahead and stored. It will last in the refrigerator for about 1-2 weeks in an airtight container. I store ours in mason jars and it gets used within that time frame.
Looking for Recipes to use this sauce with? Try these out:
Homemade BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups ketchup
- 6 Tbsp molasses
- 6 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 4 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
Instructions
- Add ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, chili powder, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, salt, and liquid smoke to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir to combine.
- Allow the mixture to gently cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and use in your favorite BBQ recipe.
Notes
- This bbq sauce has a slight kick to it because of the cayenne. Feel free to omit to keep it kick free.
- Make sure your heat is set to medium-low heat to avoid burning your sauce or scorching your pan.
- This recipe as written makes a little more than 2 cups of sauce. It can be doubled or tripled or cut in half. If doubling or tripling, increase the heat time by about 5 minutes.
- This sauce can be made ahead and stored. It will last in the refrigerator for about 1 week in an airtight container. I store ours in mason jars.