This Kansas City-style homemade BBQ sauce recipe is super quick and easy to make, and full of the best tangy, smoky and slightly-sweet flavors that everyone is sure to love!
Friends, have you ever tried making homemade BBQ sauce?
If not, it’s time. ♡
And as a KC girl, I’m going to vote that you make this Kansas City-style bbq sauce recipe! It’s super-easy to make — just stir everything together and simmer for about 15 minutes — and it’s full of that famous tangy, smoky and slightly-sweet blend of flavors that we all love in Kansas City.
We use this sauce regularly in our house to make traditional bbq chicken, pulled pork, ribs and baked beans. But it also works great as a pizza sauce (hello, bbq chicken pizza ♡) and as a glaze (on meatballs, meatloaf, etc). And of course, you’re welcome to get creative and add it into everything from soups to salads, tacos, burgers, casseroles and more.
So many ways to use homemade bbq sauce. So let’s make a batch!
Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Homemade BBQ Sauce Ingredients:
To make this homemade bbq sauce recipe, you will need the following ingredients (amounts included in the full recipe below):
- Tomato sauce: One can of plain tomato sauce (just puréed tomatoes, no extra ingredients).
- Apple cider vinegar: To add some tang to the sauce.
- Honey: I really prefer the taste of honey as the natural sweetener in this bbq sauce. But you could also sub in brown sugar or maple syrup.
- Tomato paste: To intensify the rich tomato flavor in this sauce.
- Molasses: A must in Kansas City bbq sauce!
- Worcestershire: If making this sauce vegan, be sure to use a vegan brand of Worcestershire.
- Liquid smoke: To give the sauce those important smoky notes.
- Spices: A combo of smoked paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder and salt. Plus a few optional pinches of cayenne, if you would like to give the sauce some heat.
How To Make BBQ Sauce:
This bbq sauce recipe couldn’t be easier to make! Simply…
- Combine ingredients. Stir everything together in a saucepan.
- Simmer. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then let it continue to simmer for 15-20 minutes or until it has thickened slightly.
- Serve. Then that’s literally it — your sauce is ready to go and use in any of your favorite recipes!
Possible Recipe Variations:
Want to customize your own BBQ sauce recipe a bit? Feel free to:
- Make it gluten-free: To make gluten-free BBQ sauce, just be sure to use gluten-free liquid smoke. (I recommend Wright’s or Colgin.)
- Make it vegan: To make vegan BBQ sauce, just be sure to use vegan Worcestershire. (I recommend Annie’s.)
- Make it sweeter: Add more honey, to taste.
- Make it smokier: Add a touch more liquid smoke, to taste.
- Make it thicker: Simmer the sauce for longer until it reduces to your desired consistency.
Ways To Use BBQ Sauce:
There are so many great ways to put a batch of homemade BBQ sauce to delicious use! Some of our faves include:
- Traditional bbq meat: Grilled or pulled chicken, pulled pork, ribs, burnt ends, etc.
- Baked beans: BBQ sauce is a simple and delicious way to flavor a batch of baked beans.
- Burgers: Use it as a spread on your favorite burgers.
- Pizzas: Use it in place of pizza sauce. (Hello, bbq chicken pizza!)
- Soups/salads: Mix it into broths to flavor soups, or use the sauce as a dressing for your salad.
- Tacos/quesadillas/burritos: BBQ sauce is a great way to give your favorite Mexican dishes a different twist.
- Dipping sauce: And of course, it’s always a great dipping sauce for everything from chicken nuggets to veggie sticks to cocktail meatballs and more!
Homemade BBQ Sauce
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: About 2 cups 1x
Description
This Kansas City-style homemade bbq sauce recipe is sweet, tangy, smoky, and perfect on just about everything.
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- optional: a few pinches of cayenne for extra heat, if desired
Instructions
- Combine ingredients. Whisk all ingredients together in a medium saucepan.
- Simmer. Cook over medium-high heat until the sauce reaches a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer (uncovered) for 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce has slightly thickened.
- Serve. Use the sauce immediately, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 1 week.
Notes
Vegan option: To make vegan bbq sauce, just be sure to use a vegan brand of Worcestershire. (I recommend Annie’s.)
Gluten-free option: To make gluten-free bbq sauce, just be sure to use a GF brand of liquid smoke. (I recommend Wright’s or Colgin.)
This recipe is INDEED delicious, however, I added 1/4 c brown sugar and it really brought it home. Great kick with the smoked paprika and black pepper. My boyfriend thought I bought the sauce!!! Super delish!
I LIKE your sauce. Wonderful addition to my collection of regional BBQ Sauces. Go Royals!
Ali, I have been looking for a BBQ sauce for a while, now we are heading into summer, the tomato sauce? Is that tomato ketchup or tinned tomatoes blended kind of sauce?
The recipe just uses canned (basically pureed) tomato sauce. :)
My husband will love it. I’ve tried to make BBQ sauce once and as you can imagine it was a failure :). Now this recipe is easy enough, even for me. Thank you for sharing.
Do you think i can store it in the fridge for more than a week? If not in the fridge, do you know other ways to store the sauce? I just want to make more of it and use it along the summer.
Thank you!
Yes! You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Or I believe it could also be canned.
Good luck!
We have been looking for a good BBQ recipe, but it’s hard to find one that does not require 1) tons of corn syrup or 2) a bottle of store-bought BBQ sauce. Making BBQ sauce with BBQ sauce makes no sense. We will be making this one soon! :) Thanks so much!
It is very handy to have such recipe for home made BBQ sauce :) Thanks for sharing.
I’m a little embarrassed it say I’m a born and raised Kansas Citian and I have never attempted to make BBQ sauce myself! But with so many options to get here in town, I always have a go to (toss up between Gates and Oklahoma Joes). I’m definitely going to try this one out though, Ali, it looks amazing!
Love this Ali! Can’t believe it’s vegan – got to try it out!
https://youtube.com/addalittlefood
This isn’t vegan. This recipe calls for worcestshire sauce. Most worcestshire sauces are made with fish sauce.
Hi Katelyn, I use Annie’s organic worcestershire sauce for vegan recipes. I’ll add a note about this in the recipe.
Sounds just perfect!
Wow we readers are lucky with an honest to goodness Kansas City Barbecue Sauce. I pinned it. Sounds delicious and quite doable.