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.)
Sounds delicious! Would it change the flavor too much if I omitted the liquid smoke? What would be a more natural alternative? Thank you!
Hi Bailey! No, we don’t think that would have a huge impact. We hope you enjoy this!
Never used liquid smoke until today. It’s only 2 tsp. Gives it a kick. Try it, you’ll like it and no, you won’t die.
Hi I am in Australia and I’ve never heard of liquid smoke – what is it please?
Hi Jay! Liquid Smoke is an extremely concentrated condiment that is made by channeling smoke from burning wood chips through a condenser. That process quickly cools the vapors, causing them to liquefy. It brings hickory/mesquite/applewood-type flavors to foods that you want to have a “smokey essence.” Basically it’s great to add to meats/dishes that you want to have a “smoked” flavor without actually smoking anything — generally you just add a dash of the liquid to dishes. Here’s an article on it, if you’re interested in reading more. If you can’t find any, the closest substitutes would be Lapsang Souchong (a smokey tea), smoked paprika, or smoked salts. We hope all of this is helpful!
Can you omit Worcestershire sauce? I can’t find one with decent ingredients
Yes, feel free to leave it out if you prefer!
hi what’s the Molasses ingredient please? Is it sugar?
And the tomato sauce – is this ketchup or purée?
Regards
Hi Lisa, molasses is very thick and dark (almost black). It’s refined sugarcane. If you can’t find any, you can just use dark brown sugar. And the tomato paste is neither ketchup nor puree. It’s a concentrate made from cooking tomatoes down and reducing their moisture until they are a rich, thick, dark paste. We hope this helps!
Have you ever tried to can this bbq sauce?
We haven’t, but it should can beautifully if you follow the proper canning method! We hope you enjoy! :)
if anyone is looking to do this in the UK the tomato sauce is like passata and the paste is tomato puree, molasses can be bought in Holland and barratt or online and the liquid smoke can be found in tescos.
https://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=290673151
https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/food-drink/molasses/#so=sort_topseller&totalNumRecs=2
hope this helps :)
Thanks for sharing this for folks Becki!
Looking for a good KC BBQ sauce recipe that doesn’t use ketchup, and I think I just found the one I want to try.
Also, no big deal, but I just wanted to point out that you have your asterisk mixed around in your recipe for the liquid smoke and Worcestershire.
Hey Josh. Good eye! Thanks for letting us know (fixing it now). We hope you enjoy the sauce! :)
I am allergic to tomato, and have to make my own bbq sauce and the like. I have come up with a carrot/beet mixture I use in place of tomato sauce and this recipe worked well with that sauce! I am going to make a batch again tomorrow :)
That’s so creative of you Shannon! We’re so glad you enjoy the sauce! :)
We don’t get cans of tomato sauce in Australia – do you mean the ready made tomato sauce you squeeze onto pies and stuff? Just trying to narrow down the equivalent product here..
Hi Teresa! Yes, tomato sauce, just not marinara sauce or pizzas or pastas. We hope that makes sense!
This looks really good! Do you think it would last longer if I canned it?
Thanks Olivia, we hope you enjoy! While we haven’t tried canning this ourselves, we think it should can beautifully as long as you follow the proper canning procedure.