Smoky Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Sauce

this smoky sweet and tangy barbecue sauce is incredibly easy to make and versatile – once you try it you’ll want to use this sauce all the time! 

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I have been making this smoky sweet and tangy barbecue sauce for as long as I can remember. The recipe came from my mom and I can tell you she has no idea where it came from. I’m sure we’ve tweaked it over the years too.

Better than anything I have found in the bottle, and so easy to make, this 7 ingredient sauce takes less than 10 minutes from start to finish.  It is great to make ahead and refrigerate; it should keep for a few weeks (probably even more).

I love this barbecue sauce. Since I started making it, I almost never buy store bought.

But you guys know, sometimes life happens, and a bottle of store bought is all I can muster.

I use Liquid Smoke in this recipe to give the sauce that slow cooked barbecue flavor.  It adds a deep smoky flavor to the sauce, so even if you don’t use a grill, you will still get a touch of that smoky flavor.

Liquid smoke is awesome guys. Especially if you enjoy condo living (or are just stuck with it) and don’t always have access to a grill to get that nice smoky flavor.

But beware, it can be intense so you only need a little bit.

The ingredients are really quite simple.  It takes me 5 minutes (not even) to measure everything out and get it ready to “cook.” Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over medium-low heat and stir until butter is melted. Continue to stir until sauce starts to bubble. Then you’re done.

I mean guys, come on. There is no excuse to not make your sauce from scratch. You know I’m a bit lot lazy, and I don’t even mind making this sauce. It is so much better than store bought, I can’t even compare.

And it’s prefect for chicken. Ooooh, and ribs. And beef, and pork, and potatoes. Yes potatoes. Really, guys, this stuff is good on everything. Try it on a burger. I haven’t done this yet, but I’ll bet it’s tasty!

Now that you’re on a sauce kick, check out some of these other awesome sauce receipes:

Bacon Chipotle Avocado Sauce

Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce

Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese Dipping Sauce)

Print

Smoky Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Sauce

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

5 mins

Total Time

10 mins

 

Course: Ingredient

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 73 kcal

Author: Danielle Wolter

Ingredients

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. liquid smoke

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients and stir until bubbling.
2. Remove from heat use on chicken, beef, pork, etc.