In the world of blogging, it’s a bit weird for me to post a homemade BBQ sauce recipe the week after the 4th of July instead of right before it.

There are two reasons why this didn’t get posted last week:

Here in Portland, the weather doesn’t get nice enough for barbecue weather until July 5th. So, I’m just being a reasonably prudent person.
Whoops, I forgot to post this last week!

Now that you’ve had your fill of hot dogs over the weekend, it’s time to roll up your sleeves, bust out your basting brush, and get down to some serious grilling business.

This Sweet and Smoky BBQ Sauce is what dreams are made of. My secret ingredient for homemade barbecue sauce is a touch of smoked paprika. It adds just enough of that earthy, smoky flavor without overwhelming the sweetness of the sauce.

Here’s a few ideas on ways to use this BBQ sauce:

Baste it on some pork ribs during the last thirty minutes on the smoker
Serve it as a dip for french fries or onion rings
Toss it with leftover chicken and make Southern-fusion tacos
Add some smoky flavor to your regular pulled pork recipe
Make a Tex-Mex inspired Tamale Pie (recipe coming on Wednesday!)

This sauce will keep in your fridge for about two weeks, but feel free to make a larger batch and freeze it in mason jars for convenient homemade deliciousness throughout the year.

I buy these half pint mason jars like they are going out of style. Some mason jars are labeled specifically for freezer use (like these ones), but I’ve had great success using the regular old canning ones, too.

I also use the half pint jars as drinking glasses when we have people over during the summer. They are so easy to store when not in use!

Spend 20 minutes making this homemade BBQ sauce this week and report back on all of the fun ways you used it!

Here’s Your Recipe!

Name: Sweet and Smoky Homemade BBQ Sauce
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 cup ketchup; 1/4 cup water; 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar; 1/4 cup brown sugar; 2 teaspoons paprika; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon cayenne

The Wanderlust Kitchen

Sweet and Smoky Homemade BBQ Sauce

20 minCook Time

20 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne

Instructions

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Once the oil is hot, add the minced garlic and saute two minutes.
Add remaining ingredients and let cook for three minutes.
Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes until thickened.

https://thewanderlustkitchen.com/sweet-smoky-homemade-bbq-sauce/

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Comments

Jovana says
July 19, 2014 at 7:24 am
Oooh, this looks delish! :)I've always disliked the processed flavours of most BBQ sauce so I'm looking forward to putting this into my fridge - especially since I make my own bad-ass ketchup anyway :D
- Anetta says
  July 19, 2014 at 11:58 am
  Awesome, Jovana! I definitely need to start making my own ketchup :)
Alex says
October 9, 2014 at 7:10 am
This looks absolutely delicious and simple to make! I may give it a try, since I'm almost out of my favourite store-bought BBQ sauce!
Richard Wallace says
March 5, 2015 at 9:54 am
I like the recipe, I have been making a similar sauce for years now, but I add crushed pineapple(2-3 table spoons), and a pinch of cumin, and lastly I add a little bit of butter, to smooth the flavors out.keep recipes coming.
- Anetta says
  March 5, 2015 at 2:21 pm
  Ooh, that sounds fabulous! I'll have to give that a try.
Pam Williams says
June 29, 2018 at 8:40 am
I found that the teaspoon of Cayenne was a tad to much. I suggest people start with a 1/2 teaspoon and increase it if they feel they can handle it. To much kind of blanks out your taste buds to the food you are putting it on. A sauce should enhance flavours not dominate.

Sweet and Smoky Homemade BBQ Sauce