Sweet and Smoky Homemade BBQ Sauce

An easy, 20-minute Sweet and Smoky Homemade BBQ Sauce recipe. Make a double batch and keep leftovers in the freezer for ease and convenience!

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:

First, 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.

Second, 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 (check out the recipe here and see the photo below)

Use it as a smoky BBQ marinade

This smoked BBQ 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 the Recipe!

Sweet and Smoky Homemade BBQ Sauce

Yield: 4

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

An easy, 20-minute Sweet and Smoky Homemade BBQ Sauce recipe. Make a double batch and keep leftovers in the freezer for ease and convenience!

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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

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

Recommended Products

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• 
  Ball Mason "PINT" Jars Wide-Mouth Can or Freeze - 12pk (by Jarden Home Brands) WM 16 Oz

Nutrition Information

Yield 4 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 207Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 0mgSodium 570mgCarbohydrates 30gFiber 1gSugar 24gProtein 1g

Nutrition information has been auto-calculated for your convenience.

Please note that Smoky BBQ Sauce Recipe is often misspelled as Smokey BBQ Sauce Recipe.

Last Updated on April 29, 2020