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Home » Recipe Type » Dinner » Chicken
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How to Make BBQ Sauce (with ketchup)

15 minutes
By: Pamela Reed
Posted:1/25/22
Updated:7/15/24
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Finger licking good homemade BBQ sauce made with ketchup, honey and simple spices you already have in your kitchen, ready in 15 minutes. This is a sweet bbq sauce, not spicy at all, so it’s very family friendly! Use it on grilled chicken, pulled pork, baked beans, and more!

closeup of bbq wings with homemade bbq sauce on them.

Homemade BBQ sauce with ketchup

This is a simple homemade BBQ sauce made with ketchup and honey that I can whip up in 15 minutes! It’s family friendly, not spicy at all, perfect for adding to our grilled chicken (especially wings and drumsticks), using in homemade baked beans, and dipping our french fries in!

It’s so easy to make. All you need to is throw the ingredients into a pot and allow to simmer for a few minutes. Then you have homemade barbecue sauce ready to use or throw in a jar to keep in the refrigerator!

This homemade recipe makes a 12 ounce bottle of bbq sauce.

Looking for ways to use BBQ sauce? Try my BBQ Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs, BBQ Sausage Kabobs in the Oven and Crockpot Barbecue Chicken!

bowl filled with bbq sauce in it.

Barbecue sauce ingredients

  • Ketchup, this is our tomato base.
  • Honey, don’t want it sweet? Skip the honey or use half of the amount.
  • White vinegar, want more tangy flavor? Swap white vinegar for apple cider vinegar. Or don’t like the taste of white vinegar? You can skip it completely.
  • Molasses, gives it that rich bbq flavor.
  • Spices: Cumin, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder and salt and pepper.
ingredients on table to make bbq sauce.

How to BBQ Sauce Quickly

Heat the ketchup, honey, vinegar, and molasses together in a saucepan over medium high heat until smooth.

spoon mixing bbq sauce in saucepan.

Stir the cumin, salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder into the sauce.

seasonings and spices in small white bowl.

Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer until it thickens up.

bbq sauce simmering in small saucepan.

Use the sauce right away on your favorite dishes or transfer it to a mason jar to store in the refrigerator to use later on.

closeup of super saucy bbq wings

Storing and freezing bbq sauce

To store: Allow sauce to cool and then place in a jar with a lid. It’s good in the the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

To freeze: Place in freezer safe container or freezer bag, good for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use it, place it in your fridge overnight to thaw.

Pin for later:

Finger licking good homemade BBQ sauce made from ingredients you already have in your kitchen. Deliciously smoky, tangy, and rich, it’s the perfect sauce to use on chicken, pork, beef, baked beans, and more!
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How to Make BBQ Sauce (with ketchup)

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Finger licking good homemade BBQ sauce made with ketchup, honey and simple spices you already have in your kitchen, ready in 15 minutes. This is a sweet bbq sauce, not spicy at all, so it's very family friendly! Use it on grilled chicken, pulled pork, baked beans, and more!
By: Pamela Reed
Prep Time: 0 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time 15 minutes minutes
serves 12

Ingredients

  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

  • In a medium-sized saucepan, mix ketchup, honey, vinegar and molasses over medium high heat until well combined and smooth.
  • Add cumin, salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, onion powder and garlic powder into sauce pan, and continue to stir.
  • Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until a thickened BBQ sauce has formed.
  • Slather on chicken (especially wings and drumsticks!), pulled pork, use in baked beans or do something else with it. Store any leftovers in a mason jar in the refrigerator, good for 3 weeks. Enjoy!

Video:

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: how to make bbq sauce
Did you make this?I love seeing what you’ve made! Tag me on Instagram at @BrooklynFarmGirl and don’t forget to leave a comment & rating below.

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Hi! I'm Pamela, an artist Mom who shares family recipes. My farm is a 1,000 sq ft apartment in NYC. Let's make dinner together.

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