There’s something so satisfying about making your own pantry staples from scratch, and this Smokey Homemade BBQ Sauce is one of those recipes that is surprisingly easy to make.
It’s rich, sweet, tangy and packed with that delicious smoky flavour we all love in a good BBQ sauce. The best part? You can easily adjust it to suit your own taste. Add a little more sweetness, extra vinegar for tang, or a touch of chilli if you like some heat.
This homemade BBQ sauce is perfect for burgers, chicken, ribs, pulled pork, sausages or even as a dipping sauce for chips and homemade chicken nuggets.
Made with simple pantry ingredients like tomato passata, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and smoked paprika, it comes together in one saucepan in around 20 minutes.
You can either water bath canning this to make it shelf stable or simply bottle and refrigerate immediately and it will last up to a month.
Why You’ll Love This Homemade BBQ Sauce
- Rich, sweet and smoky flavour
- Made with simple pantry ingredients
- Easy to customise to your taste
- Perfect for marinades, dipping and glazing
- Makes approximately two 200 ml bottles
Ways to Use BBQ Sauce
This sauce is incredibly versatile. Try it:
- Brushed over chicken or pork while cooking
- Mixed through pulled pork
- Spread onto homemade burgers
- Used as a pizza base
- Served alongside homemade chicken nuggets
- Added to sandwiches and wraps
- Used as a dipping sauce for fries or wedges
A Simple From Scratch Staple
Once you realise how easy it is to make BBQ sauce at home, you might never want to go back to buying it again.
I love having a bottle in the fridge ready for easy dinners and weekend BBQs. It also makes a lovely homemade addition to a gift hamper alongside other from-scratch kitchen favourites.
The full recipe is below! 👇🏻 I hope you love this rich, smoky sauce as much as we do!
Please follow appropriate food safety guidance when storing or preserving homemade sauces. Refrigerate after opening.
Smokey BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until
- slightly thickened.
- Taste and adjust sweetness, salt, or vinegar if needed.
- If using the refrigeration method, disregard steps below and store in your jar in the fridge for up to a month.
- Pour hot into sterilised 200 ml bottles, leaving ~1 cm headspace.
- Seal and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
- Cool upright and check seals.
- Storage
- Store sealed bottles in a cool, dark place.
- Refrigerate after opening.
Notes
- Liquid smoke: Start with ¼ teaspoon and add more to taste. A little goes a long way!
- Molasses vs golden syrup: Molasses gives the sauce a deeper, richer flavour, while golden syrup creates a slightly lighter and sweeter BBQ sauce.
- Adjust to taste: Before bottling, taste the sauce and adjust the sweetness, tanginess, salt or smokiness to suit your preference.
- Thickness: The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools. For a thicker sauce, simmer for a little longer.
- Spice: Add chilli powder or cayenne for a gentle kick, or leave it out for a mild family-friendly sauce.
- Serving ideas: Delicious with chicken, pork, burgers, sausages, ribs, pizza, sandwiches or as a dipping sauce.
- Storage: Store unopened bottles according to safe home-preserving guidance for your ingredients and processing method. Refrigerate after opening.
Water Bath Bottling
I like to make this BBQ sauce in small batches and water-bath bottle it so I have homemade sauce ready to reach for in the pantry.
Because this sauce contains a generous amount of apple cider vinegar, it is an acidic sauce. The vinegar is an important part of both the flavour and preservation method, so don’t reduce or leave out the vinegar if you are bottling the sauce for pantry storage.
How I Bottle It
- Wash and sterilise your 200 ml glass bottles or jars and lids.
- While the sauce is still piping hot, carefully fill the sterilised bottles, leaving approximately 1 cm headspace.
- Wipe the rims clean and seal immediately.
- Place the sealed bottles into a boiling water bath, making sure they are completely covered with water.
- Process for 15 minutes.
- Carefully remove and leave the bottles upright and undisturbed until completely cool.
- Check that the seals have formed before storing.
Store sealed bottles in a cool, dark place and refrigerate once opened.
A Note on Home Bottling
This is the method I use for this small-batch recipe at home. Food safety when bottling depends on factors including acidity, ingredients, temperature and processing time, so always use clean, suitable food-grade bottles or jars and follow good food-safety practices.
If a bottle doesn’t seal properly, or the contents show any signs of spoilage such as mould, fermentation, an unusual smell or an abnormal appearance, don’t taste it — discard it.
