Do you have ketchup, mustard and honey? You have to try this best EVER Basic Homemade BBQ Sauce. It’s a simple base for starting your own BBQ sauce deliciousness, then add and customize from there.
There are several ingredients that I always think I have on hand, but when I go to start cooking it turns out I don’t have any. This happens a lot with barbecue sauce, which I definitely need on hand when grilling season starts up again.
I always think I have a few bottles in the pantry. I go to grab one, and there aren’t any. Because of this, I’ve developed a quick, basic barbecue sauce base. It uses simple ingredients that I always have and it only takes a minute to whip up.
It’s made out of ketchup, mustard, and honey. That’s all you absolutely need, then you can add seasonings to your liking.
Here’s A Video Showing How To Make This BBQ Sauce Base, And How To Doctor It Up!
Adaptable Homemade Barbecue Sauce
The beauty of this sauce base is that you can change it if you’re in the mood. You can use brown sugar or molasses instead of honey, you can use Dijon mustard instead of the regular yellow mustard, you can use tomato sauce for some of the ketchup, there are lots of ways to vary the base. And then you get to add other ingredients to deepen it more, things like Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, garlic powder, or smoked paprika, or all of the above! Really the options are endless. Soooo good. You’re going to love making this easy staple and doctoring it up in new ways.
The reason this simple sauce works is because of the flavor balance. You have salty and sweet flavors in the ketchup, more sweet from the honey and then a good tang from the mustard. It’s also great because the sugar content in the sauce makes it caramelize on food when it’s cooking.
Using Barbecue Sauce
I love using this sauce when I’m grilling chicken. It has the best flavors that pair well with poultry or beef. To make really great barbecue chicken drumsticks, I follow the basic method for Easy Make Ahead Chicken for a Crowd. I love it because you pre-cook the chicken in the oven so you know it’s done, then add the sauce and grill once guests arrive. While the chicken bakes, before my guests arrive, I throw together this sauce and I’m done!
If you don’t want to start with a BBQ sauce base and add to it with your own ideas, here’s my recipe for a fully done BBQ sauce. It’s a sweet, spicy, smoky BBQ sauce that still only uses ingredients that I usually have on hand. Oh, and if you want to increase your BBQ sauce knowledge, take a look at this whole series of BBQ sauce recipes from around the country and beyond!
Here’s the recipe for the easy BBQ sauce. Let me know if you love it!
Print
Best Ever Homemade Barbecue Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: Sauce
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
Do you have ketchup, mustard and honey? You have to try this best EVER Basic Homemade BBQ Sauce. It’s a simple base for starting your own BBQ sauce deliciousness. Mix up the ingredients below and you’ll have a mild-tasting sauce. Then, if you’d like, add in some pantry favorites like Worcestershire, Tobasco, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and chili powder to really bring in the flavor.
RECIPE UPDATE: A lot of people in the comments below really love this sauce as is, as does my family. However, a lot of people really dislike it also. I therefore retested the recipe and adjusted it. The original recipe, in case you loved that, was 1 and 1/2 cups ketchup, 1/4 cup yellow mustard, 1/4 cup honey, a pinch of salt. The revised recipe is now given below. It’s still very basic and can still be used as a sauce base but it has some more flavor elements to start with. -Christine
Ingredients
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup prepared yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. hot sauce
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Stir until sugar dissolves.
Video by Leigh Olson. Article, photos and recipe by Christine Pittman.
This post originally appeared in August 2015 and was revised and republished in May 2021.
Falode temilade oluwafisayo says
Wow,its so yummy,wen i first tasted it uhm it was sooo good and delicious.but can’t we use another ingredient apart from dis ketchup.once again thanks 4 sharing dis recipe.i l luv it soooo much
Sharon Braswell says
This is such a simple recipe and I can add the options for more flavor. I think I’ll try the basic recipe first. Thank you!!
Christine Pittman says
You’re welcome, Sharon!
Sarah L says
This looks good and tasty. What I need is a BBQ sauce that doesn’t have tomatoes in it for my friend who can’t have that. But is it a BBQ sauce without tomatoes?
Christine Pittman says
How about Alabama White BBQ Sauce? It’s got a mayo base instead of ketchup/tomato.
Rebekah Kalinowski says
My husband got a Traeger so I’ll be making bbq sauce!
Christine Pittman says
Have fun, Rebekah!
Dorothea Collington says
I think making your own gives it a little extra love to it .
Christine Pittman says
Absolutely, Dorothea! Plus, it gives you the option of making it just the way you like!
Frank Zumpf says
Truly love BBQ sauce, will make this today
Christine Pittman says
Have fun, Frank!
Francine Anchondo says
Thanks for the recipe.
Christine Pittman says
You are welcome, Francine!
Saundra K. Warren says
I’m not a big fan of bbq sauce
Tom Thalon says
Needs liquid smoke.
I also need and therefore do make lots of minced and sauteed onions in my homemade BBQ sauce.
Too many bad recipes out here trying to attract readers by claiming it’s a quickie “hack”- the newest trendy culinary buzz word.
Look at all these negative reviews. You want shortcuts in the kitchen, you get what you deserve.
Christine Pittman says
Thanks for your feedback, Tom. This is intended as a base with pantry staples, but I understand it’s not for everyone. We’ve got a wider variety of BBQ sauce recipes at our sister site, The Cookful.
Deborah Waddell says
This isn’t the BBQ sauce I’ll use. Tastes like ketchup and mustard.
Cheryl says
I’ve never made my own sauce. This sounds easy and delish.
Christine Pittman says
Enjoy, Cheryl!
Debbie Yoder says
Im going to try this east recipr,Honestly Ive never thought of making my own sauce.Always came out of a store bought bottle.
Christine Pittman says
Enjoy, Debbie!
Sandy says
I have never had a store bought sauce I really like so I am going to give this a try.
Christine Pittman says
Hope you enjoy, Sandy!
Calvin says
Always been a fan of bbq sauce, just can’t get enough. Now this sounds magical.
Christine Pittman says
Thanks, Calvin!
Jennifer Phillips says
I’ll be trying this out next week when I make some oven baked bbq chicken
Christine Pittman says
Let us know how it turns out, Jennifer!
Thomas Gibson says
I would love to try this sauce on grilled chicken.
Christine Pittman says
Yummy! Enjoy, Thomas!
Richard Deyarmond says
Going to try this when I smoke tri-tips
Christine Pittman says
Sounds good, Richard!
Angelica says
This sounds delicious and so easy to make! Love that there’s no vinegar to muck around with, I hate a bbq sauce that’s vinegar based.
Christine Pittman says
I hope you enjoy, Angelica!
lauren minish says
Love me some good rich thick bbq sauce. I think the change of brown sugar from honey will add the range of flavor. Although I would be very interested in a non-sugar bbq. I would love it without the sugar.
Christine Pittman says
Thanks, Lauren! BBQ sauce needs some sweetness, but you could play around with the type of sweetener and the amounts!
Tanisha says
The updated recipe looks more like all the other homemade BBQ sauce recipes; still worth a shot! Thanks!
Christine Pittman says
Let us know what you think, Tanisha!
Panda says
This sauce is really bad. I added to this hot dog nightmare mixed herbs, chilli, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, a dash of soy sauce and pepper. even then it was only passable
Christine Pittman says
Panda, I’m sorry you didn’t like it. This recipe seems pretty controversial with some people loving it and some hating it, as you can see from the commments below. Because of that, I have retested and revised the recipe. For those who loved the original, the recipe is still given at the top where it says RECIPE UPDATE. But in response to those who were hating it, I reduced the amount of ketchup, switched from honey to brown sugar, and added some seasonings. The revised sauce can still be used as a base or as is, it just has a bit more flavor to start with. Thank you for your comment.
Ryan Mesler says
This is probably the worst BBQ sauce recipe I have come across. It tastes like you just mixed ketchup and mustard. If that were BBQ sauce, then every McDonald’s cheeseburger would say that it comes with BBQ sauce.
I just wasted nearly two cups of ketchup and mustard trying to fix this. You Yankees might think this is better than K.C. Masterpiece, but y’all don’t know real bbw as evidenced by the amount of people who actually liked this.
Tosca Culpepper-Glass says
I have severe gout and can’t have ketchup or apple cider vinegar. Can you make bbq sauce without those ingredients?
answertests.com says
I got what you mean,saved to my bookmarks, very
nice website.
Rob Rios says
I forgot my bbq sauce at home so at work this was my only option for my chicken nuggets….oh well. I didn’t use it all soi saved it for another day.
Monica from Bestconsumerreports.guide says
Love this post, my entire family loved sausa and I’ll try to make bbq sausa this weekend, hope it good :)). Thanks so much for this guide.
Sharon says
HiI had pretty much the same recipe years ago found you can adjust ingredients to taste my Mother liked so well never purcased sauce in stores again. For people who have to watch carbs and sugar etc. I found use can use Splenda brown sugar and Walden’s foods makes zero carb zero calorie ketchup. You can also use 2tbl Molasses. thank you for reminding me Sharon
Christine Pittman says
Sharon, You’re welcome. I’m happy to help, and happy you like it!
JC says
This sauce has very little taste.
Disappointing.
Maureen says
I want to try this and use it for commercial purpose.
Can I cook red chilli and brown sugar together before adding other ingredients instead of buying already made hot chilli? To minimize cost and still come up with a good result
Christine Pittman says
Maureen, yes, that should work just fine.
Itzel says
Can i use regular white sugar instead of brown sugar?
Christine Pittman says
Yes. Any kind of sweetener will work. But you will likely need less white sugar than brown because it is more compact.
Alycia says
I have made my own rendition of this sauce for a while now, but always guessed and checked a bit to get it how I wanted. I was looking online for a recipe to start with instead of throwing myself in blindly. I doubled this recipe because I’m making slow cook ribs tomorrow and needed a lot. Personally, I think there’s WAY too much ketchup. It may just have more to do with our ketchup brand, though, because it’s particularly strong. I added a bit more mustard, brown sugar, and a splash of Louisiana hot sauce and it turned out great! In other batches, I’ve added small amounts of Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and even maple syrup. If you’re really looking for that thick smoky barbecue taste, add a tablespoon or two of Worcestershire sauce to it and people won’t believe you made it yourself! ;) Can’t wait for slow cooker ribs and good ol fashion sweet ice tea tomorrow :D
Christine Pittman says
Alycia, Thanks for the feedback. I agree that this is quite a ketchupy flavor. Adding extras of the other ingredients is a great idea if you don’t want the ketchup to be as strong.
http://howcrack.com/ says
Great info i like this thanxx a lot
Hietagarden says
I will try your sauce with some meatballs in freezer
Rollins Mease says
Great, i will try this at home for sure! :)
Wendell says
I just looked up this recipe, and I’m going to make this over the weekend! I will add a couple other ingredients, and one more, not a lot, just 2 tablespoons (Jack Daniels) that should jazz it up a little!!
Christine Pittman says
Wendell, That sounds amazing!
Deepalekha says
I read this recipe yesterday. Reading on the comments I was so fascinated to prepare this. I had tomato ketchup in xcess with me. So without a second thought today wanted to give it a try. But added Indian spicy red chilli n lemon juice to this in addition. And voila!! The outcome was so so finger licking. Couldn’t wait to thank you. I always wanted to prepare BBQ sauce at home. But the recipe always contain so many fancy items which are handy at home. This recipe is a true life saver. Thank u again so very much.
Christine Pittman says
You’re welcome!
Janya Sriram says
This is a really good recipe thought it’s not exactly nutritious my friends and I love it it tastes wonderful but I wanted to try a sweeter version so I tried adding brown sugar but it stuck out in lumps what should I do to correct this j don’t have access to mollases
Christine Pittman says
Make sure the brown sugar is lump-free before adding it. You can smoosh out the lumps with the back of a spoon. From there, the acid in the ketchup should dissolve it if you stir it lots.
Fraps Crack says
your site content really impressed me. well done job
Great Grandpa says
I made your bbq sauce, wow it was very good everybody fell in love with it. it just what i was looking for my labor day cookout! TYVVM FOR YOUR RECIPE/MDF.
Christine Pittman says
You’re welcome. Thank you for letting me know. I’m so happy that you all liked it!
yahYA says
really really good loved it.can you make a chili garlic source but not to chili
Nick says
This is not a homemade sauce…. Homemade means you actually make it with basic ingredients, not by bashing together ketchup and mustard.
Stephanie Washington says
Christine,
Thank you so much for this very easy recipe. I did tweek it some to make it my own but with your guidance made an AWESOME SAUCE!!? I guess since you helped me create the masterpiece I call MY OWN LITTLE SECRET I’ll let you on the greatness…instead of ketchup I used one can of manwhich, 1/4 cup of spicy mustard, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 2 1/2 tablespoons of hot sauce and salted taste. My husband who is normally the cook in our house LOVES IT!! So again thank you, thank you, thank you. You have definitely peeked my interest to see and use some of your other easy and just as tasty recipes.
Christine Pittman says
Stephanie, So happy you liked it! Your version sounds delicious!
Lamar Fleming says
Thank you miss for the delish bbq sauce recipe instead of using normal mustard I used honey maple mustard it came out wonderful
Christine Pittman says
Fantastic! Great idea, Lamar!
Shana Isaacs says
Thank you for this simple BBQ Sauce recipe. This is a better tasting recipe for my mother who is a stroke victim and her taste buds have dramatically changed and doesn’t like the store bought ones anymore. The store bought ones are just too spicy and really doesn’t taste that good anymore. I used both honey and brown sugar and no salt since there is salt already in the mustard and ketchup. If I want a little spice I can add the spice flavors to my own and not hers. Thank you again.
Christine Pittman says
Shana, You’re welcome. I’m delighted that you and your mom like it!
Veronica M says
Thanks Christine for this simple mild recipe I love bbq but can no longer enjoy it because I have a lot of stomach issues and all the commercial products are too harsh on my stomach they all are too spicy and will make me end up in bed. So I so appreciate this recipe it was perfect. And f or those seeking more heat it is so workable you can add whatever you desire. Thanks again?
Christine Pittman says
Veronica, You’re welcome. I’m really happy that this mild bbq sauce works for your stomach and that you enjoy it!
Grill Trip says
Do you know how long this will last in the fridge? I made some last week and loved it, but haven’t really had a chance to use it up. I hate to waste it!
Christine Pittman says
It should last for a really long time, 2-3 weeks for sure. The ingredients in it all last really long. Store in an air tight container in the fridge.
Susannah Hayes says
I have always made my own bbq sauce. It’s easy and quick. Unfortunately I never measure my ingredients. But I normally use brown sugar, ketchup, and liquid smoke as my base. I love the addition of liquid smoke as it adds that smokey flavor. From there I will add a little garlic powder, hot sauce, honey, and red pepper flakes for some heat. The flavors can be changed depending on my mood. Everyone always asks what brand I use as it’s so good. Works perfectly on ribs, chicken wings, grilled chicken and bbq pork.
Christine Pittman says
Susannah, Love this kind of improvisational cooking! Thanks for the great ideas!
Nina says
Thank you for the great recipe. I never thought barbecue sauce could be this easy–easy to prepare and easy to adapt to your personal taste. I added more ketchup, some cider vinegar, a touch of Worcestershire, and some seasoned salt to my chicken. So delicious over baked potatoes!
Christine Pittman says
Nina, your additions sound delicious. Thanks for letting me know. Glad you liked it!
Stacey says
I made this sauce but with a major twist of my own. I used honey and brown sugar. Also I users 1 tbs lemon juice, 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce and salt, lemon pepper and garlic. Tasted awesome!
Christine Pittman says
Stacey, Love your variation. It’s such an easy sauce to adapt. I can’t wait to try adding lemon juice – never done that before!
FL Studio 12 Crack says
Just what I was looking for. I am going to try for dinner with some ribs in oven. Barbecue sauce is one of my favorite sauces. Especially with chicken! I shall try this out this week. Looks easy to make and tasty!
Nini says
I tried it, and not too impressed with it. It tasted like sweet mustard and ketchup.
John says
Tried your recipe tonight, I added the Worcestershire sauce, a few drops of jalapeno sauce and garlic powder. Was fantastic, kids really enjoyed, “best sauce ever” was banded about.
Christine Pittman says
John, What a nice compliment. Thank you! I’m glad you guys liked it and your variations sound delicious.
Ingrid Kvalvik says
BBQ sauce must do things to some people. A few of these comments are a bit bizarre. I want to let you know that I tried your simple and easy BBQ sauce recipe on my ribs and they were simply to die for! Thanks again for taking the time to share it with us.
Christine Pittman says
Ingrid, Fantastic. Thanks for letting me know you liked it. (I’m not sure but maybe BBQ sauce is one of those things that is really personal – people like it a certain way and feel passionate about it. It’s definitely interesting to see what people have to say!).
Amy Garren says
I made it for my chicken tweaked a little. They loved it thank you so much.
Christine Pittman says
Amy, You’re welcome!
JP Colter says
It looks from the commons as if quite a few people like this recipe. I don’t. The ketchup taste is way too pronounced. To me a barbecue sauce must have vinegar, onions, garlic, and brown sugar at a minimum. Ketchup is a good at dishing to barbecue sauce but a barbecue sauce for me is best based in tomato sauce.
Crys Cassano says
Thank you SO much for posting this simple, basic recipe, Christine! I was serving a vegetarian meal and wanted BBQ Chick-n-Strips (Gardein); I didn’t like the ingredients of many prepared BBQ sauces (high fructose corn syrup, for starters), so I went in search of a simple recipe and came upon yours (with all the wonderful comments left with variations galore!). I doubled the catsup (3 cups), mustard (1/2 cup), and brown sugar (1 cup), then added 1 Tbsp. of molasses, 2 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp. garlic powder, and 2 tsp. liquid natural smoke flavoring. That made enough to cover 8 bags of the Chick-n-Strips generously, and my guests licked the casserole clean and came asking for more! Even some who weren’t BBQ enthusiasts came back for seconds. So, thanks a million, once again!
Christine Pittman says
You’re welcome, Crys. Thanks so much for letting me know!
fernand van vlokhoeven says
I use concentrated tomatoes as ketchup is part of my anti American activity, on the other hand I use JD Black and Dijon mustard Amora brand. thanks much.
Melissa Struss says
Can this be used as a dipping sauce? Does it have ro be put on meat and be cooked?
Christine Pittman says
Melissa, It doesn’t require cooking and can be used as a dip.
SueJean Heinz says
Love the recipe!
I always seem to have way more ketchup on hand than barbecue sauce. It makes me wonder why I bother buying ketchup when my “cowboy” is always reaching for the other anyway. This gives me the perfect way to use up all that ketchup!!
Thanks!
Kelsey says
Can this be canned and stored? Even if you add other ingredients to it? Well so long as they are not dairy based that is. LOL
Christine Pittman says
Kelsey, it depends on the other ingredients. If everything is shelf stable, it will keep in the fridge for awhile for sure.
Malvin M Johnson says
i had never made homemade sauce before and decided to surprise my family….so l found this recipe and followed it to the dot….believe you me the sauce was sticky,,tangy and sweet the balance was on point and we ended up eating the whole chicken thats how nice it was
Dawud says
Hi
I just wanted to thank you for giving me the basics
of BBQ sauce. My wife will be surprised when gets home!
Steve says
I was making a Pulled Chicken Barbeque when I discovered I did not have any Barbecue Sauce in the pantry. I Googled Easy Homemade Barbecue Sauce and found your recipe. All I can say is, Why did I not try this sooner?!?! I used the basic recipe with Dark Brown Sugar. I then added Worcestershire Sauce, Soy Sauce, a drizzle of Maple Syrup, a teaspoon each of Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Paprika and Fresh Ground Black Peppercorns then blended and chilled the mixture. Wow! It is absolutely amazing! :)
Christine Pittman says
Steve, fantastic! So happy you liked it and your added ingredients sound amazing!!
Angela P. says
I found this recipe on a google search! It took me a few tries to get the right mix of things to go into it! Finally after like 3 tries,I found that it was best for me and my family to use only 1 c. ketchup and to add to this recipe;
1 tsp- Spice Supreme Chili Powder
1 tsp- Blazin Blends Garlic & Pepper
1 tsp- McCormick Onion Powder
1/4 c. Mrs. Butterworth’s Syrup
I plane on using it on my chicken legs that my son love to have! So, Thank you, Christine,for your recipe!
Sharon says
Thank you, thank you! The recipe came in handy. Just like the rest had cook my chicken breast & thought I had barbecue sauce but no sauce in cabinet. I was ready to eat so I Google & I found this site recipe quick & easy & I added Worcestershire sauce & molasses. Great recipe!
Christine Pittman says
Thanks Sharon! So happy you liked it!
Lilla says
I’ve been looking for a quick and easy BBQ sauce recipe and I was so happy to have come across yours. My only question is.. for how many lbs of chicken is this BBQ sauce good for? I’m having a small get together and plan on using 4,5lbs of chicken. Can’t wait to try this at home.
Christine Pittman says
Lilla, I find it easier to think of it as sauce per piece of chicken. You’ll need about 2 tablespoons of sauce per piece of chicken. There are 16 tablespoons in a cup and the recipe makes 2 cups so you’ll have 32 tablespoons, or enough for 16 pieces of chicken. If you like it really saucy, then you could say 3 tablespoons of sauce per piece of chicken, in which case it would cover about 11 pieces of chicken.
Stacie Prater says
Hmmm I did as instructed and mine tastes more like ketchup.
Christine Pittman says
Stacie, It should taste tangier and sweeter than ketchup. If you want a more distinctive taste and darker color, you can go with molasses instead of honey. And go in with a good drip of Worcestershire sauce and a dash of hot sauce.
Dario Clarke says
i just want to know if its mustard powder or the finished product
Christine Pittman says
Dario, The finished product. Plain yellow mustard like you put on hot dogs at the ball park.
Tammy McClary says
How much worchester sauce to add
Christine Pittman says
Tammy, Just a couple of drops. Then taste. Add more if you’d like. It is potent stuff though so a little at a time is key.
MaryJo N Kraft says
So you just mix it all together- no need to cook it, right?
Christine Pittman says
MaryJo, Correct. Just mix and use.
Natasha says
I just stumbled across your recipe and am about to glaze my chicken with it. Yep, I too thought I had BBQ sauce, there is a snow storm, and the closest store is 30-45 minutes one way so this will have to work :D Can’t wait from all the awesome reviews. I plan to tweak just a smidgen with extra garlic and perhaps a little Worcestershire
Christine Pittman says
Natasha, Happy to help. I hope you liked it and your tweaks sound great!
Nena says
So glad I found this recipe. I am making bbq pulled pork and didn’t have enough sauce so I made this recipe with chili powder garlic powder seasoning salt and a little soy sauce. Turned out perfect. Now its in with the pork and heating up. Thank you for the recipe. You saved me from having to try to get to the store in my power chair with 6 inches of snow to fight through.
Christine Pittman says
Nena, So happy to help and I’m delighted that you liked it.
Joan brown says
I Wanted to do a homemade bbq sauce so searching the net I found yours and gave it a try. Well my visitors just loved it and wanted to know how I made it. I was almost gonna take the credit? I did it with spare ribs chops. It was absolutely delicious. Thanks very much for posting your receipt. Next time I’ll try it on chicken. No more bottled or packed bbq for me.
Ps. I did write out your receipt for my friend to try.
Jacynda Peterson says
Thanks so much for this recipe!!! The food was already in the grill and i was beginning to panic!! Tastes sooooo good, only i used more honey and added garlic and herbs <3
Christine Pittman says
So happy you liked it, Jacynda!
Denise Abney says
Can you use white sugar instead of brown sugar. What if you have no honey?
Christine Pittman says
I think white sugar would work. Use a bit less and then taste and see. Molasses works too.
Micka says
Hi, I would like my BBQ chicken to look more dark red than orange. What can I add to make it look redder? Would paprika or some dark soy sauce work?
Christine Pittman says
Yes, either of those would work. Molasses is another option.
Missy says
Hello! Can you tell which type of mustard you use? Thanks in advance!
Christine Pittman says
Missy, I used yellow mustard and I edited the recipe to say so. I’m sorry about that. I do think you could use any kind of mustard though, except perhaps a really spicy one. You’d put in much less if it was hot.
SHIRLEY WILKES says
I WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF STORE BOUGHT BBQ SAUCE AND DECIDED TO SEARCH FOR A RECIPE WHEN I CAME ACROSS YOURS TODAY. I MADE IT A FEW MINUTES AGO AND WAS SHOCKED BY THE TASTE. IT’S GOING ON MY RIBS IN THE SMOKER THIS AFTERNOON. THANKS SO MUCH FOR POSTING YOUR RECIPE BECAUSE I WON’T BE BUYING BBQ SAUCE ANYMORE.
Christine Pittman says
Shirley, I’m so happy that you like it so much. Thanks for letting us know! And now I really wish I was eating ribs…
Indra Salama says
Thanx a million will try the bbq sauce this weekend
Christine Pittman says
You’re welcome!
Zoe says
Thank you, thank you for this simple recipe. Like everyone else I thought I had a bottle of bbq sauce. This easy recipe saved the day and I now know how to have a batch ready always. I added lemon pepper, grated garlic and paprika. As we say in Hawaii, soooo ONO! Aloha!
Christine Pittman says
Zoe, I’m delighted to have saved the day. Glad you liked it!
Peaches says
Hi there…I adore your site, and all the feedback you give to the feedback you get is oh so thoughtful and generous !!!! You are kind and it is obvious you love what you are for doing here on this site…..I am impressed !!!! I appreciate you !!!! I am however having a bit of trouble signing up to “belong” to your site and I would like to be a part of your sister site as well….you have my permission to sign me up for both ….please and thank you…
([email protected])
Christine Pittman says
Peaches, I have signed you up for both. You should get emails looking for confirmation. Check your inbox and if it’s not there, look in your trash and spam folders. They shouldn’t go there but you never know. Thank you for your kind words.
Kati Jones says
Thank you! My friend has Hosimotos and so can’t have store BBQ sauce as many sneak gluten in with molasses. I was able to make a really delicious sauce after messing around.
I added minced onion, 1/2 tbsp chilli powder, salt and pepper, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2/4 cups honey, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1/2 tbsp garlic powder. Mixed it all in and it’s really good. Savoury and sweet. :)
Christine Pittman says
Kati, That sounds delicious. I’m going to give it a try soon!
Kim Fichtner says
Best recipe! Very easy to make! Thank you! Using this for pork chops in slow cooker.
Christine Pittman says
Thanks Kim. Really happy you like it. It’s a favorite around here too!
K. Dan says
I love this simple recipe! I added a splash of lemon, a tablespoon of white, and a dash of worsteshire sauce. It was great!
Christine Pittman says
So happy you liked it. Love your tweaks!
Bridgette says
Can the dry mustard be used?
Christine Pittman says
Bridgette, Not for the full amount of mustard called for in the recipe. Dry mustard is too spicy for that. You could experiment using the amounts of ketchup and honey listed. Then add the dry mustard 1 teaspoon at a time, stir and taste. If you try it, let us know how it turns out.
Jean says
How many cups of sauce for 100 little meatballs
Christine Pittman says
Jean, I’m not really sure. What I would do is make one batch of sauce and see how many meatballs that covers. Then calculate how many batches you need to cover the rest of the meatballs from there.
Kelley burleaon says
Going to try this with bbq chicken breasts in the ovwn
Lisa says
Do you think this would be good on boneless ribs.
Christine Pittman says
Lisa, yes, definitely!
Jennifer Lamkin says
You just saved me!! Thought I had some bbq sauce in the pantry and I didnt. The chicken wings were already in the oven. I was panicking until I found this recipe. I made it and wow!! I’ll neverr opt for store bought sauce again! Thank you!!
Christine Pittman says
Jennifer, I’m so happy I could help. Thanks for letting me know!
Coral says
I just have ketchup, garlic, sat, pepper and honey.. Without mustard, works?
Christine Pittman says
You could try. I’d add in some vinegar maybe.
jenna says
This is great. Thanks. If I use sweet and sour sauce instead of regular ketchup, will it do?
Christine Pittman says
Jenna, Yes, I think that will work. If you try it, let me know how it goes.
Patrick Scott says
I’ll never buy BBQ sauce from the store again ,, now that I can make my own with these simple ingredients, plus I can customise it to what ever food I’m cookin..
Christine Pittman says
Patrick, so so happy you liked it. Thanks for letting me know!
Judy Wilson says
I’m surprised by how simple this barbecue sauce recipe is. I didn’t know that all it takes to make sauce the right way is with ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, and salt. I’ve always thought that it required a secret ingredient, so it’s good to see that barbecue sauce actually requires pretty simple ingredients.
momz says
Just what I was looking for. I am going to try for dinner with some ribs in oven. :)
Debbie Stratton says
Great starting sauce can spice it up so many ways. I added chopped onions, peppers and garlic. I added cumin and tyme.
Christine Pittman says
Debbie, So glad you like it. Love your additions!
Daria Tarrant says
Mary, I’ve always been looking for a simple BBQ Sauce recipe but could never find one. Thank you for posting this it’s the simplest one I’ve ever seen. I’m going to try it tonight.
Thanks again,
Daria.
Mary Frances says
Barbecue sauce is one of my favorite sauces. Especially with chicken! I shall try this out this week. Looks easy to make and tasty!