Holly's Homestead — Recipe
Homemade BBQ Sauce
A smoky, sticky barbecue sauce built on tomato, brown sugar and spice
DIFFICULTY Easy
COURSE Sauce
CUISINE Australian
COURSE Sauce
CUISINE Australian
Prep
10 min
Cook
20 min
Total
30 min
Serves
24
Freezes well
Yes
A batch this size may need an extra 5-10 minutes of simmering to thicken properly - there's more liquid to reduce relative to the pot's surface area.
01Ingredients
- 250ml tomato sauce (see our homemade recipe)
- 60g brown sugar
- 60ml apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp molasses or treacle
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp English mustard
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
02Method
- Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and whisk until smooth.
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat.
- Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring often, until thick and glossy.
- Taste and adjust with more vinegar, sugar or cayenne. Cool, then pour into a clean jar or bottle.
03Notes & substitutions
- Use our homemade tomato sauce as the base, or any good tomato sauce.
- Add a teaspoon of liquid smoke for a stronger barbecue flavour.
- Replace half the brown sugar with honey or maple syrup.
- Brush on meat in the last 10 minutes of cooking so the sugar does not burn.
04Common mistakes
- Brushing it on too early — the sugar burns on a hot grill; apply it near the end.
- Cooking at a hard boil — it spits and scorches; keep it at a gentle simmer.
- Using a thin sauce base — it will take much longer to thicken.
05Storage & leftovers
Fridge
Up to 1 month in a sealed jar.
Freezer
Up to 6 months in small containers.
Marinating
Keep a portion separate from raw meat to use as a dipping sauce.