Last Updated on May 12, 2022 by Karen
This Kansas City-style homemade BBQ sauce recipe is the perfect balance of tangy, smoky, and sweet flavors. It’s a classic that goes well on pulled pork, ribs, chicken, and more!
After living in Texas for a couple of years, we have a pretty high standard when it comes to barbecued foods. Recently, we got ourselves a smoker and have been cooking up all sorts of barbecued dishes. Brisket, pork, chicken wings, and even smoked corn! When you spend all that time cooking or grilling, you want to serve it with a rich barbecue sauce that will take your chicken, ribs, or whatever else you’re cooking up to the next level!
Have you ever tried making homemade BBQ sauce?
If you haven’t, I highly recommend you try to make your own BBQ sauce at least once. Once you make some from scratch, it’s not easy to go back to the storebought stuff and you’ll likely find yourself making your own sauce over and over again.
I’ve been making this Kansas City-style BBQ sauce recipe for a while, and it beats any bottled sauce I’ve tried. The flavors are amazing, so I usually keep a jar of it in my fridge. It’s super easy to make, too! Just add everything to a saucepan, stir, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Then you’ve got this amazing homemade BBQ sauce with tangy, smoky and slightly-sweet blend of flavors.
I use this sauce regularly on pulled pork, ribs, and brisket. It’s also great in baked beans and as a wing sauce. You can even get creative and use it on meatloaf, BBQ chicken pizza, burgers, and casseroles. There are so many ways to use homemade bbq sauce. So let’s make a batch!
Homemade BBQ Sauce ingredients
To make this Kansas City-Style homemade BBQ sauce recipe, you will need the following ingredients (the amounts are included in the full recipe below):
- Tomato sauce: One can of plain tomato sauce
- Apple cider vinegar: Adds some tang to the sauce.
- Honey: Honey adds a nice flavor to this BBQ sauce, but you could use maple syrup.
- Brown sugar: For the sweet flavor.
- Yellow mustard: You can substitute with 1 tsp ground mustard if you don’t have yellow mustard.
- Worcestershire sauce: Remember, regular Worcestershire sauce is not vegan.
- Liquid smoke: Use your favorite liquid smoke flavor. I like mesquite and hickory (I recommend Colgin)
- Spices: A combination of smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. You can add a pinch of cayenne pepper if you would like to give the sauce some heat.
How to make BBQ sauce
Once you have all of your ingredients ready, making this BBQ sauce is easier than you think.
- Combine ingredients in a saucepan and whisk until well blended.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer, then let it continue to simmer for 10 minutes or until it has thickened slightly. Let cool before serving.
That’s it! Let it cool and your sauce is ready for use in any of your favorite recipes.
Can you make this vegan?
Most Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies. You can substitute with a vegan version (such as Annie’s Organic Vegan Worcestershire sauce which is both plant-based and certified organic).
Can you make this gluten-free?
Worcestershire sauce may contain barley, so be sure to find a brand that is labelled gluten free (such as Lea & Perrins)
What are some variations on this BBQ sauce?
This BBQ sauce is delicious as is, but you can always tweak it so that it’s “just right” for the meal you’re serving it with:
- Add more honey or brown sugar to taste if you like it sweeter.
- Substitute the honey with a sugar-free sweetener of choice to make it low-carb.
- Add more liquid smoke to taste if you like it more smoky.
- Simmer the sauce for longer if you like it thicker for slathering on grilled meats.
- Add a bit of water to thin it out for a dip-like consistency.
Can you make this ahead of time?
You can make and use this sauce on the same day. But if you have time, it’s even better after letting it rest for 24 hours for the ingredients to meld together.
How do you store this sauce?
This sauce keeps well. Just store it in an airtight container (such as a wide-mouth mason jar) and it should last you at least two weeks in the refrigerator.
What are some ways to use the homemade BBQ sauce?
There are so many great ways to use this delicious sauce. Some of my favorites are:
- Grilled chicken, pulled pork, ribs, brisket, etc.
- Baked beans
- Burgers: use it as a burger sauce
- Meatloaf: use it as a glaze
- Pizzas: use it in place of pizza sauce
- Dipping sauce: for chicken nuggets, cocktail meatballs
The possibilities are endless!
Kansas City-Style BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 15- oz can tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup yellow mustard
- 2 tbsps Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsps liquid smoke
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together in a medium saucepan.
- Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and reduce to a simmer. Simmer (uncovered) for 10 minutes, or until the sauce has slightly thickened.
- Use the sauce immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
