How to Make Great Homemade BBQ Sauce

Making a great barbeque sauce is a matter of creativity. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different spices and ingredients to come up with a unique and delicious sauce. Start with this basic recipe, then add your own flair to make it special.

You need

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil


• 1 onion, finely chopped


• 3 garlic gloves, minced


• 1 ½ cups ketchup


• ½ cup cider vinegar


• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce


• 1/3 cup sugar


• 1 tablespoon chili powder


• ½ teaspoon cayenne powder, or to taste


• Dash salt and pepper

1. Gather ingredients together on your work surface. The recipe will result in about 2½ cups, but can be twice that by doubling the ingredients.


2. Warm the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another two minutes, or until the onion is golden and the garlic is fragrant.


3. Add ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire and dry spices. Add sparingly on the cayenne powder, because the barbeque sauce gets hotter when it's added.


4. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Crack the pot lid, continuing cooking for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened.

Tips

• Be creative when adding ingredients. Barbeque sauce can be a ketchup or mustard based sauce. 


• Incorporate roasted peppers for spicy results, or roasted fruits such as mango, pineapple or papaya. 


• Roast fruits and vegetables at 425 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes. Let sauce cool slightly before handling if adding any fruit. 


• Roasted peppers can be placed in a paper sack and rubbed briskly. This loosens and starts to peel off the blackened skin.