My homemade southern bbq sauce recipe is absolutely perfect for pulled pork. It's a sweet sauce with savory undertones that make it absolutely delicious. It's thin enough to drizzle but thick enough to dunk and I know you're going to love it.
Why You'll Love it
This delicious Southern Homemade Barbecue Sauce will easily become a staple in your household.
Of course, you could buy a perefectly good BBQ sauce at any grocery store in the country. Because let's be real, they have about a million different sauces out there these days--But y'all this sauce hits different!
Unlike the South Carolina and North Carolina BBQ sauces, who are known for their tangy thin sauce, this one is definitely on the thicker sauce side of the spectrum.
And although I love a Carolina Vinegar BBQ sauce, I often crave something that's sweet, tangy, majorly savory and sometimes, depending on my mood, spicy.
So when it comes to Texas sauces, with their beautiful slightly sweet sauce and tomato-y undertones, I gravitate towards it. And the same goes for Kansas city, and their iconic sauce known for its thickness and mostly sweet flavors.
The best way to describe my original recipe is that it balances out the sweet and savory notes really well. The end result is a perfectly balanced sauce that lies somewhere between a thin sauce and a thicker sauce. You can drizzle or dunk - whatever you like!
But for real, your taste buds will crave Its bold, sweet, and tangy flavor. And i honestly won't be surprised when when you fall in love because it's a damn good sauce.
And if it's your first time making my shiny new sauce recipe, you'll love how it's an easy recipe that uses a few simple ingredients in a short amount of time.
Let's get to it and make my southern bbq sauce recipe, shall we?!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here's what you'll need to make the best BBQ sauce.
- Ketchup: Ketchup is the base of my sauce and the most prominent of the wet ingredients. You could use Tomato Sauce but it won't have the same flavors as my easy recipe. If you can, try to stick to ketchup because it's already got so many good underlying flavors.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: If you don't have apple cider vinegar, you could use red wine vinegar. You could also use rice wine vinegar but the sweet flavors might be a bit overpowering. Lemon juice is also another way to get that zippiness but it's probably the last one of the acidic ingredients I'd recommend.
- Brown Sugar: Doesn't matter if you use light brown or dark brown sugar
- Honey: There's something about mixing honey with brown sugar that just tastes so magical. If you didn't have honey, you could swap it for other sweet ingredients like a little bit of syrup or molasses. But I don't recommend it.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Worcestershire sauce is the secret ingredient in my sauce that takes it from meh to YEAH! It adds the perfect savory undertones that balance out the sweet flavors of everything else.
- Yellow Mustard: You could swap yellow mustard for dijon mustard, jalapeno honey mustard, or another grainy style mustard.
- Smoked Paprika: This is another ingredient that adds smoked meat undertones. If you didn't have smoked paprika, you could use liquid smoke but I think the smoked paprika is better!
- Garlic Powder: If you don't have garlic powder, you could swap it for onion powder.
- Kosher Salt: If you're not using kosher salt, you'll want to use less since the other salts taste more "salty".
- Optional: If my kids aren't eating it, I love adding some spicy ingredients to turn this homemade barbecue sauce into a fiery spicy barbecue sauce. To get that perfect spicy sauce, I love adding chipotle pepper, sriracha sauce, and /or tobasco sauce. You could also add red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, black pepper or even chili powder.
How to make it
- Add Ingredients: In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients over medium heat. Stir well to combine, making sure the sugar is dissolved.
- Simmer & Thicken: Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Let the sauce simmer gently for about 15-20 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally, to allow the flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken slightly.
- Taste & Adjust: Taste the southern bbq sauce recipe and adjust the seasonings to your preference. If you want it spicier, you can add more spicy ingredients.
- Cool it: Once the sauce reaches your desired consistency and flavor, take it off the burner and let it cool slightly before using it.
- Use or Store it: If not using it right away, place in an airtight container, mason jar, or squirt bottle to store.
What goes with it
There are lots of ways to enjoy this southern homemade bbq sauce, so here are some more of my personal favorites
If you haven't had my Slow Cooker Dr Pepper Pulled pork, then it's time to change that! Drizzling this delicious sweet sauce drizzled over Pulled Pork Sandwiches is a dream come true. Just follow my easy recipe and add a pork shoulder (or boston butt) to a crock pot or slow cooker. After a few hours, you'll have everything you need for a sensational pulled pork sandwich or tons of pulled pork sliders. I also love pairing this great recipe with a little bit of tangy coleslaw!
You can also slather this delicious recipe all over my instant pot pork ribs, grilled pork chops, or a bbq'd pork tenderloin. For sides, try my air fryer french fries and my mom's creamy macaroni salad.
Next time, be sure to try this homemade bbq sauce in my BBQ Chicken Salad recipe, too.
Other Fun Sauces to try
If you mastered my homemade southern bbq sauce and want more. Or if you like making your own sauce, here are a few of my best sauces that you'll love!!
- Shake Shack Sauce Recipe (Copycat Burger Sauce)
- Easy Creamy Sriracha Sauce Recipe (Only 3 Ingredients)
- White Garlic Sauce Recipe for Shawarma (Cava Lebanese Toum)
- Shake Shack Sauce Recipe (Copycat Burger Sauce)
- Smashburger Sauce
- How to Make the Best Spicy Mayo Sauce Recipe for Sushi
Recipe
Homemade Southern BBQ Sauce Recipe (for Pulled Pork)
Equipment
- Sauce Pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup Ketchup
- ½ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- ¾ cup Brown Sugar
- ¼ cup Honey
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Yellow Mustard
- 1 tablespoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- Optional: Hot sauce or cayenne pepper for added heat adjust to taste
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients over medium heat. Stir well to combine, making sure the sugar is dissolved.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low.
- Let the sauce simmer gently for about 15-20 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally, to allow the flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken slightly.
- Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings to your preference. If you want it spicier, you can add more spicy ingredients.
- Once the sauce reaches your desired consistency and flavor, take it off the burner and let it cool slightly before using it.
- If not using it right away, place in an airtight container, mason jar, or squirt bottle to store.
