How to Make BBQ Sauce Without Ketchup

Making delicious barbecue sauce from scratch is easier than you think. With just a few simple ingredients, you can create a sweet, tangy, and finger-licking good BBQ sauce without ketchup. From tomato-based sauces to vinegar-based Carolina style, we’ll cover multiple recipes to suit any palate. Read on to become a master BBQ sauce maker!

Why Make Homemade BBQ Sauce?

Homemade BBQ sauce has many advantages over store-bought:

• You control the ingredients – leave out preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, etc.
• Customize the flavor exactly how you like it – sweet, spicy, smoky.
• Impress guests with your own unique sauce creation.
• Sauce made from scratch tends to taste fresher.
• It’s inexpensive to whip up a batch with pantry staples.
• Fun weekend cooking project with kids – let them help mix.
• Allows you to adjust thickness, tanginess, sweetness, and spice level.

With just a few base ingredients like tomato paste, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and spices, you can create a perfect balanced BBQ sauce.

BBQ Sauce Without Ketchup

While ketchup is a traditional ingredient many associate with BBQ sauce, it’s easy to make delicious sauce without it. Ketchup adds tanginess, sweetness, color, and flavor, but those elements can come from other ingredients:

Ways to replace ketchup:

• Tomato paste – for richness, color, tomato flavor.
• Tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes – for fresh tomato taste.
• Vinegar – cider, white, rice, or balsamic impart tanginess.
• Molasses or brown sugar – for sweetness and caramelized notes.
• Worcestershire or soy sauce – for umami, depth of flavor.
• Spices and seasonings – smoked paprika, garlic, mustard powder, chili powder.
• Fruit purees – mango, pineapple, or apricot add sweetness.

With the right blend of the above, you can make an incredible sauce without any ketchup at all.

BBQ Sauce Ingredients

While recipes can vary widely, most good BBQ sauces contain a balanced blend of these components:

Tomato Product

Tomato paste, sauce, or crushed tomatoes provide the base along with vivid red-orange color and savory tomato flavor.

Sweetener

Brown sugar, honey, molasses, maple syrup, or fruit purees contribute a touch of sweetness to balance out acidity and spice.

Acidic Liquid

Vinegar, lemon juice, or citrus add bright tangy notes. Apple cider, white, rice, malt, or balsamic work well.

Seasonings

Garlic, onion, mustard, spices like black pepper, paprika, cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, allspice. Worcestershire or soy sauce are common too.

Thickener

Cornstarch, arrowroot powder, or flour helps achieve the desired thick, saucy texture.

Fat

Butter, olive oil, or bacon grease provides richness.

Smoke Flavor (optional)

Liquid smoke, smoked paprika, chipotle peppers, or actual smoked meat drippings.

BBQ Sauce Recipes Without Ketchup

Now let’s get into several amazing homemade barbecue sauce recipes you can make without ketchup!

Classic Sweet & Tangy BBQ Sauce

This easy recipe results in a sweet sauce with a nice kick of acidity perfect for slathering on ribs, chicken, pulled pork, or burgers.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup tomato paste
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
• 1 teaspoon each: chili powder, smoked paprika, salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, add oil, onions, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes until softened.
2. Stir in tomato paste until well combined. Add in remaining ingredients and 1/2 cup water.
3. Simmer sauce for 15-20 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove from heat and adjust seasonings as desired. Sauce can be used immediately or stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Carolina Vinegar-Based BBQ Sauce

This thin tangy vinegar-pepper sauce is excellent for pulled pork in the North Carolina style. The acidity cuts through the fat for delicious results.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions:

1. Whisk together all ingredients in a bowl until sugar and salt dissolve.
2. Let sit for 30 minutes for flavors to meld.
3. Use as sauce or simmer in a pan briefly to reduce down further if a thicker consistency is desired.

Texas-Style BBQ Sauce

Everything’s bigger in Texas, including the bold flavors in this sauce! Chili powder, cumin, and garlic give it Southwestern flair.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
• 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, add oil, onions, garlic, and jalapenos. Cook 5 minutes.
2. Add remaining ingredients and 1/4 cup water. Simmer 20 minutes until slightly thickened.
3. Adjust seasoning if needed. Use on ribs, sausage, brisket, and more!

Spicy Bourbon BBQ Sauce

This sauce packs some heat along with sweet molasses and smoky bourbon flavors. It’s excellent on grilled chicken wings.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup bourbon whiskey
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions:

1. In a saucepan, combine all ingredients and whisk well.
2. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer for 15-20 minutes, until thickened slightly.
3. Remove from heat and cool before using on chicken wings, pork chops, or shrimp.

Hawaiian BBQ Sauce

This tropical sauce flavored with pineapple, ginger, and soy is delicious on chicken, salmon, mahi mahi, or shrimp.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Instructions:

1. In a saucepan, whisk together all ingredients except cornstarch.
2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. In a bowl, dissolve cornstarch in 2 tsp water. Pour into sauce and stir to thicken.
4. Remove from heat. Cool and pour into an airtight container. Refrigerate up to 1 week.
5. Brush on proteins during the last 5-10 minutes of grilling.

Six More Delicious Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipes Without Ketchup

Looking for more variety? Here are 6 more tasty homemade barbecue sauce options with no ketchup required!

Memphis-Style BBQ Sauce

Tangy and slightly spicy, this tomato-based sauce is excellent on smoked pulled pork. Spike it with more cayenne if you like extra heat.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1-2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon each: garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper

Instructions:

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. For thicker sauce, simmer over low heat briefly to reduce.

Beer BBQ Sauce

The malty notes of beer pair wonderfully with the tangy tomatoes and molasses in this sauce. Great for grilled brats and sausages.

Ingredients:

• 1 (12 oz) bottle amber beer
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

1. In a saucepan, combine all ingredients over medium heat.
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.

Hoisin BBQ Sauce

For an Asian twist, try this sauce made with garlicky hoisin sauce and spices. It’s finger-licking good on ribs or chicken wings!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions:

1. Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Use immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.

Chipotle BBQ Sauce

Smoked chipotle peppers give this sauce a deep, earthy heat that’s balanced by tangy lime and honey.

Ingredients:

• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 3 tablespoons adobo sauce from chipotles
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 minced chipotle peppers
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1. Puree all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.
2. Transfer to a saucepan and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes until thickened slightly.

Dr Pepper BBQ Sauce

This sauce harnesses the unique cherry-vanilla flavor of Dr Pepper. Sweet and tangy – perfect for chicken or beef.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups Dr Pepper
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

1. In a saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes until thickened.

Jerk BBQ Sauce

Allspice, habanero peppers, and lime give this sauce bold Caribbean flavor. Ideal for grilled shrimp, chicken, or pork tenderloin.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon jerk seasoning
• 1 habanero pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Instructions:

1. Whisk together all ingredients in a saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Let cool completely before using on proteins.

Storing Homemade BBQ Sauce

Any leftover homemade barbecue sauce can easily be stored for future use. Here’s how to keep it at its best:

• Transfer sauce to an air-tight glass jar or container with a lid. Avoid metal containers which may react with acidic ingredients.
• Allow sauce to fully cool before sealing and storing.
• Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Sauce may also be frozen for several months.
• Before serving, bring back to room temperature and stir or shake to recombine any separated ingredients.
• For best quality, use within 4-6 months. Discard if mold develops.
• Consider canning sauce in sterilized jars for longer shelf life up to a year. Follow proper canning procedures.

Tips for the Best Homemade BBQ Sauce

With these handy tips, you’ll be an expert BBQ sauce maker in no time:

• Slow simmering builds the deepest, most complex flavors. Don’t rush it!
• Strike a balanced sweet-tangy-spicy profile. Tweak to your tastes.
• Adding umami boosters like Worcestershire and soy sauce adds savory depth.
• Spices and herbs provide warmth – go bold or subtle.
• Get creative with unique ingredients like coffee, beer, citrus, peppers, etc.
• Consistency can range from thin to thick and sticky – cook down more for a thicker texture.
• Lettuce the sauce rest overnight before using for fullest flavor.
• Brush sauce on proteins during the last few minutes of grilling to prevent charring.

Frequently Asked Questions About Homemade BBQ Sauce

What taste should barbecue sauce have?

Barbecue sauces can vary greatly, but well-balanced BBQ sauces often have a mix of sweet, tangy, spicy, and savory flavors. Common taste elements include a touch of sweetness from sugar or fruit, acidity from vinegars or citrus, warmth from spices, and depth from umami-rich ingredients. The exact blend comes down to regional styles and personal preference.

Do you need tomatoes for BBQ sauce?

Tomatoes are a very common ingredient, providing texture, color, flavor, and sweetness. But tomato-free sauces are also popular, especially in regions like North Carolina. You can make delicious sauces using ingredients like vinegar, Worcestershire, soy sauce, mustard, or fruit purees instead of tomatoes.

How thick should BBQ sauce be?

Preferred BBQ sauce thickness ranges from thin to thick:

• Thin: Vinagarette-like sauces to heavily coat. Often used for dipping.
• Medium: Pourable sauce that nicely coats food. The most common variety.
• Thick: Sticks well to food with minimal dripping. Often contains more tomato puree.
• Extra thick: Very sticky and syrupy sauce. Tends to caramelize onto proteins.

Cook down most sauces over low heat to reduce water content and thicken up. Or add cornstarch slurry for thickness without reducing volume.

How long does homemade BBQ sauce last?

Properly stored, homemade barbecue sauce lasts 2-4 weeks refrigerated, 6-8 months frozen, and up to a year canned. Keep sauce in airtight non-reactive containers. Discard if mold develops. Refrigerate after opening.

How do you know when BBQ sauce is done cooking?

Check sauce thickness, taste, and consistency as it simmers. It should coat the back of a spoon well. Test flavor and adjust sweetness, tang, spices. Sauce is done when it reaches desired texture and robust flavor develops, usually in 15-30 minutes.

What can I use instead of molasses in BBQ sauce?

Good molasses substitutes include:

• Honey – sweeter than molasses. Use 3/4 cup honey for every 1 cup molasses.
• Brown sugar – adds sweetness but less depth. Use 1 cup brown sugar for 1 cup molasses.
• Maple syrup – similar flavor profile to molasses. Use 3/4 cup for every 1 cup molasses.
• Corn syrup – doesn’t add the same richness, so also use brown sugar.
• White sugar – contributes sweetness but no complexity. Combine with spices and acid.

What is a good liquid smoke substitute?

To mimic smoky flavor without liquid smoke, try:

• Smoked paprika or chili powder
• Small amounts of bacon drippings
• Roasted/smoked tomato products like smoked tomato paste
• Sauteeing onions, garlic, spices in butter or oil until browned
• Using smoked sea salt
• Adding a splash of bourbon

Can I substitute yellow mustard for Dijon?

Yes, substitute yellow mustard in a 1:1 ratio when Dijon mustard is called for in barbecue sauce recipes. The flavor profile won’t be exactly the same, but the sauces will still taste great. Dijon is spicier and tangier than yellow.

Conclusion

Creating your own sensational barbecue sauce at home is simple with a few basic ingredients and easy recipes. By experimenting with different flavor combinations and personalized tweaks, you can craft the perfect sauce to complement your grilled meats, poultry, seafood and veggies. Whip up a big batch to have on hand all grilling season long. Get the whole family involved too – making homemade BBQ sauce is fun for everyone. Once you master a go-to sauce, try venturing into new recipes and making regional style sauces to find more favorites. The possibilities are endless, and there’s no need for ketchup at all!