Homemade BBQ sauce without ketchup is a tangy tomato–paste–based sauce made with apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, honey, and BBQ seasoning. It’s ready in about 10 minutes and works for everything from pulled pork to grilled chicken. After making it once, it’s hard to go back to store-bought. You get better flavor, fewer unnecessary ingredients, and the ability to adjust it exactly how you like.
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We use this sauce on everything from oven-baked BBQ boneless chicken thighs to our Dutch oven pulled pork recipe. It’s also great spooned over a burger when you want something with a little more bite than ketchup.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
This sauce uses just five ingredients, and most of them are already in your pantry.
The complete ingredient list and measurements are listed in the printable recipe below.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: This is what gives the sauce its backbone. Apple cider vinegar adds brightness and that sharp tang you get in a good vinegar-based BBQ sauce without making it taste flat or one-dimensional.
- Tomato Paste: We used tomato paste rather than ketchup, which keeps the sauce from being too sweet and gives it a deeper, more concentrated tomato flavor. If you want a thinner sauce, whisk in a few tablespoons of water to loosen it.
- Worcestershire Sauce: This adds umami depth and a savory layer, rounding out the acidity from the vinegar. The brand doesn’t matter much here. Just don’t skip it.
- Honey: We used honey rather than brown sugar or molasses to keep the sweetness clean and balanced. It caramelizes well on the grill and doesn’t make the sauce cloying. If you prefer a slightly smokier sweetness, a tablespoon of molasses can be stirred in without throwing off the rest of the recipe.
- BBQ Seasoning: The BBQ seasoning blend does the heavy lifting for spice and smokiness. We used ¼ cup of our homemade BBQ seasoning, which gives the sauce a bold, spicy flavor. Scale it back if you prefer something milder, or add a pinch of cayenne for a spicy homemade BBQ sauce. You can also use your favorite store-bought BBQ seasoning.
How to Make Homemade BBQ Sauce
Here are the quick, step-by-step instructions with visuals; you can find the full instructions, including the exact ingredients, in the recipe card below.
Pro-tip: Let the sauce simmer for at least 5 minutes after combining. This gives the vinegar a chance to mellow slightly and the flavors time to come together.
1. Combine the Ingredients: In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and honey. Whisk everything together until smooth.
2. Add the Seasoning: Stir in the BBQ seasoning and continue whisking to incorporate it fully. Taste and adjust as needed. Add more honey if it’s too sharp, or a splash more vinegar if it tastes flat.
3. Simmer: Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the sauce simmer for 5–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly and the flavors come together.
4. Cool and Use: Remove from heat. Use immediately or let it cool completely before transferring to a jar or airtight container. The sauce thickens further as it cools.
Ways to Use Homemade BBQ Sauce
From the grill to the oven to a grilled cheese dipping sauce, it’s the one condiment we always have in the refrigerator.
Pulled Pork – Stir it into our Dutch oven pulled pork while the meat is still warm, then use it all week on pulled pork sliders with coleslaw, a loaded BBQ pulled pork baked potato, and southern pulled pork mac and cheese.
Ribs – Brush on during the last 15 minutes of cooking so the sauce thickens and caramelizes without burning. It sets into a sticky finish that clings to the bone.
Chicken – Use it on BBQ spatchcock chicken, oven-baked BBQ boneless chicken thighs, or brushed over a grilled turkey breast in the final few minutes on the grill.
Burgers – Swap it in for ketchup on a Classic Texas Burger.
Pizza – Use in place of traditional pizza sauce for BBQ chicken pizza or pulled pork pizza. Spread a thin layer over the dough before adding cheese and toppings.
Grilled Cheese Dipping Sauce – Serve it alongside a pulled pork grilled cheese or BBQ chicken grilled cheese for a pairing that works better than you’d expect.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: This sauce can be made up to a week in advance. It improves after a day or two in the refrigerator as the flavors settle.
How to Store: Once cooled, transfer to an airtight jar or container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Taste as you go. The balance between sweet, tangy, and savory is personal. After simmering, taste the sauce and make any necessary flavor adjustments before removing it from the heat. A little more honey dials back the sharpness, and a little more vinegar cuts through if it tastes too sweet.
- Simmer low and slow. High heat can cause the sauce to scorch quickly, especially with tomato paste as the base. Keep the heat at medium-low and stir occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.
- To thicken the sauce, keep simmering. If the sauce looks too thin after 5 minutes, let it cook for a few more minutes uncovered. It continues to thicken as it cools, so pull it off the heat before it looks fully done.
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Homemade BBQ Sauce Without Ketchup
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Equipment
- Small Saucepan (1-2 Quarts)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ¼ cup homemade BBQ seasoning
Instructions
- Combine the tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until smooth.
- Add the BBQ seasoning and whisk until fully incorporated.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors come together.
- Remove from heat. Use immediately or cool completely before storing.
