Honey BBQ Sauce Recipe (2024)

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posted by Jenniferon Aug 25, 20230 comments »

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Are you ready to take your BBQ and grilling to the next level? Then you’ve simply got to try this honey BBQ sauce recipe. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and tangy with just a hint of heat with more flavor than any bottled sauce. You’re going to love it.

Honey BBQ Sauce Recipe (1)

Table of contents

  • Why You’ll Love This Honey BBQ Sauce!
  • Ingredients
  • How To Make Honey BBQ Sauce
  • Serving Suggestions
  • Recipe FAQ
  • Storing

Why You’ll Love This Honey BBQ Sauce!

  • Stir and heat! That’s all it takes to make homemade BBQ sauce.
  • So versatile. Making it yourself means you can adjust ANY of the ingredients to make a BBQ sauce you love.
  • Tastes way better than store-bought sauce.
  • Convenient homemade condiment. This BBQ sauce recipe goes with a wide range of dishes!

Ingredients

Homemade honey BBQ sauce is made using 100% pantry staple ingredients. My guess is you have most, if not all of them in your pantry right now! Let’s take a closer look at what you need.

Honey BBQ Sauce Recipe (2)
  • Ketchup: Our tomato base for this homemade BBQ sauce.
  • Honey: Sweetens and provides its unique flavor to this BBQ sauce.
  • White vinegar: Gives the sauce it’s signature tang which balances out the sweetness in the honey, molasses, and ketchup.
  • Molasses: Infuses the BBQ sauce with its hints of smoke, deep caramel, and subtle fruity flavor.
  • Spices: Cumin powder, paprika, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder give the sauce more depth of flavor and more interesting notes making it taste so good!
  • Cayenne pepper: We’re adding only enough to give the sauce a bit of zing.
  • Worcestershire sauce: Just a bit to bring all the flavors together. It adds that simple touch of umami flavor.

How To Make Honey BBQ Sauce

Making homemade BBQ sauce is way easier than you think. It goes together in just a couple simple steps and tastes way better than any bottled BBQ sauce.

Honey BBQ Sauce Recipe (3)
  1. Stir the ketchup, honey, vinegar, and molasses in a saucepan over medium heat until it’s smooth.
  2. Add the cumin, salt, black pepper, paprika, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and Worcestershire sauce to the pot.
  3. Stir everything together until it’s well mixed.
  4. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the sauce thickens. This usually takes about 20 minutes.

Tips & Variations

  • Spicy Honey Barbecue Sauce: If you’re looking to spice things up you can double the cayenne pepper or add a bit of Sriracha or other red pepper sauce.
  • Smoky Honey BBQ Sauce: For a smokier flavor you can add a few drops of liquid smoke or you can swap the paprika for smoked paprika.
  • Adjust the Flavors. You can make your barbecue sauce exactly the way you want so feel free to change up any of the measurements you want. Add more honey for more sweetness, more vinegar for a bit more tanginess, or any of the spices!

Serving Suggestions

BBQ sauce is one of my favorite condiments to keep on hand. I always have a batch in the fridge or freezer to use to add a punch of flavor to any meal. Here are some ideas for using your homemade honey BBQ sauce.

Crockpot Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Frozen Chicken Wings In Air Fryer
Frozen Chicken Breasts Air Fryer

Combine it with a bit of Ranch dressing to make a BBQ ranch to add to wraps, sandwiches, or for dipping fries. You can also mix some into my crockpot shredded chicken to make BBQ chicken meat for tacos, add it to a salad, or turn it into a sandwich.

Take your air fryer frozen burger up a notch by topping it with some BBQ sauce and crispy onions! For your next party, you definitely want to use it to make a batch of the best pulled pork sliders topped with coleslaw! So good.

Honey BBQ Sauce Recipe (7)

Recipe FAQ

Why do you put honey in BBQ sauce?

It’s main purpose is to add sweetness in order to balance out the vinegar and spices in the sauce. It also thickens the consistency of the BBQ sauce too.

Which ketchup is best for BBQ sauce?

Brands of ketchup taste different so they will each work a bit differently when making BBQ sauce. My favorite brand of ketchup is Heinz which is what I used in creating this recipe. You can use your favorite ketchup and adjust the other ingredients if needed to your tastes.

What does honey barbecue sauce taste like?

It’s balance of sweet, tangy, and savory though I find it tends to lean a bit more to the sweeter side of things.

Storing

  • Store. Your leftover BBQ sauce in the fridge in an airtight container or jar for up to a month.
  • Freeze. To extend it’s shelf-life store it in the freezer for up to three months. Sometimes I make a large batch and then portion it out into 1-cup servings to freeze separately. That way I can take out exactly what I need for a meal.
Honey BBQ Sauce Recipe (8)

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Honey BBQ Sauce Recipe (12)

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Servings: 2 Cups

Honey BBQ Sauce Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Are you ready to take your BBQ and grilling to the next level? Then you've simply got to try this honey BBQ sauce recipe. It's the perfect combination of sweet and tangy with just a hint of heat with more flavor than any bottled sauce. You're going to love it.

Print RecipePin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 cup ketchup
  • ½ cup honey
  • ¼ cup white vinegar
  • ¼ cup molasses
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

  • In a large saucepan over medium heat, stir ketchup, honey, vinegar, and molasses until smooth.

  • Add cumin, salt, black pepper, paprika, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until combined.

  • Reduce heat to low, and simmer until thickened about 20 minutes.

Notes

  • Spicy Honey Barbecue Sauce: If you’re looking to spice things up you can double the cayenne pepper or add a bit of Sriracha or other red pepper sauce.
  • Smoky Honey BBQ Sauce: For a smokier flavor you can add a few drops of liquid smoke or you can swap the paprika for smoked paprika.
  • Adjust the Flavors. You can make your barbecue sauce exactly the way you want so feel free to change up any of the measurements you want. Add more honey for more sweetness, more vinegar for a bit more tanginess, or any of the spices!

Serving: 1g, Calories: 517kcal, Carbohydrates: 136g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0.1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g, Sodium: 1715mg, Potassium: 1056mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 127g, Vitamin A: 934IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 128mg, Iron: 4mg

Cuisine: American

Course: Sauces

Author: Jennifer

Tried this recipe?Mention @deliciouslysprinkled on Instagram or tag #deliciouslysprinkled.

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published on Aug 25, 2023

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Honey BBQ Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is honey BBQ sauce made of? ›

Directions. Stir ketchup, honey, vinegar, and molasses together in a saucepan over medium heat until smooth; add liquid smoke, salt, black pepper, paprika, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.

How do I thicken honey barbecue sauce? ›

BBQ sauce can be thickened by boiling it to remove excess liquid, or you can add flour, cornstarch, or some fat to thicken it.

How can I make my BBQ sauce better? ›

To me, a good BBQ sauce has the right mix of smokiness, tanginess, sweetness, and spice. If your sauce isn't sweet enough, add some brown sugar or molasses. If the sauce isn't tangy enough, add some apple cider vinegar. If the sauce needs some heat, add your favorite hot sauce or red pepper.

Can you add honey to regular BBQ sauce? ›

Look no further than amping things up with honey. This sweet condiment is packed with loads of flavor, and it's the perfect balance for all those tangy ingredients. You should add honey if you aren't already making BBQ sauce with it.

Why do you put honey in BBQ sauce? ›

It's the perfect balance! Honey barbecue sauce differs from its other sauce friends in that it's less sour and slightly less tangy, while still offering a unique flavor profile. Plus, its sweetness and stickiness makes it as fun as it is tasty!

Does honey BBQ have honey in it? ›

Ingredients for Honey BBQ sauce : Tomato ketchup —-1 cup. Apple cider vinegar —- 1 cup. Honey —- 3/4 cup.

Is honey bbq sauce good? ›

The sweet honey BBQ sauce is very delicious. I like it on pork chops, chicken wings and ribs. The sauce makes a tender off the bone delicious taste. I recommend this BBQ sauce for a great tasting meat on the grill or oven.

How do you make BBQ sauce more liquid? ›

If it has a good strong flavor you could thin it with something complimentary like a little water, beer, or whiskey. If it needs a little acidity thin it with some vinegar or citrus juice and then balance that with some sugar or honey.

How do you make honey BBQ sauce less sweet? ›

You can use vinegar or a mixture of vinegar and water to reduce the sweetness. If you are using the sauce on pork, apple cidar vinegar would work nicely.

What thickens BBQ sauce? ›

How Do you Thicken Homemade BBQ Sauce?
  • Cook it down. The longer you cook it, the more it will reduce (or cook down), which will thicken the sauce.
  • You can use flour. Just add 2 tablespoons of flour to 1/4 cup of cold water. ...
  • Use cornstarch. Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water.

Why add apple cider vinegar to BBQ sauce? ›

Take a tip from North Carolina and look to vinegar—white vinegar, apple cider vinegar—as the key to great barbecue sauce, cutting its sweetness and lending a little tang. Or take a tip from South Carolina barbecue (we're not picking sides) and achieve the same effect with a generous dose of yellow mustard.

Is it worth making your own BBQ sauce? ›

Skip the store-bought stuff! Homemade barbecue sauce is delicious, incredibly versatile, and oh-so easy to make with pantry staples. Trust us — you're going to want to bookmark this top-rated recipe for classic barbecue sauce.

What's better honey BBQ or sweet BBQ? ›

A sweet, sassy sauce: Savor the flavor.

Honey BBQ wings are certainly better than Sweet BBQ, but they aren't noticeably spicier. It's more like what Sweet BBQ should be. Also, please don't put the word “sassy” in the description of a BBQ sauce.

Does honey BBQ taste like honey? ›

There's a strong sweetness in the first whiff of this sauce, but the profile leans in favor of molasses and tomato over honey initially. A deeper noseful does bring honey into the picture though, while also adding mild amounts of vinegar and garlic too.

What is the difference between golden and honey BBQ? ›

Golden BBQ - My mouth is confused.

There's a definitely "golden" sweetness, but it's hard to pinpoint. It's like a less-good honey barbecue with less pure sweetness and a little more of that BBQ tang.

What is BBQ sauce mostly made of? ›

The base ingredients of barbecue sauce usually include tomato sauce or ketchup, vinegar, and sweeteners, such as molasses or brown sugar. Other common ingredients include Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, onion powder, and various spices, which can include paprika, cumin, and chili powder.

Is honey BBQ the same as sweet BBQ? ›

Honey BBQ wings are certainly better than Sweet BBQ, but they aren't noticeably spicier. It's more like what Sweet BBQ should be.

Is honey sauce real honey? ›

But, presumably to cut even more costs in a competitive fast-food market, KFC doesn't actually serve real honey. Instead, it's "Honey Sauce," made from the ingredients many parents try to avoid: high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, and sugar.

Does honey BBQ sauce have sugar? ›

Ingredients: HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, WATER, TOMATO PASTE, DISTILLED VINEGAR, MOLASSES, SUGAR, HONEY, SALT, FOOD STARCH-MODIFIED, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF NATURAL FLAVORS, SODIUM BENZOATE AND POTASSIUM SORBATE (AS PRESERVATIVES), SPICES (INCLUDES MUSTARD), GARLIC*, CARAMEL COLOR, ONION*.

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