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Wicked Basic BBQ Sauce Recipe

If you're making your first BBQ sauce, start here. It's sweet, a little tangy, a little smoky, and has that traditional tomato-base that most people enjoy.
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By Dylan Clay
January 20, 2025
basic bbq sauce recipe

Ingredients for this Sauce

  • 1 cup Chicken Broth
  • 1/2 Cup Heinz Tomato Ketchup
  • 1/4 Cup Molasses
  • 1 Small Vidalia Onion, chopped
  • 1 Stalk of Celery, chopped thin
  • 1 Tbsp Grey Poupon Brown Mustard
  • 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 tsp Dark Chili powder
  • 1 tbsp Caster Sugar
  • 1 tsp Diamond crystal kosher salt

In a Pot over Medium Heat, Add 1 Tbsp of Neutral Oil

Take 1 small (and I do mean small) vidalia onion and give it a rough chop.

Take 1 stalk of celery, remove ends and then fine chop.

Allow the onion and celery to cook until translucent and fragrant ~5 mins.

Then Add the Rest of the Ingredients

Bring to a slight simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Stir occasionally – every minute or so.

DO NOT boil this sauce, if you see it “frothing” your heat is too high, lower it.

Use a Fine Mesh Sieve to Remove the Onion and Celery

You could opt to leave them in but the flavor of both will be more punchy; I want them in the background.

Save these for later – they’re delicious.

If you do opt to leave them, let the sauce cool and then use an immersion blender to bring everything together.

filtering onions and celery from bbq sauce with a mesh sieve

Wicked Basic BBQ Sauce

If you're making your first BBQ sauce, start here. It's sweet, a little tangy, a little smoky, and has that traditional tomato-base that most people enjoy.
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup Chicken Broth
  • 1/2 Cup Heinz Tomato Ketchup
  • 1/4 Cup Molasses
  • 1 small Vidalia Onion rough chopped
  • 1 stalk Celery (ends removed) sliced thin
  • 1 Tbsp Grey Poupon Brown Mustard
  • 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 tsp Dark Chili powder
  • 1 tbsp Caster Sugar
  • 1 tsp Diamond crystal kosher salt

Instructions

  • Take a small vidalia onion and rough chop it.
  • Take a stalk of celery, remove the ends and then slice thin.
  • To a pot add 1 tbsp of a neutral oil (I used olive oil).
  • Add your sliced and chopped veg and cook until translucent and fragrant – roughly 5 minutes.
  • Then add your other ingredients – whisk together until well combined.
    1 cup Chicken Broth, 1/2 Cup Heinz Tomato Ketchup, 1/4 Cup Molasses, 1 Tbsp Grey Poupon Brown Mustard, 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar, 2 tbsp Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce, 1 tbsp Caster Sugar, 1 tsp Diamond crystal kosher salt, 1 tsp Dark Chili powder
  • Allow to simmer for 15 minutes – DO NOT BOIL.
    If you see "frothing" in the sauce, the heat is do high. If you see a light popping, you're good to go.
    Stir every minute or so.
  • Once at your desired consistency, take a fine mesh sieve or similar strainer and remove the onions and celery.
    Optional: Leave the veg, allow the sauce to cool and then use an immersion blender to combine it.
  • Transfer to a mason jar or similar storage container, allow to cool and then store in your refrigerator for later.
    Use within 2 weeks.

Notes

If you like more tang, add 1 tbsp of ACV.
If you like it sweeter, add 1 tbsp of Caster Sugar.
If you don’t have caster sugar, use regular granulated white sugar.

Other Notes for People Who Might Care

The reason for the dark chili powder is because it’s a way to add smokiness that most people like in BBQ sauce without using Liquid smoke.

If all you have is regular chili powder, you could opt to add some smoked paprika instead.

The reason for the fresh ingredients like celery and onion is because the sauce tastes better (instead of using onion powder or celery seed or salt).

This is the same reason I use chicken broth instead of water (and it’s cheap).

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