Hickory BBQ Sauce
intro
Rich, smoky, tangy-sweet homemade hickory BBQ sauce, perfect for slathering on grilled ribs, chicken, and burgers, with deep wood-fired flavor that beats store-bought versions.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep and measure ingredients
Measure all ingredients into separate small prep bowls before starting to avoid burning or missed additions: 240ml tomato ketchup, 15ml liquid hickory smoke, 70g packed dark brown sugar, 60ml apple cider vinegar, 30g tomato paste, 30ml Worcestershire sauce, 15ml Dijon mustard, 2g smoked paprika, 3g garlic powder, 2.5g onion powder, 1g ground black pepper, and 3g fine sea salt.
Cook tomato paste base
Place a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan over medium-low heat (stovetop setting 3 out of 10). Add the measured tomato paste, and cook for 1 full minute, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, to deepen its sweet, roasted flavor before adding ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard, stirring to fully combine.
Add spices and hickory smoke
Stir the base mixture continuously until it just starts to form small bubbles around the pan edges, which takes approximately 3 minutes after adding the wet base ingredients. Next, stir in smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, sea salt, and liquid hickory smoke, mixing thoroughly to break up any dry spice clumps.
Simmer sauce to thicken
Reduce stovetop heat to low (setting 2 out of 10) to maintain a gentle, steady simmer (avoid a rolling boil, which can break the sauce and burn the sugars). Cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring thoroughly every 3 minutes to prevent sauce from sticking and burning on the pan bottom, until the sauce thickens enough to evenly coat the back of a wooden spoon.
Taste and adjust seasoning
Remove the saucepan from heat entirely. Taste the warm sauce and adjust seasoning as desired: add 5ml (1 tsp) extra brown sugar for more sweetness, 5ml (1 tsp) extra apple cider vinegar for brighter tang, or 1.25ml (1/4 tsp) extra hickory smoke for deeper smoky flavor. Let the sauce rest in the pan for 10 minutes to cool slightly, as it will thicken further as it cools.
Store or serve sauce
For immediate use, brush the warm sauce onto grilled ribs, chicken, burgers, or pulled pork during the last 5 minutes of cooking to allow the sugars to caramelize without burning. For storage, pour fully cooled sauce into a sterilized 500ml glass mason jar with a tight-sealing lid, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Tips
2.For an ultra-smooth, restaurant-style consistency, blend cooled sauce for 30 seconds with an immersion blender before storing to eliminate tiny spice clumps.
3.Only brush sauce onto grilled meats during the last 5 minutes of cooking; applying it too early causes sugars to burn before the meat finishes cooking.
Made this last night for smoked ribs and OMG it was SO good. Way better than the store bought hickory sauce I’ve been buying for years. Took no time at all to throw together, will be my go-to from now on.
Took this to my neighborhood potluck last weekend and everyone was asking for the recipe! I added a tiny extra splash of apple cider vinegar because I like a little more tang, and it was perfect. Game changer for summer cookouts.
Wait, do I have to use hickory liquid smoke? I only have mesquite on hand right now, will that mess up the flavor too much?
My kids loved this! I was worried the hickory flavor would be too strong for them but it was perfectly balanced, they dipped every single chicken nugget in it at dinner last night. Even my picky 7 year old asked for seconds of sauce.
How long does this stay good in the fridge? I want to make a big batch on Sunday to use for pulled pork, chicken thighs, and even burger toppings all week.
I followed the recipe exactly and it was way too sweet for my taste. Anyone else cut back on the brown sugar? Thinking of trying again with 2 tbsp less next time.
SO easy! I’m a total beginner at making sauces from scratch and this came out perfect on the first try. No fancy ingredients, cooked up in 25 minutes exactly like the recipe said, 10/10.
Made this for our college football tailgate last Saturday and people were putting this on everything – brats, burgers, even the potato chips! Absolute home run, will be making a double batch for the next game.
Can I can this sauce to store on the shelf? I have a ton of tomato sauce left from my garden and want to stock up on BBQ sauce for the winter.
Wait, the cook time says 25 minutes – is that just simmering time? Do I need to let it cool before using it, or can I toss it on wings right after it’s done cooking?
This tastes exactly like the hickory BBQ sauce my dad used to make when I was a kid! I’ve been chasing that flavor for 40 years and I finally found it. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Used this as a baste for my smoked brisket over the weekend and it was chef’s kiss. The hickory flavor didn’t overpower the smoke from the smoker, it just complemented it perfectly. My brother in law said it’s the best brisket he’s ever had, so that’s a win.
Is this vegan? I’m trying to find a good BBQ sauce recipe for my vegan pulled jackfruit sandwiches and I don’t want to have to run to the store for a bunch of special ingredients.
I added a little bourbon to mine (about 2 tbsp) when I added the other liquids and oh my gosh, next level. Highly recommend that tweak for anyone who likes a little boozy kick in their BBQ sauce.
Meal prepped this yesterday and I’ve already used it on grilled chicken, a BBQ chicken pizza, and as a dip for sweet potato fries. It’s so versatile, way cheaper than buying the fancy artisanal BBQ sauce at the grocery store too.
Made a huge batch of this for our end of season little league cookout and the kids (and parents!) devoured it. We went through 3 whole quarts of it between hot dogs and chicken tenders. Total crowd pleaser, zero leftovers.