BBQ Sauce: It's Not Rocket Science

There are literally hundreds of varieties of BBQ sauce on the market. There are some small batch varieties that will cost you enough to buy a moderately priced bottle of your favorite wine. Save your money for the wine and head to your pantry and refrigerator -- assuming you stocked up as instructed when I first launched the Kitchen Rabbit Hole.

There are four basic elements to pretty much any BBQ sauce you can imagine. They are listed here with the general proportions for your garden variety BBQ sauce.

Sauce from scratch.

Tomato: 50% Catsup, tomato paste, tomato juice, crushed tomatoes, or tomato puree are the most common ways to get the tomato element in your barbecue sauce and the style of the sauce will ultimately determine which you'll use. But for basic any-day BBQ sauce, catsup will do just fine.

Sour: 15% This is achieved most often with some variety of vinegar or citrus depending on the style of your sauce. Cider or white vinegar are just fine for that any-day BBQ sauce.

Sweet: 25% Think brown sugar, molasses, honey, maple syrup or even jam or jelly here. One of these items must be in your pantry or fridge.

Seasonings: 10% This is where you can be as creative or as conservative as you like. In addition to the tomato, sour, and sweet, the simplest BBQ sauce could include some mustard, a dash or two of onion and garlic powders, and you're good to go. For the adventurer, think about some horseradish, hot sauce, liquid smoke, ginger, paprika, soy, tamari, Worcestershire, fruits like mango or pineapple, bitter chocolate, coffee, bourbon, or tequila. NOT all at once of course, but it's certainly OK to mix it up with flavors that compliment each other.

Thanks to my new best friend ChatGPT, here is a rundown of some BBQ sauces and what makes them distinct.

• Kansas City-Style: Thick, sweet, and tangy with a tomato base, molasses or brown sugar for sweetness, and vinegar for balance. Often includes smoky and spicy elements.

• Memphis-Style: Similar to Kansas City sauce but less sweet and more tangy. Often used as a finishing glaze rather than a heavy coating.

• Texas-Style: Can vary, but a common style is thinner and spicier, featuring tomato, black pepper, and a kick of chili powder or hot sauce. Some versions, especially in Central Texas, lean more toward a mop sauce (thin and vinegar-based) rather than a thick, sticky glaze.

• Carolina (Eastern) Style: Vinegar-based with little to no tomato. It’s thin, tangy, and spicy, often made with apple cider vinegar, red pepper flakes, and black pepper.

• Carolina (Western) Style (a.k.a. Lexington Style): A hybrid of vinegar and tomato, this sauce adds a touch of ketchup to the Eastern Carolina base, giving it a slightly sweeter and thicker profile.

• South Carolina Mustard Sauce: Known as "Carolina Gold," this sauce swaps tomato for mustard, combining it with vinegar, honey or brown sugar, and spices for a tangy, slightly sweet bite.

• St. Louis-Style: Similar to Kansas City but thinner and tangier, often with a bit more acidity from vinegar and less sweetness.

• North Alabama Red Sauce: A spicier, thinner tomato-based sauce with a bold kick, often used for pork and chicken.

• Korean BBQ Sauce (Gochujang-Based): A thick, sticky sauce with a rich umami depth. Made with gochujang (Korean fermented chili paste), soy sauce, honey or brown sugar, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Balances sweet, spicy, and slightly smoky flavors—perfect for grilled meats.

• Jamaican Jerk BBQ Sauce: A fiery, aromatic sauce that blends allspice, Scotch bonnet peppers, thyme, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and citrus juice. It has a strong heat with a balance of sweetness from brown sugar or honey and smokiness from pimento wood when grilled.

• Mexican Adobo BBQ Sauce: A deep, smoky, and earthy sauce made with dried chilies (like guajillo, ancho, or chipotle), vinegar, garlic, oregano, cumin, and a touch of honey or piloncillo (Mexican raw sugar). It’s rich, complex, and perfect for grilled meats like pork, chicken, and beef.

• Mexican Mole BBQ Sauce: A fusion of traditional mole flavors with a BBQ twist. Features tomatoes, dried chilies, chocolate, cinnamon, nuts, and a bit of vinegar for balance. This sauce has a smoky, slightly sweet, and deeply layered flavor.

As you can see, the possibilities are endless and there's really no wrong way. The ever so basic recipe here is easy to make with stuff you have around the house and makes a great foundation for when you want to do some experimenting. And it will come in handy in a couple of weeks when I share my crock pot pulled BBQ chicken recipe.

THE RECIPE:

1 can tomato soup

1/2c apple cider vinegar

1/2c molasses

2T yellow or Dijon mustard (Dijon has more kick)

1/2t liquid smoke

2t horseradish

1/2c brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

1T smoked paprika (optional but adds even more smokey flavor)

dash or two of hot sauce (optional)

Whisk everything together in a large bowl. You can brush it on before grilling or roasting, marinate in it, or serve it worm or at room temp on the side to spruce up whatever you're serving.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. It also freezes well in a plastic container.

Yields about 2-1/2 cups.