Honey BBQ Sauce Recipe

How to Use Honey BBQ Sauce

Ooh, where to begin? This mouthwatering sauce enhances any grilled meat. I love basting chicken or pork after cooking. Or use it as a dipping sauce for french fries, yuca fries, and chicken wings.

Have you ever stirred a little BBQ into your mayo? OMG, licking the spoon! Drizzling it over steamed veggies or adding just a smidgen to beef soup is oh-so-good.

Recipe Ingredients

• Butter – Adds a rich mouthfeel to the sauce.
• Aromatics – Onion and garlic (onion and garlic powder work in a pinch) are essential in all BBQ sauces!
• Acidity – Ketchup and vinegar deliver the necessary tartness to balance the sweetness for a perfect honey barbecue sauce.
• Sweetness – Honey and molasses balance the acidity for a mouthwatering sweet and tangy sauce.
• Seasonings – Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, chili powder, paprika, red pepper flakes, and celery seeds are classic BBQ sauce flavorings. If you want to use smoked paprika instead of liquid smoke, go for it.

How to Make Honey BBQ Sauce

1. Sauté – Place a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil, garlic, and onions to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until the onion wilts. (Photos 1-2)
2. Add – Turn off the heat, and then add the rest of the ingredients. Stir well. Taste and adjust seasonings to your likes as you go. (Photo 3)
3. Rest – Once happy with the flavor, pour the sauce into a bowl and cover it. Then let it rest on the countertop until cool. (Photo 4)
4. Chill – After it has cooled to room temperature, keep it in the fridge until ready to use. I like doing this the day before because it gives it time for the flavors to meld. Enjoy!

Recipe Variations

• Seasonings Swaps – Feel free to adjust the ingredients to your liking. If you want sweeter sauces, honey or brown sugar works great. If you want it tangier, add more vinegar. Add black pepper and chipotle for spicy heat.
• Vinegar Swap – If you don’t have apple cider vinegar at home, wine vinegar, rice vinegar, or plum vinegar is delicious.
• Adjust Heat Level – If you want milder BBQ sauce, replace the chili powder and red pepper with paprika. If you want it hotter, add cayenne pepper and hot sauce.
• Molasses Swap – No molasses on hand? Just replace it with three tablespoons of brown sugar.

Tips and Tricks

• Homemade honey BBQ sauce can last refrigerated for 2-3 weeks in a covered glass container. But label it with the date you made it so you know how long you’ve had it.
• Different kinds of honey and vinegar will have different levels of sweetness or acidity. It’s important to taste your sauce as you go and adjust the ingredients according to your palate.
• If you’re using the BBQ sauce to baste meat on the grill, wait until the last few minutes of grilling to baste. If you’re using a smoker, baste the about 10 minutes before it’s done.

Make-Ahead Instructions

This sauce is even better if you can make it a day or two ahead. Keep it in the fridge, and take it out about 30 minutes before using it. That will take out the chill before basting your meat.

Serving and Storage Instructions

Serve this tangy sauce at room temperature or straight from the fridge next to just about any main dish! You can store it in a glass jar or airtight container for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.

And yes, you can freeze it for longer shelf life. It will last up to six months.

FAQs

What to Serve With Honey BBQ Sauce

Drizzle this sauce over smoked pulled pork tacos or smoked meatballs to take them to the next level. And it makes a great dipping sauce for dry rub chicken wings or chicken wing flats at your next game night!

More Deliciously Meaty Recipes to Try

• Smoked Pulled Pork
• Beef Brisket Burger
• Pellet Grill Chicken Breast
• BBQ Bacon Burger

Conclusion

You’ll never buy store-bought BBQ sauce again once you try this quick and easy honey BBQ sauce! What do you like to serve with your BBQ sauce? Leave me a comment below with your faves. 😉