Summer grilling and barbecuing just wouldn’t be the same without great BBQ sauces. Making your own BBQ sauce is not only fun, but we think they are far better than sauces you can buy off the shelf and they are easy to make. BBQ sauce can also be frozen, so make sure you make a large batch.

BBQ Sauce is generally made from a combination of tomato ingredients, sweet ingredients, sour ingredients, liquid flavors, and spices.

There is virtually no limit to the types of sauces you can make by experimenting with ingredients. Around the country barbecue sauces range from vinegary to peppery to sweet. Many cities are famous for their types of sauces and trying to get an answer to ‘What’s the best barbecue sauce?’ can cause some pretty heated debates.

Although practically anything goes when making barbecue sauce, there are parameters that will help you get in the ballpark. Use the following formula to create your own special sauce: Tomato ingredients: 4 cups, Sweet ingredients: 1 cup, Sour ingredients: start with a little and add up to 1 cup, Liquid flavors: up to 1/4 cup, Spices: up to 4 teaspoons of any combination plus 2 Tablespoons chili powder and 1 Tablespoon black pepper.

Tomato Ingredients

• Gf ketchup
• Gf tomato paste
• Gf tomato sauce

Sweet Ingredients

• White sugar
• Gf brown sugar
• Honey
• Molasses
• Corn syrup
• Corn sugar
• Maple syrup

Sour Ingredients

• Vinegar
• Lemon
• Lime
• Grapefruit
• Wine

Liquid Flavors
Coffee, tea, fruit juices, hot sauce, soft drinks, gf soy sauce, gf broth, Worcestershire sauce

Spices
Allspice, basil, cayenne, celery, cilantro, chervil, chives, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, dill, dry mustard, fennel, garlic, ginger, horseradish powder, lemon pepper, lemon zest, marjoram, mint, nutmeg, onion powder, orange zest, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory, tarragon, thyme, turmeric

Basic Directions:
Mix the sugar and other dry ingredients together and add half the liquids. Over medium-heat, dissolve the dry ingredients into the liquid. Add the ketchup and any thick syrups or honey and stir. Heat to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining sour liquid and seasonings to taste.

The true key is tasting as you go. Several year’s ago my husband was given the task of creating a BBQ for a barbecue party we were hosting. I specifically gave him this task because he, like most men, tend to be a little more daring in the kitchen and I knew he would come up with something incredible…and he did. You will notice that the following BBQ sauce seems like it should be called "The Kitchen Sink" instead of "Bopper’s BBQ Sauce" — and I think he did put just about everything in but the kitchen fixtures….but the end result remains one of our all time favorites. (Note: If you don’t have all the ingredients here — improvise! Rest assured it will still come out great!)

Makes about 3 cups.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 Tablespoons scallions, chopped
• 1/2 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 cups gf ketchup
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 2 Tablespoons molasses
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 5 Tablespoons freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 5 Tablespoons Port wine
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon key lime juice
• 3 teaspoons gf hot sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon five spice powder

Directions:

In a small skillet, melt butter. Sauté scallions and garlic until fragrant and scallions are tender. In a large saucepan combine remaining ingredients. Add scallion mixture. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Makes about 2 cups.

• 2-1/2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
• 1/2 cup gf ketchup
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh ginger, minced
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Dash of gf hot sauce (or more to taste)

Directions:

Place the blackberries, gf ketchup, honey, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, ginger, garlic, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and hot sauce in a medium saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes or until berries are broken down and mixture is reduced by half. Keep warm over low heat.

Makes 2-1/2 cups

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup crushed pineapple
• 1/2 cup gf catsup
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 Tablespoons gf brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons gf soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon gf mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon gf hot sauce (add more if you like it hot)
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Sauce can be stored in refrigerator for up to one week and frozen up to 3 months.

Makes 4-1/2 cups

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup gf brown sugar, packed
• 1-2 Tablespoons ground black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon mace
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup water
• 32 ounces gf catsup

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sauce will store in refrigerator for several weeks.

Mop Sauce Makes 4 cups

Ingredients:

• 2 cups gf beef stock
• 1 cup root beer
• 2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1-1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon gf hot sauce (add more if you like it hot)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Mop on desired meats.

Other Great BBQ or Grilling Sauces:

Honey Mustard Sauce

Asian BBQ Sauce

Sweet & Sour Glaze

Your next barbecue is sure to be a hit with any of these great BBQ sauces. Or, if you like to experiment, try creating your own special sauce. Because BBQ sauces are usually made up of many ingredients, it’s a great idea to write your formula down as you go.

-Glutenfreeda