Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

mama's barbecue sauce

(20 ratings)
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Karen Carr
Cape Carteret, NC

My mother always used this recipe for her ribs and chicken. It was always wonderful and always got rave reviews. I never remember a time she made bar-b-que ribs and chicken that she used bottled sauce. She always made her own sauce and we loved it!

Blue Ribbon Recipe

This is a basic and delicious BBQ sauce. It leaves room to adjust the recipe to suit your taste buds. Sweet, savory, and a little tangy, we adored it the way it was written using the bigger measurements for vinegar. If you want it tangier, add more vinegar and pepper for a kick. Homemade barbecue sauce is very easy to make and this will be popular at your next BBQ.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(20 ratings)
yield serving(s)
prep time 15 Min
cook time 10 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For mama's barbecue sauce

  • 1 tsp
    dry mustard
  • 1 tsp
    water
  • 1/4 c
    olive oil, light or cooking oil of your choice
  • 1 Tbsp
    minced onions
  • 1/4 tsp
    black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp
    chili powder
  • 1 tsp
    salt
  • 6 Tbsp
    brown sugar
  • 3 Tbsp
    lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp
    Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 - 1/2 c
    vinegar
  • 1 sm
    can tomato paste, 6 oz
  • 1/4 c
    molasses
  • 1/2 c
    tomato ketchup
  • 1 sm
    can tomato sauce, 8 oz (optional)
  • 1/8-1/4 c
    liquid smoke (optional)

How To Make mama's barbecue sauce

  • Mustard and water mixed together in a small bowl.
    1
    Mix mustard with water and allow to stand 10 minutes.
  • Onions cooking in oil.
    2
    While the mustard is sitting, cook onions in oil until soft and transparent.
  • Spices and mustard mixture added to onions.
    3
    Next mix spices and mustard mixture.
  • Molasses and brown sugar added.
    4
    Then mix in molasses and brown sugar.
  • Pouring in lemon juice.
    5
    Add lemon juice.
  • Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and liquid smoke added.
    6
    Stir in Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and liquid smoke.
  • Stirring in tomato paste, sauce, and ketchup.
    7
    Lastly stir in tomato paste, sauce, and ketchup.
  • Barbecue sauce simmering on the stove.
    8
    Let simmer for 10 minutes. Use immediately or allow to cool and transfer to bottle or jar for storing in the refrigerator.
  • Mama's Barbecue Sauce on chicken.
    9
    Note: You may adjust the ingredients according to your taste. I have added and omitted ingredients at times according to how I wanted to use the sauce and it always turned out very well!
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