Written by Kate Tietje
There’s nothing better than barbecue season unless you’re BBQ sauceless! What fun is that?
It was hard to find the perfect barbecue sauce for a long while. Why they need to add so much sugar to a single condiment is beyond me. Thankfully, there’s a pretty quick fix (it’s faster than reading every BBQ sauce label in the condiment aisle, that’s for sure).
What’s the fix? Making your own. This may seem like a lot of work, but when you have the opportunity to completely control the ingredients in your food, it’s so worth it. Plus, it’s all real food, much like the recipes in my Wholesome Real Food Favorite Cookbook!
When I first formulated this recipe, brands like Primal Kitchen didn’t exist. So, of course, I ran to the internet to find the perfect recipe. That never happened, but the one I created was pretty darn close. My recipe doesn’t use ketchup, which is a big plus for me.
Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp. butter
- 1/4 cup onion, minced (I use yellow)
- 2 tsp. dry mustard
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp. honey
- 3/4 cup tomato puree
- 1/2 tsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
Directions:
Step 1: In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and onions.
Step 2: Saute for a few minutes until the onions are softened. If you have whole mustard seeds like me, crush them with a mortar and pestle. Otherwise, use dry mustard powder.
Step 3: Add the mustard, paprika, and salt to the butter and onions.
Step 4: Stir this up and add the honey.
Step 5: Add the tomato sauce.
Step 6: Add the chili powder.
Step 7: Stir it all up and let it simmer for 30 minutes or so. Serve immediately or chill first. We loved it on salmon, and it would be good on chicken, too, or whatever else you like. It’s lightly sweet, not too spicy, and a little bit smoky.
Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp. butter
- 1/4 cup onion minced (I use yellow)
- 2 tsp. dry mustard
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp. honey
- 3/4 cup tomato puree
- 1/2 tsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and onions.
- Saute for a few minutes until the onions are softened. If you have whole mustard seeds like me, crush them with a mortar and pestle. Otherwise, use dry mustard powder.
- Add the mustard, paprika, and salt to the butter and onions.
- Stir this up and add the honey.
- Add the tomato sauce.
- Add the chili powder.
- Stir it all up and let it simmer for 30 minutes or so. Serve immediately or chill first. We loved it on salmon, and it would be good on chicken, too, or whatever else you like. It's lightly sweet, not too spicy, and a little bit smoky.
This looks great! It’s so nice to finally find a barbecue sauce recipe that doesn’t include soy or Worcestershire sauce! My son is allergic to soy and dairy (among other foods), so I’ll definitely be trying this with some vegan butter spread instead of regular butter. Thanks for sharing 🙂
This looks so easy and delicious! I can’t wait to try it. I’ve pinned this and will be sharing it with my FB fans tomorrow. What a perfect recipe for summer! Thanks for sharing! Blessings, Kelly 🙂
Thank you for posting this! I have a from-scratch recipe that I like, but it does use ketchup. I look forward to trying your non-ketchup alternative. One question regarding the tomato puree/sauce- you listed puree in the ingredients, but then referred to sauce in the instructions, and it looked like sauce in the photo. I’d imagine it would work well either way, but I’m wondering which you used. I don’t generally have puree on hand, but the canned sauce does have additional ingredients.
Ah, I meant puree. I make my own sauce and I usually base things off that, but I meant plain this time!
I’m allergic to vinegar, so this punches my ticket! Can’t wait to try it. Got the honey and everything. Adios —
Any ideas on what I can substitute the tomato puree with? I don’t tolerate them very well.
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