Recently I wanted an organic BBQ sauce for chicken…
And we used to like a certain store-bought kind, but those days are over since that has high fructose corn syrup (a heart-killer ingredient), just like almost all store-bought sauces do. We've tried an organic BBQ sauce from the health food store and didn't like it. So I made up my own with help from my friend Nancy!
UPDATE: If you don't want to make the BBQ sauce recipe below (even though it's really easy) and just want to keep some on hand, I finally found some that we all love! It has no MSG, no HFCS, no preservatives, and mostly organic ingredients! Find it here.
What is this organic BBQ sauce good on you ask? Ohhhh, so many things…
- BBQ chicken on the grill (then serve on a bun if you wish)
- Pulled pork or beef BBQ sandwiches
- BBQ mac and cheese (just make this mac and cheese and add a little BBQ sauce on the side, even better is serving it with the pulled pork too!)
- BBQ ribs
- Use it for part of your sauce in baked beans
- Use it like a steak sauce
- Use as a meatball (or meatloaf) sauce
- Use as a pork tenderloin glaze
- Use as a glaze for chicken wings
- BBQ chicken pizza or calzones–my favorite!
- BBQ bacon burgers
- Did I miss any?
Organic BBQ Sauce Recipe
This organic BBQ sauce is delicious and easy to keep everything on hand to make it whenever the mood strikes. 🙂
Servings: 3 cups
Ingredients
- About 1/4 cup palm sugar , raw honey, molasses or maple syrup. (Note, if using a liquid sweetener, your sauce may not be as thick, but will taste just as great.)
- 2 Tablespoons organic lemon juice OR 2 raw apple cider vinegar --or use a little of both
- 1 24 ounce bottle of organic ketchup
- 2 Tablespoons mustard --or more to your taste
- 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 Tablespoons fermented soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt --or more to your taste (taste-test it!)
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- Update: I recently bought some liquid smoke --it had an ingredient label that looked pretty OK! I used 1/8 teaspoon--start out small like that and you can always add more if you like the taste. I thought it was good!
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in a saucepan and simmer for 5-10 minutes. This makes a lot of sauce, you may want to halve the recipe. The recipe isn't exact, just do lots of taste testing and play around with it until you like it.
If you liked this organic BBQ sauce, please let me know in the comments!
More you might like:
nancy jacquesbarratt says
I am uncomfortable with “liquid smoke” flavors etc. I saw a documentary a while back on how they are made. Try finding it on you tube.
KitchenKop says
Nancy, even if the ingredients are okay? I’ll look for it. Thanks!
Kel
Ruthie Bee says
I loved this BBQ sauce. I don’t plan to buy BBQ sauce again. I didn’t have liquid smoke and because of food allergies in the family I wasn’t able to use the Soy Sauce. Instead I used 1 1/2 t smoked paprika and added a little garlic powder. It was amazing!
Cynthia says
Looks great to me! Pinned it
Jill says
Yum! And I’ll bet smoked paprika and/or chipotle chili powder (which is hot) would add a nice smoky flavor too.
Chris says
Okay I got a suggestion for ya instead of liquid smoke, use a smoked salt. There are many that are just salt that has been smoked. Avoid cheep brands for they will have additives.
KitchenKop says
@Chris, where do you get it? At stores or only online?
Ashley says
Kelly, I know this is 5 years ago!… lol… but!!… we just started getting smoked salt. I got ours on iHerb.com it’s the Celtic smoked salt. Comes in a grinder. So yum! Thank you for this recipe! We’ve made it 3 or 4 times. Just made it tonight, again! <3
KitchenKop says
That sounds super yummy Ashley!!
Kel
Erica says
I just made this for my daughter’s b-day party yesterday, to accompany shredded pork sandwiches. I set out this sauce, along with a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray’s & it went over really well. Most people seemed to initially reach for the familiar, SBR’s, but once I convinced them to try the homemade sauce, everyone that tried it said it was good. I made it exactly as written, using Annie’s organic ketchup, raw apple cider vinegar & raw honey as the sweetener. Personally, I like it even better than SBR’s because it’s not so sickening sweet!
KitchenKop says
Thanks for sharing your feedback, I like it better, too! 🙂
Kelly
Marcia says
I make my own bbq sauce, too, after reading labels on all my previous favorite brands. I make my sauce with Heinz Organic Ketchup, organic unsulphered molasses, liquid smoke, and a few shakes of organic garlic powder. The molasses is what makes mine stickier and richer in flavor, like the name brands only without the hfcs. I’d give you amounts, but I never measure, just do it by taste. The ingredients are listed in descending order. I’m not sure what’s in the liquid smoke, but all the other ingredients are natural.
Linda says
I’m not much of an “experimenter” in the kitchen, but I took your advice and just threw the ingredients together, adjusted to my liking, and it’s great!! Thanks for the recipe. It’s impossible to find a bbq sauce without HFCS locally, so this will do perfectly!
KitchenKop says
Hi Linda, I’m glad you loved it, too. 🙂
Kel
Cathryn says
Hi, Love your recipes! Just wanted to share how I make Bar B Q sauce for my husband who, since getting on nat. and healthy food and a few good supplements, etc., and walking, is controlling his diabetes without meds, after being on them for many yrs, not to his advantage. Like you, I couldn’t find a Bar B Q sauce that didn’t have HFCS, or just CS, and/or MSG, etc.
I won’t give the exact amts. here, can easily be figured out as you go, I think.
I start with lightly chopping in blender-a little org. sweet onion and bell pepper & bit of garlic [or use just a bit of org. garlic powder] saute them in a little EV Oil, add org. Tomato paste, water, org. mustard, just a bit of org. Molasses, org., little Palm Sugar, org. Worshestershire, & touch of org. lite soy or tamari, touch lemon juice, Himalayan [American Blue-Green co.] or Pink salt, black pepper, dash hot sauce, enough Nat. Hickory Smoke to give a smoked taste/flavor/aroma, and cook, simmering for about 20 min, at last add non-bitter Stevia to sweeten accord. to taste. We only use the brand NuNaturals Stevia. Most tend to be bitter, [but perhaps there are more brands now making the non-bitter type]. I then pour it into jars with lids that will seal, place them in water bath, but do not need to cover, just bring water to a boil about 15 min. or more, then let jars cool and set. They keep great, tho I do keep the unopened jars in refrig.- sealed- just in case. This may sound lengthy & complicated- but really isn’t. And it’s so good to know we’re not having to settle with the junk. Oh, sometimes I also use Xylitol to ‘cut’ the Stevia, and we only get it from Global Sweet co., online. This is only co. in US makes it from the bark of birch trees, and not from corn or other sources. If it should turn out to be too thin, I just make a little paste of arrowroot, temper it with the hot mixture first, then add, stirring constantly to sauce mixture in pot and cook few minutes more.
I also have my own recipe for my husband’s fav. dressing which I cannot find in any healthy form thus far-for 1,ooo Island Dressing. If you are interested, let me know and will be happy to share…can be made with your Enzyme Rich Mayo recipe as a base. 🙂
I am a nat. health practitioner, and offer my clients, fam., and friends many of your recipes, etc. Thanks so much! Cathryn
NHWCenter says
I worry about all these alcohol grain sweeteners (xylitol and mung bean sweeteners) as they are known to have a negative effect on the gut. I have seen this in my clients. Using small amounts of organic sweeteners (next time I might try coconut sugar or yacon syrup instead of brown sugar) isn’t as bad as other sweeteners on the market.
Mean, Meaner, Meanest Barbecue Sauce
Total Time: Under 2 Hours Skill Level: Easy Cost: Inexpensive
Here’s a great recipe to use up some fresh garden veggies. An adjustable sauce that lets you be as sweet or mean as you like.
Yield: 2½ quarts
INGREDIENTS
• 2/3 cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil (when cooking I add coconut oil or ghee to balance the fats for cooking)
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 bunch scallions (green onions), sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 fresh ripe large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 large sweet red pepper, seeded, cored, and diced
• 1 large sweet yellow pepper, seeded, cored, and diced
• 3 Jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced (meaner)
• 2 fresh cayenne peppers or small hot red chiles, seeded and minced (meanest)
• 1 can (35 ounces) organic tomatoes or peel your own add 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar (try coconut sugar or yacon syrup)
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce I prefer to use Eden organic Tamari Sauce
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
1. Heat half the Olive Oil (evoo) in a large saucepan or a Dutch oven over medium heat with a little coconut oil or ghee. Add the onion, scallions, garlic, fresh tomatoes, and red and yellow peppers. For a meaner sauce, add the jalapeño peppers; for the meanest sauce, add both the jalapeño and cayenne peppers. Sauté for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and purée in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Return to the saucepan.
2. Process the canned tomatoes with their liquid, the sugar, and remaining evoo in the food processor until smooth. Add to the saucepan. Stir in the chili powder, oregano, cloves, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce (or Tamari Sauce), red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer uncovered over low heat for 45 minutes.
Monica C at Simply Being Well has some great recipes for condiments.
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shana says
Thank-you! My husband and I loved it…we used raw honey…sooo good.