American · Sauce · All year
Kansas City BBQ Sauce
4.6 · community
5m
Prep
25m
Cook
Easy
Level
70
Energy
THE American barbecue sauce: thick, sweet, tomato-and-molasses, with a vinegar spine. What most of the world means when they say "BBQ sauce" — and better homemade.
What you need
Ingredients
Servings
10
Before you start
Mise en place
Yield: About 500 ml
Equipment
Small saucepan
Whisk
2 steps
Method
1
Whisk everything in a saucepan and simmer gently 20–25 minutes, stirring, until thick, dark, and glossy.
22 min — timer available in cooking mode
Why this works
The slow simmer melds the sweet-sour-smoke into one voice — a raw-mixed sauce tastes like its ingredients arguing.
2
Cool and jar. Like all tomato BBQ sauces, it burns over direct flame — brush on in the last 5–10 minutes of cooking only.
Why this works
Sugar chars fast. Late glazing is the difference between lacquered and carbonized.
From the pass
Chef's notes
Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Airtight jar in the fridge, 3–5 days. Press plastic wrap onto the surface of starch-thickened sauces to stop a skin forming.
Freezing
Most sauces freeze 2–3 months; freeze in ice-cube trays for single portions. Emulsified butter/egg sauces don't freeze — they break on thawing.
Reheating
Reheat gently over low heat, whisking; butter- and egg-based sauces split when boiled. Loosen with a spoonful of warm water or stock.
Make ahead
Most sauces keep 3–5 days refrigerated and freeze in ice-cube trays for instant single portions. Emulsified butter sauces are best made within the hour.
Wine pairing
Follows the dish it dresses.
Beer pairing
Follows the dish it dresses.
On the plate
Serve it with
Sides
Ribs and pulled pork
Grilled chicken
Burnt ends, if you're lucky enough to have them
Garnish
A final swirl of butter or oil
Fresh herbs
Taste map
Flavour profile
Sweet
1
Salty
3
Sour
2
Bitter
0
Umami
4
Heat
0
Per serving
Nutrition
70
kcal
0g
protein
16g
carbs
0g
fat
3g
fiber
14g
sugar
520mg
sodium
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Your notes
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