Kansas City is famous for its rich, smoky, and slightly sweet barbecue sauce. Unlike some regional varieties, Kansas City-style BBQ sauce boasts a perfect balance of sweetness, tanginess, and a hint of spice. This homemade version is thick, luscious, and perfect for slathering on ribs, pulled pork, or grilled chicken.
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While store-bought sauces are convenient, nothing beats the fresh, bold flavors of homemade BBQ sauce. When you make it yourself, you control the ingredients, allowing you to adjust the sweetness, spice, and tanginess to suit your taste. Plus, homemade BBQ sauce avoids preservatives and artificial additives, ensuring a pure and authentic experience.
Homemade Kansas City BBQ Sauce
The rich, smoky, and tangy flavor that enhances the taste of any dish it is paired with. The sweetness from brown sugar, spice from peppers and tang from vinegar, all come together to create a well-balanced and mouthwatering flavor.
Ingredients
- 28 oz Can whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 tbsp Avocado or extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup Diced onion
- 1/4 cup Brown sugar
- 1/4 cup Molasses
- 1/4 cup Apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp worsershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp Dry mustard powder or yellow mustard
- 1 tsp Onion powder
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tbsp Chili powder
- 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp Freshly ground pepper
- 1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper
- 1/8 tsp celery salt
Instructions
- Over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the oil and saute the onions for about three minutes or until translucent.
- Add the remaining ingredients, breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Bring to a simmer and lower the heat.
- Slowly simmer for a minimum of 30 minunets. I like to go for at least an hour. The longer you simmer the thicker it will be and the flavor will be more developed.
- Let cook about 10 minutes and then transfer to food procsser a prosess until smooth.
- If you use tomatoe sauce in place of whole tomatoes you can skip that part.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Enjoy immediately, or let cool and store for later use.
- Or can also water bath can for 20 minutes to make it shelf stable.
- How to Use Your BBQ SauceThis Kansas City-style sauce is incredibly versatile. Use it as:A glaze for ribs, chicken, or pork chopsA dipping sauce for fries, nuggets, or onion ringsA marinade for grilled meatsA topping for burgers and sandwiches
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!