A perfect blend of sweet and savory, this flavorful spicy barbecue sauce is great slathered on chicken and pork ribs or even grilled vegetables. Serve extra on the side for those of us (me!) who also like to dip.
Living overseas in tiny oilfield towns early in my married life, I discovered that some items most Americans would consider normal essentials, like barbecue sauce and Jif peanut butter, simply were not available. I learned to adapt by either doing without, making my own or trying to bring some back in our suitcases after a trip stateside.
When we wanted barbecue sauce, this recipe is the one I made most often, sometimes adding some smoked bacon, which adds an additional smoky touch, for when I didn’t have liquid smoke, or sometimes even when I did! Because bacon makes everything better.
Brush this sauce on the meat or vegetables on the grill when they are just about cooked so that it doesn't scorch. If you brush it on too early, you risk it burning because of the sugar in the sauce both from the brown sugar and what is already in the prepared ketchup.
Spicy Barbecue Sauce
If you need this spicy barbecue sauce to be vegetarian, do use the Henderson’s Relish instead of Worcestershire sauce, which has anchovies in it. Failing that, you can add soy sauce instead. For the ketchup, use your favorite brand or even a store brand. It won’t much matter once the other things are added. This recipe makes almost 2 ½ cups or 570ml.
Ingredients
1 medium onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
14 oz or 397ml ketchup
3/4 cup or 180ml cider vinegar
1/4 cup aged balsamic vinegar
2/3 cup or 132g dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce or Henderson’s Relish
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
Method
Mince the onion finely or use a small food processor to get little bits. You don't want it pureed, just not chunky.
In a pot large enough to hold all of your ingredients, sauté the onion with the olive oil over a medium heat until it has softened completely and no longer smells strongly of onion. You are looking for a little color, some caramelization, all the better for creating flavor.
Add all the other ingredients to the onion pot.
Bring it to a simmer over medium heat and cook for about 10 minutes.
Cool and store in a sterilized jar in the refrigerator until ready to use. Because of the vinegar content, I find that this is good for quite a while once refrigerated.
Enjoy!
It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing recipes for your cookout get-togethers! Snacks, side dishes, sauces, dressings, salads or desserts - all good. Many thanks to our host Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. Check out the links below.
- Caprese Pasta Salad from Amy's Cooking Adventures
- Eggless & Gluten Free Orange Pots from Sneha's Recipe
- Green Goddess Dressing from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Spicy Barbecue Sauce from Food Lust People Love
- Sweet and Savory Party Mix from A Messy Kitchen
- Viral Japanese Cheesecake from Mayuri's Jikoni
- Watermelon Radish and Cucumber Salad from Karen's Kitchen Stories
We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.
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