Quick Homemade BBQ Sauce (without ketchup)

February 2, 2017

Quick BBQ sauce with tomato sauce not sweet recipe

This is the perfect BBQ sauce for Pulled Pork Sliders. I am serious. Perfect! It’s not too sour, not too sweet, and it comes with a hint of smoky flavor. Since I’ve made a batch of this quick and not overly sweet BBQ sauce for my pulled pork sliders (recipe here), I am addicted to this sauce. It goes well with almost everything: It’s the perfect sauce for burgers, for French fries, for sandwiches, and for dipping anything, and I mean really anything – be it oven baked veggies or tater tots.

 Quick BBQ sauce no ketchup recipe

Compared to traditional recipes, I’ve reduced the amount of sugar and ingredients that contain sugar a lot. There is no ketchup in this BBQ sauce, neither will you find molasses or honey. Just a little bit of brown sugar. Another ingredient you won’t find is liquid smoke. Nope, no liquid smoke in this BBQ sauce. Why? Because I simply prefer smoked paprika, which I think is much more versatile in the kitchen.

I use smoked paprika a lot, eg. in chilis, sprinkled on top of an open-face grilled cheese sandwich or simply to spice up chickpeas and other legumes. For this recipe I use the spicy kind of smoked paprika, which is called “Pimentón picante ahumado” in Spanish. One of these is “Pimentón de la Vera”, a type of smoked paprika powder from the western part of Spain, which is widely available and comes as dulce (= sweet) and picante (= spicy-hot). But any brand or origin will do. If you don’t have the spicy one on hand, use smoked sweet paprika and a pinch of cayenne pepper for some heat. You can also replace it with chipotle chili powder or even add a little smoked salt instead of regular salt. Almost anything with a smoky, earthy aroma works.

Step-by-step recipe for a quick Kansas City-style BBQ sauce (but low sugar)

Ingredients for quick and easy BBQ sauce

Ingredients for a quick Kansans City-stye (thick and tomato based) BBQ sauce.

This BBQ sauce is low in sugar and in effort.

Easy BBQ sauce not sweet recipe

Cook onions, garlic, and spices for a few minutes.

Sautée the onions with 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium heat until soft and golden in color, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute (do not brown). Reduce the heat to low and mix in the smoked paprika, ground coriander, and tomato paste. Sautee for 1 minute.

Quick recipe for BBQ sauce without ketchup

Add all remaining ingredients and let simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Deglaze with vinegar and immediately add the tomato sauce, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, orange juice, and salt. Stir until combined and simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes, until thickened a little.

Easy recipe for BBQ sauce not too sweet

For a smooth sauce, strain through a sieve.

You can use this sauce as is with little onion pieces in it. For a smooth sauce (I prefer it that way), either strain the sauce through a sieve …

Quick BBQ sauce without ketchup recipe

Left: strained BBQ sauce, right: blended BBQ sauce.

… or transfer the cooled sauce to a blender and blend until smooth. The sauce will thicken slightly if you blend it, so add 1 tablespoon of water if you prefer a thinner sauce.

Pulled Pork Silders on homemade buns recipe

Do you still need an idea where you can use this sauce? Make these pulled pork sliders. You won’t regret it!

 

Quick Homemade BBQ Sauce (without ketchup)

Yield: 1 2/3 cups (400 ml)

Quick Homemade BBQ Sauce (without ketchup)

Ingredients

  • 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup /3.5 oz/100 g)
  • 1 clove garlic, finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon spicy smoked paprika powder (Pimenton picante ahumado)*
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste (30 g /1 oz)
  • 2 tablespoons white wine or apple cider vinegar
  • 15-oz can plain tomato sauce (400 g)
  • 2-3 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed (30 g/1 oz)
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
  • 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

Instructions

  1. Sautee the onions with 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium heat until soft and golden in color, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute (do not brown).
  2. Reduce the heat to low and mix in the smoked paprika, ground coriander, and tomato paste. Sautee for 1 minute.
  3. Deglaze with vinegar and immediately add the tomato sauce, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, orange juice, and salt. Stir until combined and simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes, until thickened a little. Taste and adjust salt.
  4. You can use this sauce as is with little onion pieces in it. For a smooth sauce (I prefer it that way), either strain the sauce through a sieve or transfer the cooled sauce to a blender and blend until smooth. The sauce will thicken slightly if you blend it, so add 1 tablespoon of water if you prefer a thinner sauce.

Notes

Many recipe use liquid smoke as an ingredient in BBQ sauces. Since I am not really a fan of liquid smoke, I prefer spicy smoked paprika, which is called "Pimenton picante ahumado" in Spanish. One of these is "Pimenton de la Vera", a type of smoked paprika powder from the western part of Spain, which is widely available and comes as dulce (= sweet) and picante (= spicy-hot). If you don't have the spicy one on hand, use smoked sweet paprika and a pinch of cayenne pepper for some heat. Or replace it with chipotle chili powder or even add a little smoked salt instead of regular salt. Almost anything with a smoky, earthy aroma works.

https://www.lilvienna.com/quick-homemade-bbq-sauce/

 

Did you follow this recipe? You could share your result here. All you need to do is take a picture with your smartphone and send it to [email protected]

 

Quick Homemade BBQ Sauce (without ketchup) was last modified: February 23rd, 2017 by Ursula

2 thoughts on “Quick Homemade BBQ Sauce (without ketchup)

    1. Ursula Post author

      Hi Manu! Thanks so much. I love this BBQ sauce – really for everything. I hope you will give it a try!!

      Reply

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