Barbecue sauce is an essential condiment for barbecued meats like ribs, chicken, and burgers. There are many varieties of bottled barbecue sauce available at the grocery store, but homemade barbecue sauce is a popular option for backyard chefs. Homemade sauce allows you to control the ingredients and customize the flavor. But is it worth the effort to make your own barbecue sauce from scratch? There are pros and cons to consider when deciding between store-bought versus homemade barbecue sauce.
Pros of homemade barbecue sauce
You control the ingredients
One of the best aspects of homemade barbecue sauce is that you get to choose all the ingredients that go into it. Store-bought sauce contains preservatives, thickeners, and other stabilizers you may want to avoid. By making it yourself, you can ensure the sauce contains high-quality ingredients like:
- Fresh tomatoes or tomato paste
- Apple cider vinegar or other vinegars
- Natural sweeteners like honey, molasses, or maple syrup
- Spices and seasonings
- Minced garlic and onions
- Fresh herbs
You can tweak homemade barbecue sauce to be low-sugar, paleo, vegan, or match other dietary needs. It’s hard to customize store-bought sauce in this way.
You can customize the flavor
Since you choose the ingredients, homemade barbecue sauce can be tailored to your specific taste preferences. If you like a tangy, vinegar-based sauce, use more vinegar and less tomato. For a sweeter profile, add more honey or brown sugar. Spice lovers can kick up the heat with hot peppers. Thicken it up with a slurry or purée some of the vegetables for a thicker texture. The possibilities are endless when you make it yourself.
Potentially healthier
Homemade sauces allow you to avoid unwanted additives like high fructose corn syrup, MSG, and preservatives. You can skip vegetable oils and use olive oil or avocado oil instead. And you control the sodium content. Homemade sauce is often lower in sugar and sodium compared to many mainstream brands. So for health-conscious barbecue fans, DIY sauce can be a healthier choice.
Cons of homemade barbecue sauce
More time consuming
The biggest downside to homemade barbecue sauce is the time required. You need to gather ingredients, chop and cook vegetables, simmer the sauce to let the flavors meld, and adjust seasonings. It can take over an hour of active cooking time compared to just opening a bottle. For busy households, finding this chunk of time can be difficult.
Trial and error with recipe development
When you make your own barbecue sauce, there will likely be some trial and error involved in getting the flavor just right. The first batch or two may need some adjustments before you nail down the ideal recipe. Store-bought sauce has already gone through this process during product development. So you give up convenience for the ability to customize.
Messier process
Homemade sauce requires more dishes and cookware like cutting boards, knives, saucepans, and blenders or food processors. You’ll have chopping and cleanup to deal with after. Bottled sauce avoids any mess in your kitchen.
Shorter shelf life
The preservatives and acidity of store-bought barbecue sauce give it a shelf life of about 2 years unopened. Homemade sauce lasts 10-14 days in the fridge before quality starts to decline. So you can’t batch make sauce for an extended time period like you can with the bottled stuff.
Homemade BBQ sauce recipe
If you want to give homemade barbecue sauce a try, here is a basic recipe to get started. Tweak and customize to your preferences as desired.
Ingredients:
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions:
- In a saucepan, combine all ingredients and whisk well.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and cool slightly before using or transferring to an airtight container for storage.
- Store homemade barbecue sauce in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
How does homemade compare to store-bought?
So when it comes down to tasting homemade barbecue sauce vs store-bought, which comes out on top? Here is a comparison of some key factors:
| Factor | Homemade Sauce | Store-bought Sauce |
|---|---|---|
| Flavor intensity | Stronger, fresher flavor | Milder, less complex flavor |
| Sweetness level | Can adjust to taste | Often very sweet/sugary |
| Spiciness | Can make it as spicy as you want | Usually not very spicy |
| Texture | Chunks of vegetables | Smooth, uniform texture |
| Appearance | More natural, unprocessed look | Thicker, sauce-like appearance |
As you can see, homemade barbecue sauce delivers stronger, fresher flavor. You get more control over the level of sweetness and spiciness. The texture has nice vegetable chunks rather than an overly smooth purée. And the look is less processed.
Conclusion
So is the extra time and effort worth it for homemade barbecue sauce? If maximizing flavor is your top priority, homemade has the advantage. The ability to control ingredients and customize the taste makes DIY sauce come out on top in terms of taste for many barbecue enthusiasts.
However, for convenience and ease, store-bought sauce can’t be beat. So consider how much effort you want to expend and how important flavor customization is to you. Home cooks who love playing with flavors will likely enjoy the creative process of homemade sauce. Those short on time may prefer the ease of bottled sauce.
There are good arguments on both sides. Homemade barbecue sauce ultimately comes down to personal preference. But now that you know the pros and cons, give it a try and see which method you prefer! The recipe above is a great starter to experiment with.