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Easy All-Purpose Barbecue Sauce

By Ashley Moore

Published on March 28, 2019

Time

30 minutes, plus 30 minutes cooling

Yield

Serves 6 to 8 (Makes 2½ cups)

Easy All-Purpose Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil ½ cup grated onion 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon chili powder ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 ½ cups ketchup ¼ cup molasses 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 3 tablespoons cider vinegar 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon hot sauce

Before You Begin

This recipe was developed using Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce. Grate the onion on the large holes of a box or paddle grater.

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic powder, chili powder, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  2. Stir in ketchup, molasses, Worcestershire, vinegar, mustard, and hot sauce and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook until flavors meld, about 5 minutes. Let cool completely before serving. (Cooled sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)
Easy All-Purpose Barbecue Sauce
Photography by Keller + Keller. Styling by Catrine Kelty.

Easy All-Purpose Barbecue Sauce

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Time

30 minutes, plus 30 minutes cooling

Yield

Serves 6 to 8 (Makes 2½ cups)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup grated onion
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 ½ cups ketchup
¼ cup molasses
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon hot sauce

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup grated onion
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 ½ cups ketchup
¼ cup molasses
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon hot sauce

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup grated onion
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 ½ cups ketchup
¼ cup molasses
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon hot sauce

Why This Recipe Works

Every barbecue needs some tasty barbecue sauce. We started by sautéing grated onion so it would easily incorporate into the sauce. We then added some fragrant spices and briefly cooked them to bring out their flavors. Worcestershire sauce and ketchup added rich, savory flavor, and a combination of chili powder, cayenne pepper, and hot sauce provided just enough heat.

Before You Begin

This recipe was developed using Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce. Grate the onion on the large holes of a box or paddle grater.

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic powder, chili powder, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  2. Stir in ketchup, molasses, Worcestershire, vinegar, mustard, and hot sauce and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook until flavors meld, about 5 minutes. Let cool completely before serving. (Cooled sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)

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