Make the best homemade BBQ sauce with this Memphis-style recipe. Using only pantry staples, this smoky, tangy, and sweat sauce is easy to make and is the perfect complement to pulled pork, ribs, brisket, or even chicken and burgers. Better than any sauce you can buy. Time to impress your family and friends.
Introduction
This is the best BBQ sauce you will ever try. I don't use the term "best" lightly, but this qualifies—it would make cardboard taste great.
Change it a little to make your own "world-famous sauce" to impress your friends and family with your "secret" homemade BBQ sauce recipe.
I based this version on Fine Cooking's version of Memphis BBQ sauce. I varied the spices and eliminated what I thought was unnecessary oil. I also added some options so you can adjust to your tastes.
We frequently take pulled pork butt to parties and will provide a variety of sauces. The homemade Memphis sauce always is completely gone, while the other sauces are hardly touched.
👨🍳How to make this homemade barbecue sauce
- Add all the ingredients to a medium to large non-reactive saucepan like a non-stick pan.
- Bring to a light boil over medium heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Occasionally remove from heat and stir. This sauce is thick, so removing it from heat before uncovering is essential to prevent splatter burns.
🥣Ingredients
Ketchup
I'd suggest a brand-name household ketchup like Heinz®️ or Hunts®️. I believe you get what you pay for in ketchup. Fancier ketchup is not needed, and cheap ketchup may ruin your sauce.
Mustard
Plain old yellow mustard. Nothing fancy or with other spices added. The mustard taste is a bit heavy at ½ cup. Cut it down to your taste. I usually go for ⅜ cup.
Liquid Smoke
Liquid smoke does add something special to this sauce, but some people object to it. I highly recommend it, but please only use a good quality liquid smoke. It should only have smoke and water—no chemicals. I generally use Wright's.
Other Ingredients
All ingredients are listed in the recipe card, but here are a few comments about some other ingredients.
- Light brown sugar vs. dark brown sugar. They can be used interchangeably. The only difference is the amount of molasses is more in the dark. You may detect a more robust taste with the darker version in some recipes.
- Vinegar—apple cider, but white vinegar will do.
- Celery Salt- Celery seed is the spice you are most likely not to have in the pantry (I always do). It will add some aromatic, astringent, earthy taste. It is generally used ground or as a combination with salt. Leave it out if you want—I can tell the difference, but most people will not.
- Chili Powder—there are several variations of chili powder. It is ground chilies with some cumin and garlic. Paprika is just ground chilies and will tend to be less hot and sweeter flavor. You can use some or all paprika and different varieties to make this bbq sauce recipe your own.
- Cayenne Pepper—can be varied to adjust the heat. The heat (spiciness) here is about 3/10 with ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Adjust to your taste.
🥣Kansas City vs. Memphis Style BBQ Sauce
There are several differences between KC and Memphis BBQ, but I will discuss only the sauces today.
Kansas City-style BBQ sauce is a sweet and thick sauce with a tomato and molasses base. Kansas City-style sauce can be very sweet and tangy but usually not too spicy.
Memphis-style BBQ sauce is different from Kansas City-style barbecue sauce. It isn’t as sweet but is spicier. It also is thinner and has a bit of vinegar.
Memphis and St. Louis sauces are similar, and some experts will classify them as types of Kansas City sauce. But there is a distinct difference. St. Louis is thinner and less sweet compared to KC sauce. Memphis will add some mustard taste and is spicier.
Other common sauces would be Carolina vinegar-based sauce and Alabama white BBQ sauce, which is mayo-based. There is a wide variety of sauces in Texas, and I'm just not getting into that fight, but I will say there are regional variations.
❓FAQs
Use a non-reactive pan for tomato-based cooking. Some pans are "reactive," meaning they contain metals that might interact with certain foods like tomatoes and change the taste. Cast iron and copper would be typical examples of reactive cookware. Stainless steel and standard non-stick cookware are examples of non-reactive pans.
No, but they will add a special touch—especially the liquid smoke. If you have ground celery seed, you can make celery salt with 2 parts ground celery seed and 1 part table salt.
This recipe should be gluten-free but check the ingredients.
Worcestershire sauce made in the US is usually gluten-free, but imported versions may not be. Ketchup and even liquid smoke should be gluten-free.
As always, check all the labels.
Good in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. Probably a lot longer but not tested.
It will store frozen for about 3 months. I like to put small amounts in smaller freezer bags to use small amounts when needed.
📖Memphis BBQ Recipes
Marlowe of Memphis BBQ Dry Rub
The Best Grilled Pork Tenderloin – Memphis Style
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Combine in a medium to large non-reactive saucepan with a glass lid: 2 cups Heinz or Hunts Ketchup, ¼-1/2 cup yellow mustard, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar, 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 tablespoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoon celery salt, 2 teaspoons liquid smoke, ¼ to ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
Place over medium heat, stirring aggressively until starting to boil, being careful to avoid splatter. This stuff is thick and will burn you. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer. Occasionally remove from heat and stir well. Please remove from heat before stirring to prevent splattering and burns.
Simmer for 30 minutes. As little as 15 minutes works fairly well, but 30 is better for bringing the flavors together.
📝Full Recipe
Memphis-Style Homemade BBQ Sauce - A Wonderful Thing
Ingredients
- 2 cups ketchup
- ¼-1/2 cup yellow mustard - Adjust to taste
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup brown sugar - firmly packed
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons celery salt
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke - optional but recommended
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper - adjust to taste
Instructions
- Combine in a medium to large non-reactive saucepan with a glass lid: 2 cups Heinz or Hunts Ketchup, ¼-1/2 cup yellow mustard, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar, 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 tablespoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoon celery salt, 2 teaspoons liquid smoke, ¼ to ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
- Place over medium heat, stirring aggressively until starting to boil, being careful to avoid splatter. This stuff is thick and will burn you. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer. Occasionally remove from heat and stir well. Please remove from heat before stirring to prevent splattering and burns.
- Simmer for 30 minutes. As little as 15 minutes works fairly well, but 30 is better for bringing the flavors together.
My Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Use ketchup you love. I prefer Heinz or Hunts only.
- Be sure to use a non-reactive pan to avoid a metallic taste.
- Adjust the mustard to your taste. A full ½ cup will give a heavy mustard taste. I usually use a ⅜ cup.
- If you wish, skip the liquid smoke and celery salt. Both will add some to the taste, but it is still excellent without them. Other options discussed in the post.
- The heat (spiciness) here is about 3/10 with ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Adjust to your taste.
- Good in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
- Spoon some into small baggies and freeze for 3-4 months.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Originally Published April 19, 2010. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Johnny
This BBQ sauce is awesome. I've made it several times. Question: If I'm going to put this sauce in a crock pot with chicken and cook for 6 hours on low, do I really need to cook it first on the stove or will it cook fine in the crock pot?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Johnny,
The reason to simmer the sauce is to bring the flavors together. Cooking in the crockpot will do that, so no reason to simmer first, just mix very well.
Now, about the chicken in a crock pot for 6 hours. If it is just the chicken and the sauce ingredients, it will be way over cooked. It will generally take about 2 1/2 to 3 hours on low depending on the crock pot and thickness of the chicken. If other things (more mass) are cooking in there also then ignore my comment.
Dan
Heather Wall
Simply the best BBQ sauce I have ever made. And, I have tried many!
Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Michael Schertz
Hi this looks great. Question; do you then mix this in with the pulled pork and serve/store like that or would you layer the sandwhich with the pulled pork and then pour bbq over it?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Michael,
Welcome to the blog.
I do love this sauce.
You ask a common question since most of America does this wrong. BBQ sauce should be added just before eating. Meat should not be stored or heated in the sauce.
BBQ sauce (tomato-based here but also vinegar-based) have an acid that will rapidly destroy the texture of the meat you worked so hard to get right. Heating or storing in a sauce will almost guarantee mushy results. So I reheat my meat covered on a tray in the oven. If for a party, I use a crockpot or roaster to keep warm and put a varity of sauces next to that for the guests. The Memphis sauce is always gone first.
Hope that helps.
Dan
Sandra
Made this for the first time a couple of weeks ago with the pulled pork. My family won’t let me buy it from the store anymore! Sweetened it up a bit more and reduces the heat but amazing! Thank you!
Bobby from Point St-Charles, QC, CANADA
Anyone who tries it wants the recipe
Elizabeth from Canada
This BBQ sauce is amazing. I’ve been making it for years now and never buy store bought BBQ sauce anymore. The recipe is quite forgiving if you have a bit more or less than what’s called for. And in a pinch, 15 minutes of cooking time works too. And I don’t use the liquid smoke but just because I don’t like it. I make it in large quantities and can it - for gifts and also so I never run out. EVERYONE asks for the recipe and brings me their empty jars to refill. 😋
smmus.es
Memphis barbecue means pork. This ketchup-based barbecue sauce is equally good on pulled pork as it is on ribs. What makes it perfect for pork is the vinegar-to-tomato ratio. The result is a thick, sweet, and spicy sauce.
Eric Miller
Made this several times and it’s amazing. This time I took a cue from my favorite chili recipe and put in a tablespoon of cocoa powder and it really pushed it over the top. Was licking it off a spoon while the pork finished.
Tara
Delicious. I took the advice and cut back on the mustard and it was perfect. Rave reviews from the table. Used it on ribs and chicken. Great universal sauce.
Deanna
I don't eat BBQ sauce but I made this for my husband tonight. I can say that there is now a BBQ sauce that I will eat! I love this sauce! The amount of pepper is a little strong for me so next time I will cut it in half and I didn't have any celery salt. This stuff is SO GOOD! I'm going to be using it with the crock pot pulled pork from butt I'm making tomorrow :)
James S
Delicious! I made one change. Instead of liquid smoke I subbed in smoked paprika. Thanks for a great sauce!