A Delicious Homemade BBQ Sauce That’s Ready In Seconds
When I was a girl, I loved most of the food my mom made, but I was always particularly excited when she made ribs with homemade BBQ sauce. Mom’s BBQ sauce was thick, sweet, and slightly tangy — exactly how I like it!
I didn’t find out that her recipe had a bonafide secret ingredient — prunes baby food — until my siblings and I were teenagers. (Knowing how we would have reacted to that knowing that were eating a fruit puree for babies, I can’t say I blame her for keeping that a secret as long as she did!)
With it being grilling season, I thought I’d share my take on my mom’s easy BBQ sauce recipe here in this post! Grab your blender and a few simple ingredients, and you’ll be seconds away from a delicious sauce that’s sure to steal the show at your next backyard barbecue.
How To Make Blender BBQ Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1/2-1 cup brown sugar (for a sweeter sauce, use the higher amount)
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 (2 1/2 ounce) container prunes baby food (my mom’s secret ingredient!)
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp liquid smoke
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Directions:
Get ready for the world’s easiest instructions…
Put all the ingredients in your blender, then blend until smooth. At that point, you can either warm the sauce on your stove or use it as is. And that’s it!
Additions & Substitutions
The recipe above is great as is, but don’t be afraid to add or swap ingredients to make it your own! You can add a dash of hot sauce or cayenne to give it a bit more heat, use less brown sugar, add more garlic — whatever sounds good to you!
One of the great things about this BBQ sauce recipe is that you can make a big batch of it and freeze whatever you won’t use right away. (I suggest pouring the extra sauce into an ice cube tray and freezing it, then transferring the frozen cubes to a ziplock freezer bag!)
What Can I Put Blender BBQ Sauce On?
Brush this easy BBQ sauce on grilled chicken and serve with a fresh salad for a perfect summertime meal. I also love this sauce on a homemade BBQ chicken salad with black beans, corn, red onion, and ranch dressing. So good!
You can brush blender BBQ sauce on meatloaf and burgers, add it to shredded pork or chicken for sandwiches, and even stir into some mayo to make a tangy dip for french fries and onion rings. It’s also great on delicious BBQ chicken pizza too!
More Hot-Off-The-Grill Goodness
Check out these other posts:
Do you have a favorite recipe or dish with BBQ sauce?
Blender BBQ Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- Blender or a bowl and whisk
Ingredients
- ½-1 cup brown sugar to taste
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2½ ounces baby food prunes or prune puree
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp liquid smoke
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to your blender and blend until smooth.
- Warm before using, if desired.
Nutrition
More Ideas You'll Love
I’m not a big fan of BBQ sauce, but if I win the Blendtec blender I will make your recipe and I know it will be my favorite. The Hot Soup feature sounds awesome!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I live in Southern California, and a good bbq joint is hard to find. Thankfully there is Leadbelly BBQ and their house made bbq sauce, three varieties but my family sticks to the spicy sauce.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Lloyd’s is our favorite but my husband also makes a super delicious secret concoction of his own.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It was Famous Dave’s but now it’s Sweet Baby Rays. I would love to win so I could start co up with some of my own recipes. My hubby has dietary restrictions, so to make my own and know exactly what goes in would be nice.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We have a local (I think!) brand called Big B. Very thin and vinegar-y and delish!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love BBQ sauce, I can’t wait to try this recipe! Growing up, my dad always made is own BBQ sauce as well. Every time it was different and delicious. He usually made it based on what we had and the taste he wanted. BBQ chicken salad is the best!!! And of course it would be amazing to win a blendtec! I am dying to have one.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.In South Carolina we make a yummy mustard based sauce.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I wish I could say it was my creation, but it is not. I really like Sweet Baby Ray’s. I make barbecue chicken with it. It is a family favorite
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I actually don’t like BBQ, but I know a lot of people who like it from a place called dreamland in Atlanta!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My Mom’s “go-to” sauce for years was Open Pit brand. I still like it, but it’s hard to find. A Blendtec would be great! Love your blog, Jillee!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My fave BBQ sauce is anything made w/o ketchup. I refuse to use store-bought ketchup so the BBQ sauces that require it are just extra work ;) This recipe looks great!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Sweet Baby Ray’s is our family’s favorite!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My favorite BBQ sauce is Carolina Gold, a mustard based BBQ sauce. Love the tang it adds to my BBQ!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My favorite bbq sauce is Head Country.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love Fairway’s brand “shweeeet” bbq sauce
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I am going to try this recipe. My Mom has a recipe for BBQ sauce that is a secret. Everyone around this area that knows her LOVES it. I hope someday she is going to pass it down. But until then I will continue to use hers and try to maybe recreate it. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Another vote for Sweet Baby Ray’s, it’s the family favorite.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I like Hunt’s Honey Mustard BBQ sauce.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Sweet Baby Rays in a pinch
Please log in or create a free account to comment.otherwise my g-ma’s homemade recipe..not too sweet, kinda tangy….mmmmmmm
I love Sweet Baby Ray’s sauce. But Kraft Honey BBQ is also good. I just buy what is on sale mostly.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I won’t buy store bought bbq sauce anymore due to the sugar and/or preservatives so I’ll definitely be making this one! Thanks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My dad didn’t cook much but he used to make a home Ade BBQ sauce that was amazing. He would simmer it on the stove half the day and the house would smell amazing. I hated when we ran out!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My Favorite is Carolina Tweet!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We love Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce in my house – the honey flavor is our favorite.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love BBQ sauce but my family loves dry rub….I am going to try your recipe maybe I can convince them with this one…also really interested since one of the sugar substitutes is stevia!
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