Quick and Easy BBQ Sauce

I equate beach with barbecue and barbecue with bottled sauces and bottled barbecue sauces with BORING. I've tried so many and I really haven't found one that I love (open to suggestions). They're either too sweet or too spicy or too bland. What is the solution to that?! No, no, no silly, murdering innocent bottled sauces is never the answer. Make your own!! I found this recipe for a quick sauce, adapted it ever so slightly, and it turned out perfect. At least in my book. The BEST combination of sweet, spice and bold flavor.

Quick and Easy BBQ Sauce
Every so slightly adapted from The Cook's Illustrated Guide to Grilling and Barbecue
(Makes 2 cups)
Printable Recipe

1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1/4 cup water
1 cup ketchup
5 T molasses
2 T cider vinegar
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T Dijon mustard
2 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp Tabasco
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 T vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Place chopped onion in food processor with water and process until pureed.


Place mixture into a fine strainer over a large bowl and using a spatula or paper towel, press down in order to squeeze out juice. Set aside 1 T of the solid onion and discard the rest (or save for something else).


To the bowl with the onion juice add the ketchup, molasses, cider vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, liquid smoke, Tabasco and black pepper. This looks like something my brother would have made as a child and dared his friend to drink. Whisk together.


Now it looks normal...


Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and the onion mixture you set aside. Add the chili powder and cayenne and saute until fragrant, about a minute.


Whisk in the sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes until sauce thickens.


We ate ours with crispy, salty, peppery, juicy ribs. Can you tell that I enjoy ribs?


The perfect bite...