Some of the most rewarding moments for me in the kitchen are when I am able to recreate recipes I didn't think possible. Before I was paleo or knew how to cook, I was addicted to eating large pepperoni pizzas smothered in Ranch dressing and BBQ sauce. Those stories are for a lot longer post and I already wrote it. You can read about the 26 things you didn't know about me or about my struggle with binge eating and bulimia. Being able to make foods at home that blow processed, gmo'ed, junk foods out of the water with taste is really supportive when maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It's also a lot cheaper.
Homemade BBQ Sauce
I have people ask me all the time how to make bbq sauce. You can get on google and there are a few million results on how to make bbq sauce or specifically homemade bbq sauce. I am going to share a super secret, you only need two tools and some fresh ingredients. The two tools you need are:
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That is it. To break down the process for making homemade bbq sauce almost seems too simple to be real. I was thinking about making it an infographic but it would be so small it wouldn't even make a good text message. Here are the three steps to making an amazing homemade bbq sauce:
- Combine all of your ingredients in your pan
- Bring to a simmer for 60-90 minutes
- Blend with your immersion blender and enjoy
One of my favorite things to do is to make double or triple batches of this recipe and keep them in the freezer so I NEVER run out. Seriously, you can use this bbq sauce on anything you can imagine. Some of my favorite ways to use this sauce is on:
- Smothered on Pulled Pork
- On BBQ Ribs
- On BBQ Crockpot Chicken
- Poured over some steak and over easy eggs
- And with a spoon all by itself
What is your favorite recipe to use this BBQ sauce with or your favorite way to eat it? Leave me a comment below so I can try something new.
I feel like that is enough information about bbq sauce today. The only thing missing is the official taste testing research that you get to go start now. Please come back and report your findings so we can update our research :)
Beasty BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 to matoes diced
- 1 white onion diced
- 4 cloves of garlic diced
- 1 6 ounce can of tomato paste
- 1 cup beef stock
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 can of diced pineapple 8 ounces for not to sweet, 20 ounce for sweeter
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients above in a sauce pan and place on stove over medium heat stirring frequently
- Once your sauce starts to boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 60 minutes
- Once your sauce has simmered, turn off the heat and pour your sauce into a blender or food processor and run until you get a nice smooth sauce consistency
- Return to the pan to keep warm or place on the food of your choice
- Store in the refrigerator
- Enjoy
****Disclosure: If you purchase any of the products linked in this post or products through the links on the right side of my page, I receive a small percentage from the respected affiliate programs****
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Can I reduce the sauce in a slow cooker instead of on the stove? Trying to save time…
Could you use fresh diced pineapple instead of canned? Would you add more to make up for less juice?
Hi George. Can I use fresh pineapples? Or, does it have to be canned?
My son is allergic to Pineapple. What could I use as a substitute?
DE. LISH. IOUS!! Omg. I’ve looked everywhere for a BBQ that doesn’t call for sugar and lots of it. This is sweet but spicy. Absolutely perfect. Thank u!!
Yes!!! You are soo welcome
Any one know the nutrition values? particularly sugars and carbs?
Ine came out a little too tomatoe-y. How to fix?
What flavor would you like more of? You can spice it up more or add some cloves to add some depth
For the can of pineapples do I strain it first or just put it in with the juice?
I use the juice for more flavor, it’s your option :)
How long will this sauce stay good in the fridge? Can I freeze it? So delish by the way!! Thank you!!
Up to a week and yes you can freeze it, I have multiple times
This may be a dumb question, but I just want to make sure I’m reading the recipe right….is it ONE 6 ounce can of tomato paste or is at a 16 ounce can…just can’t tell if there is a space between the 1 and 6! Thanks!!
There is a space, I will fix it :) It is 1 (6 ounce) can
I just made this, but subbed the spices with two jalapeños. So spicy, sweet, and delicious! I definitely recommend it.
Oh that sounds amazing
Instead of using fresh tomatoes, I wanted to use a box of the POMI tomatoes since they are wonderful. Do you know about how many cups of diced tomatoes you use so I can measure out the box of diced POMI tomatoes?
about 3 cups
i’m worried about the three tomatoes…how big should they be or better yet what should they weigh? I’m temptet to buy the smaller more flavorsome tomatoes
Buy the smaller ones and use 6. The tomatoes can be adjusted multiple ways in this recipe, no need to be scared
I made this last week and absolutely LOVED it, as did my boyfriend. What a fantastic idea, to use the pineapple to sweeten the sauce! So happy I stumbled across your recipe!
Oh that makes me so happy, it is such a delicious recipe
I made this this weekend and in my opinion 1 tsp of cayenne was way too spicy for my husband and I, but i mixed in some extra mayo and now it is way more palatable! Is everyone else’s batches coming out spicy or is it just me being a wimp ha ha??
We normally do 2 but you have to have tastebuds for cayenne. Glad you adjusted :)
Thanks so much for such a wide variety of recipes. I am tasked with cooking meals for events at my church. I try hard to choose things that are Paleo friendly and also so good that the non paleo eaters never know the difference. I appreciate all the great choices. This week pulled pork with optional Beastly BBQ. After all the great reviews I can’t wait to do my shopping and get to cooking! Thanks for making my life easier.
I’m in the process of making this now and didn’t realise I was out of apple cider vinegar. NOT going to the shop for a 3rd time, hope its not going to make too much of a difference. lol
It will be fine :)
This stuff is amazeballs. I added a bit of liquid smoke but other than that kept it as is. Served it on pulled pork for a party (to all non-Paleo peeps) and everyone raved about it. Thanks, George!
Woohoo, you’re welcome
An absolutely delicious bbq sauce! I made this tonight and can’t wait to smother the pulled pork with it tomorrow that has been marinating in a dry rub for a day. My sauce is not as thick as I wanted it to be. Do you have any suggestions on how to thicken it before smothering my pulled pork with it?
In order to thicken it, you would need to simmer it longer and let it continue to reduce.
Yum! I added a little chili powder and it turned out de-lish. Great recipe, George!
Tastes delicious!
(and peaches also work well in it)
Encore un post assurément plaisant
This looks fabulous! Can you use canned tomatoes?
Sure :)
Will a 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes work for the 3 whole tomatoes?
That sounds about right
How long will this keep in the fridge?
I would freeze it after a week.
Can this be frozen for later use?
Where do you find paleo dijon mustard? Most of the various mustards I’ve come across have non-paleo ingredients. Could you substitute it for another mustard too?
You could… stone ground mustard?
Hi! Curious of there’s any substitute for the mustard or if it can be completely left out? My husband has an allergy to all things mustard (seed, flour, dijon, etc.), so things like bbq sauces, meat rubs, slaws, and even potato or macaroni salads have to be carefully checked before he can eat them. Thanks in advance! =)
You can leave it out :)
Je vais te dire que ce n’est guère inexact …
george, i just had to tell ya that i make this sauce all the time!! it’s the only bbq sauce i ever make so i’ve actually memorized it haha you really outdid yourself with this recipe. totally awesome, buddy!
Hey George
Firstly, I just want to say that your website is my go to site for Paleo! I’ve made sooo many of your recipes and I love them all.
This is my first time making this sauce and so I only made 1/3 of the recipe just to try it. It’s really tomato-ey and so I must have gone a little overboard with the paste or something. I want to try and rectify it and wondered what you would recommend adding? I like a sweet and smokey bbq sauce, not a tomato-ey sauce. Before I ruin it completely by adding more of everything else other than tomatoes, is there anything you’d recommend as a quick fix?
Do you add the juice in from the canned pineapple or do you drain it>
Go ahead and drain it.
4 cups
I’m going to make this today to go with the pulled pork but wanted to ask what type of tomatoes you used? Smaller ones like romas? Or larger like beefsteak? Thanks!
I love Romas!
Hi,
Can you use white vinegar instead of apple cider? I’m making the hickory smoked pulled pork and plan to use this on top!
No, you cannot substitute the two unfortunately.
Do you have a weight of tomatoes or amount of diced tomatoes to be used. 3 tomatoes can vary a lot depending on the size of the tomatoes.
Not really. I’m not huge on measurements when it comes to something as delicious at tomatoes ;) I’m joking. But… I would just use your best judgment.
This is the most awesome bbq sauce!! Love that it’s not only super delicious but composed of just veggies and fruits :)
Used the sauce with one of your chuck roast recipes last night and it turned out tasty!
Glad to hear it!! BBQ sauce is definitely my favorite condiment!
Made this and put it over pulled pork and it was yummy!! Thanks!! :)
Making it now. Do I drain the pineapple??
You can, yes.
How large of a can of pineapple? And do I put the pineapple juice in as well?
Of course it would, go for it
Just the chunks
I only have canned diced tomatoes. Do you think one can would equal the three fresh ones that are called for?
Yes that would work
omg.. this is making my house smell amazing!!!
Woohoo
Great sauce, and Texan approved. :-) I’ve modified it a bit and substituted 1 cup of organic non-HFCS ketchup for the tomatoes and tomato sauce and used garlic and onion powder so I don’t have to puree anything. And no pineapple because it has just the right amount of sweetness. Not Whole30 for sure, but since a little goes a long way, I’m not too concerned about the small amount of sugar. Great flavor!
Awesome thank you
You can find lots of recipes online to make your own (Paleo or GAPS) ketchup. You can also ferment the ketchup so that it has a long shelf life (in the fridge) just like store bought ketchup. It takes about 20 minutes to increase the recipe to yield a quart sized batch (I always make a bigger amount so that I only have to do it a few times a year).
I don’t have beef stock, should I try with chicken or vegetable stock instead?
You sure can
this sauce is great!! it doesn’t have that purely sticky, sugary texture like most bottled bbq sauces have. this is like fresh, healthy sauce, but it has so much flavor. I love the smokiness to it. I also love that I can put it on the stovetop and do some house crap for an hour and come back to it. it gets a great consistency after one hour and doesn’t burn at all.
This is some great sauce. You can tell its not bottled just because it doesnt have that overly sticky texture. You can really taste all the fresh ingredients and i love the smokey flavor it has. The pineapple was a nice addition. I ate it with the pulled pork and cant wait to have it again for dinner tomorrow.
Hi! I made this recipe along with your pulled pork recipe. So wonderful!
Thanks for sharing. Wondering how long the BBQ sauce will keep?
Thanks!
In the fridge about a week but you can freeze it for a few months
You would have to use molasses
Can I freeze this recipe?
Sure can
How long will this sauce keep in the fridge?
About a week in the fridge or a few months in the freezer
About a week or freeze it
Can I use chicken stock in a pinch instead of beef stock?
Sure can
Love this BBQ sauce!
No mine was pretty thick
How long will the sauce stay good in the fridge and can it be frozen?
PS -Your recipes are awesome!
In the fridge up to a week and yes you can freeze it
How long will this keep in the fridge? i’m very excited to give it a try
I have kept it in the fridge for a week or froze it to last longer and use when I need it
How long would this keep for in the fridge??
I have kept it in the fridge for a week and any longer I freeze it. I have had it in the freezer for 3 months
I am planning on doing your pulled pork in the crockpot tomorrow…i do not have any pineapple but I do have some frozen peaches? Could I use them in place of the pineapple? I would probably need to add a little sweetener, possibly a little maple syrup? Any help with this would be great…also I don’t have fresh tomatoes so thinking I might add a bit of tomato puree. Again thank you for your help, this looks like an awesome recipe and can’t wait to try it.
No sweetener needed, just add the peaches and it will work wonderfully. And for the tomatoes, same thing just try and keep the measurements close to what they are
At lunch today I realized I’m eating C4 all day. ;) I had your pancakes for breakfast, pumpkin sliders for lunch, and I have pork in the crock pot now for dinner tonight. It’s a good day. Which explains why I’m here AGAIN getting the recipe for your beasty sauce. Sounds delish. Btw, I wasn’t on pinterest but had to change that after I saw your B&W pic on there…..um, best one.
Haha thank you :)
This recipe is superb! I’m currently doing the 21 Day Sugar Detox and subbed in some chopped up 2 Granny Smith apples for the pineapple, and it turned out great! I blogged about it and put a link back to your site. Thanks for the inspiration!
Awesome thanks Sarah, and thanks for loving me ;)
Super delicious sauce! I added 1.5 tsp of liquid smoke to my sauce and it was really nice. It gave the sauce the smoky flavor I love in BBQ sauce. :)
Awesome Jen
Just made this sauce last weekend to go with pulled pork for a big family gathering, and it was a HUGE hit! I think that my grandpa would have licked the serving dish if he could have. Everybody got a link to your site, so hopefully you’ll see some more comments on here! This recipe rocks!!
Woohoo that is awesome, thank you so much :)
Absolutely love this sauce with your pulled pork recipe! My hubby who is not a fan of pulled pork loved your recipe, so he actually wanted this for his graduation party. We are planning to serve around 70 people and I wanted to see if you ever tried using a pork loin, if so did it turn out just as good? And if I make and freeze it a week before, will it affect the taste? Thanks again for your fabulous recipes and keep them coming!
The loin will not pull the same so no. But yes you can freeze it
Didn’t have any pineapple and there’s a horrible canadian spring blizzard on the go… But I did have some frozen mangos and it worked perfectly with some pulled pork! Yum :)
That sounds delicious
Maybe it’s the brand of ingredients I’m using, but this sauce loses all its spiciness the next day. My wife says that’s characteristic of tomato-based sauces, and that the only thing she’s found that retains the spiciness is crushed red pepper flakes. Am I alone in seeing the spiciness disappear?
Jake your wife is correct. The spicy goes away but the flavors intensify
This looks like a great recipe. Will definitely try it. Not too sure about the pineapple though. I have some molasses might use that instead.
You can leave the pineapple out, you don’t need sweetener in this recipe. It is delish by itself
Will this still taste ok without the pineapple? I can’t have it since I am doing the 21DSD.
Yes it sure will
In the process of making this right now, and so far tastes amazing. Going to have to let it sit in the fridge to gain even more flavor, but for tonight I will spread it on the fire roasted meatloaf.
Bizarre — the sauce lost most of its heat overnight. I had to add sriracha/rooster sauce to it the next day to add back some kick. Anyone else have this happen?
Something bizarre happened to my batch — the heat disappeared from this sauce one day after I made it. I had to throw some sriracha/rooster sauce back in to get some kick. Has anyone else experienced this?
Jake as it sits it will continue to intensify flavors which will mute the spice
OMG… BBQ sauce!! WHOOOOO!!! Guess what I’m making when I get back from the farmers market on Saturday morning??? You totally rock!
Woohoo Lori
Thanks for the awesome sauce!!! Tons of flavor. Love it!!!
Your so welcome Shelly
i would like to use this in my 21-day sugar detox but need to remove the tomato paste — should i account for its substitute with more fresh tomatoes? thoughts? i am really missing tomato based foods on this detox b/c i cant have canned tomato of any sort due to the sugar — so any help in this is soooo apreciated!! :)
If you get a good organic tomato paste it will not have any sugar and you will be all set. The paste helps thicken the sauce
Absolutely amazing! I added about 1/4c of spicy brown mustard and a little extra cayenne and it is absolutely fantastic! Can’t wait for the pulled pork to finish so I can slather it on that too! I will be making this again for sure!
Awesome Stacie Lee, thank you for coming to leave me a comment
This turned out so good! I didn’t have any pineapple, but I did add about a quarter cup of all natural non sweetened applesauce instead. It worked wonderfully!
That sounds delicious, I will have to try that next time Andrea. Thank you
I added 1 large can of pineapple, the recipe doesn’t say what size. Hope it’s ok, as it’s on the stove cooking now.
Colleen I will fix that, I think it was 18 ounces but any size will do to your taste buds
Can I use canned tomatoes? If so, how much would equal 3 “real” tomatoes?
Thank you!
Yes you can. 1 average can should work :)
Exactly what I’ve been craving. My dipping habit has been tough to break, so I decided to give in instead. Made enough for ribs and a container for the fridge. Thanks much!
Woohoo, so glad you enjoyed. I hope you enjoy more
I just made this. It has a nice pineapple flavor but way too much cayenne for my liking and I didn’t even put in the full amount. I wish it could be sweeter but alas I can’t add any while on the whole 30. However, it’s still a tasty sauce.
Sorry you thought it was too spicy. Hopefully you can make it to your liking
The more times i make this sauce i find that its the perfect base for when i want to tweak it for a particular taste or flavor profile. This last time i added liquid smoke, 1tbsp of raw honey and a few sprinkles of cinnamon towards the middle part of the simmer, the complexity of flavor was intense, now it will sit for 2-3 days and go in another batch of your crock pot pulled pork.
You just made me want to cool this again. Sounds so yummy
Great BBQ sauce!!!
I usually don’t care for BBQ sauce but I am making the pulled pork so this would be the time where it wouldn’t be the same without it.
It is so yummy and my family said the same.
I’ll be stealing more recipes in the future.
Thanks very much!!!
You are so welcome. I hope you love them all
This was delicious. My family went back for seconds. What size can of pineapple did you use? Thanks!
28 ounces and I love how delicious it is
Wow, SO GOOD! I made this sauce tonight and slathered it all over a rack of beef ribs and it was just so amazing. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, I will be making it all the time now I am sure!
You are most welcome, so glad you enjoyed :)
As Mother Nature is holding out on the arrival of summer here in the PNW, I made your pulled pork and Beastly BBQ sauce today to fill the house (and me) with warmth and deliciousness. BAM! It totally hit the spot. Thanks for all your great Paleo recipes and motivation for optimal health and wellness success.
BTW, for a milder sweet kick I added 2 Tbsp of coconut aminos and a dash of cinnamon to the Beast instead of diced pineapple. It was yum.
Oh that sounds awesome. I will have to try next time I make this. So glad I could help the gloom :)
sorry to seen maybe silly but what are and where would i fond coconut aminos?i am in england thank u all
Oh your best bet would be buyin it off amazon
thanks alot i have emailed you i think but it was a reply to my subscrition to your email i ear you on the fat burning man interview and i wondering if you recived it at all as i couldnt find your direct email off the site thank you
I did receive it and forwarded it to Abel. I can not legally give medical advice, diet advice or workout advice. I am also not certified in any of that. I just run a recipe website. Sorry
Maybe the tomatoes I used were just gargantuan, but I ended up with a lot more than 4 cups of sauce. I smothered the pulled pork in it, and still have 3 cups left! It’s in a mason jar in the fridge right now, but I think I’ll freeze it for next time. Really great BBQ flavor that accented the pulled pork perfectly!
Next time I might cut down on the amount of tomato, and I bet that will intensify the other flavors even more. Now I’m thinking of all of the other possible uses for this sauce (evil genius mind working… !!).
Haha I use this sauce in everything. My eggs especially
Oooh, barbecue sauce on eggs, I like it!!
This was A++++++ Absolutely heavenly! I made it today for our Meatloaf dinner (ur recipe of course) on Monday. If it tastes better on Monday (3 days) then we are in for a treat!!! Yummy!
Oh it will, just wait :)
I made this a few days ago. The sauce tasted much better the next day than when it came right out of the food processor. So I suggest making your sauce the day before. It didn’t have the smokiness that I like in a BBQ sauce (and I used smoked paprika instead of sweet), but it was very tasty. I might try and up the paprika next time because I like a little more kick in my sauce.
Yes this sauce is perfect about day 3. It only gets better with time
Thank you. I have been wondering what to do about BBQ Sauce and viola! Here it is :D
I hope you enjoy it :)
made this yesterday and poured beastly mess all over my kitchen trying to get this in the blender ;) i do believe i would marry you and have shredded prok and memphis-style ribs as our reception meal if i weren’t already commited ;) your recipes make a paleo heart melt like butta in a pan, waitin’ for its eggs!
Haha this is by far the best comment I have ever gotten. Thank you
This sauce went over so well with my crew–even my sister, who HATES BBQ sauce was a fan. Awesome recipe!
Oh thats awesome so glad even the tough ones enjoyed it
Awesome Toni, thanks for stopping by and letting me know. I can even get to the Paleo hating children, High five :)
Just had to pop in and let you know that this recipe is fantastic!! I made it today to go with the cave-hubby smoked pork shoulder and the reviews were 5 stars all around!!! (Even from my ultra snooty, "You're not gonna make me eat paleo" 17 year old daughter!!) The only things I did different: I took about a cup of the final product and added honey to eat to cut the spice for my 9 year old, and the rest of it was simmered uncovered for an additional hour to thicken it. YUM!!!! WTG George!
As I said on the other post, I made this along with the beef and it was great. I also wanted to say it went really well over fried eggs and mixed with scrambled eggs. Thanks!
You are most welcome, thanks for stopping by
Just a note to say thanks, and the printer friendly version link was handy too.
Yes you can freeze it robert and that is Extra Virgin Olive Oil
hi would i be able to freeze it ? also whats the 8th ingredient? evoo?
thanks
Well Alex I just kept mine in the fridge for a week before I used it and all it did was help spread the flavors even more. I would say your safe with a week or two but no more
How long would you say this keeps in the fridge? Looks like a tasty combination!