This bbq sauce recipe is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy with jalapeno peppers, bourbon and honey. It's tangy and flavorful and great on anything. Fire up the grill!
Homemade Spicy BBQ Sauce is the Best
We're making some homemade bbq sauce in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen today, my friends. Care to join me? Everyone needs a good homemade bbq sauce recipe, and this one delivers on all levels. It brings a nice balance of sweet and heat and overall flavor that's great on anything for the grilling and bbq season.
Plus, it's very easy to customize to your own preferences, from the heat factor to the level of sweetness to the seasonings used. Feel free to mix things up for a more personal experience.
My preferred version uses jalapeno peppers for a nice level of every day heat along with honey and brown sugar for sweetness, and bourbon for an extra special finishing flavor that we just love.
It's quite a bit like a Kansas City style bbq sauce, with a great balance of heat and sweet.
I like to make an extra large batch and keep it in the refrigerator for quick and easy grilling throughout the week. I'm ready to fire up the grill right now. How about you?
Let's talk about how to make bbq sauce, shall we?
Sweet and Spicy BBQ Sauce Ingredients
- The Peppers (and Veg). I'm using a couple of medium-sized jalapeno peppers for this homemade barbecue sauce recipe for a nice level of heat. Try it with spicier peppers for some serious heat. I also use onion and garlic for flavor and body.
- Tomato Sauce. Tomato sauce is key for the sauciness of the bbq sauce. Most recipes call for ketchup, which is totally fine to use, though ketchup usually has a lot of sugar, so be sure to adjust as needed.
- Apple Cider Vinegar. Apple Cider Vinegar brings the tangy element to the sauce, and is sweeter than white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar.
- Worcestershire Sauce. This is a great flavor builder and perfect for homemade bbq sauce!
- The Seasonings. I use cayenne pepper for extra heat and smoked paprika for a touch of smokey flavor, along with ground mustard and a touch of salt and pepper. You can try other seasonings to your preference, such as garlic powder. Feel free to experiment.
- The Sweet. Honey and brown sugar are perfect for bringing in not only our sweet element for this bbq sauce, but also a nice touch of flavor. If you feel the sauce is too sweet, use one or the other, or cut back on both of them. Maple syrup is a nice substitution.
- Bourbon. Bourbon carries oak and caramel flavors that translate wonderfully to the finished bbq sauce. This gives the sauce a distinctive finish.
- Hot Sauce. Use your favorite! You'll get even more heat, which is what I love.
How to Make Sweet and Spicy BBQ Sauce - the Recipe Method
Cook Down the Peppers, Onions and Garlic. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan to medium heat. Add onion and peppers and cook for 5 minutes to soften. Add the garlic and cook another minute, until garlic becomes fragrant.
Simmer the Sauce. Add remaining ingredients and stir until everything is combined. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes to let the flavors mingle. You can simmer longer if you'd like.
Option 1 - Strain the Sauce. Strain into a serving container and use as desired.
Option 2 - Process the Sauce. Transfer the ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth for a thicker version. Use as desired, or strain to thin it out.
Serve it Up. You can serve this right away, or let it sit awhile to allow the flavors to more fully develop. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container.
Boom! Done! Your sweet and tangy and spicy homemade bbq sauce is ready to go! Use it on anything from the grill, from BBQ chicken wings to bbq chicken pizza, grilled pork chops, grilled chicken, pork ribs, all of your favorites.
Enjoy! Such a great bbq sauce recipe. One of our favorites for sure.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- The Heat Factor. Jalapeno peppers have a nice level of heat for most people, though more serious chiliheads can easily use hotter peppers to really heat things up. Try this bbq sauce recipe with serrano peppers for even more heat, habanero peppers for some serious heat, or ghost peppers for something truly spicy. Carolina Reapers, anyone? Oh boy!
- Bourbon Alternatives. I have made this bbq sauce with tequila and rum as well and loved them both. Give those a try for a nice variation!
- Non-Alcoholic Version. If you'd prefer to skip the booze, use a flavorful broth instead, or skip it entirely. You may need a bit of water to thin out the bbq sauce, though. Toss in some liquid smoke for a smoky pop!
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my homemade bbq sauce recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you. Keep it spicy!
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Sweet and Spicy BBQ Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1-2 jalapeno peppers diced (use hotter if you'd like, such as habanero)
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup tomato sauce (use ketchup for a sweeter version)
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup bourbon (try it with tequila or rum instead, or use broth or apple juice for a non-alcoholic version)
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika (try it with ghost pepper powder for extra hot)
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey (maple syrup is a nice substitution)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (use less or omit for less sweet)
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan to medium heat. Add onion and peppers and cook for 5 minutes to soften.
- Add the garlic and cook another minute, until garlic becomes fragrant.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir until everything is combined. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes to let the flavors mingle. You can simmer longer if you'd like.
- Option 1: Strain into a serving container and use as desired.
- Option 2: Transfer the ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth for a thicker version. Use as desired, or strain to thin it out, plus more vinegar or water to thin as desired.
- You can serve this right away, or let it sit awhile to allow the flavors to more fully develop. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 4/15/22 to include new video and information. It was originally published on 7/21/14.
JW says
can you store this long term? bottle or just water bath can it?
Mike H. says
JW, you can definitely water bath this, but check the pH first. For home preserving, it's best to shoot for 3.5 or lower. Otherwise, you can use a pressure canner.
Bradley Jordan says
Can I can this bbq sauce for later?
Mike Hultquist says
Check the acidity. It is best to be at 3.5 pH or lower for home canning, unless you pressure can.
Colin says
Love this bbq sauce; I used 2 ghost peppers and kept the recipe the same except excluding the cayenne pepper because of the peppers I added. Love. Your website, books, and recipes are just truly irreplaceable because of your tendency to pass on nothing but the recipes and ideas. Keep it coming! Thank you again!
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Colin! I love the addition of the ghost peppers. Perfect! Nice and spicy. Thanks for the kind words!
Inna says
Amazing stuff!!! Thanks
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Inna!
Lorraine T Cepero says
hey! made this over the weekend with ribs it was excelllant! added haberneros jalapenos and serranos!
love your website and recipes!
some other websites go LOW on the spices like 1/8 TEASPOON!? of cayenne!? whats that!? Bring on the heat!
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent! I hear you, Lorraine, bring on the heat for sure! Thanks for sharing!
suzanne bussiere says
Well just made this sauce might I say its a bit hot on the tongue.But very good and spicy.
Know my hubby will love it.
Thank you Mike for all your good recepies.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Suzanne! I hope he enjoys it! Yes, quite a bit spicy, though you can dial that back a bit next time if needed.
Adam says
Very good indeed, thank you. I used dark rum instead of bourbon as that’s what I had at hand, and I’m very pleased with the results.
Mike Hultquist says
Nice! I love it, Adam. Glad you enjoyed it!
Gloria says
This is THE BOMB!! Only changed one thing: went with the hot and deliciously fruity Habanero pepper. So good. Thanks again, Mike. You've become my go to for hot and delicious recipes. As I've told you before, your PuertoRican recipes are so spot on it's like my abuelita is cooking for me. Thanks for this amazing website. 🙂
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome, Gloria! Very happy you enjoyed it! And I greatly appreciate the comments! Happy to be helpful.
Xavier says
Nice recipe here, definitely gonna try it this season.
What can I use as a substitute for mustard
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
You can use actual mustard instead of mustard powder, or omit the ingredient.
David Lister says
Hey man,
I'm keen on making this sauce, I'm not from the US, so when you say 'Tomato Sauce' in the ingredients, what do you mean exactly?
Thanks!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
David, "tomato sauce" here in the U.S. is just processed tomatoes. It is basically a puree of fresh tomatoes. I hope this helps.
Linda says
How long does it last refrigerated ?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Linda, this will last a month or longer, covered, because of the vinegar content. You can also freeze it. I hope you enjoy it.
Bill Hawkes says
Have you ever tried this recipe using spiced rum? If you have, what did you think about it?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Bill, absolutely. Rum would be great here. It's also good with tequila or whiskey/bourbon. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Ruby says
I did and it was fantastic.
Leigh says
Hi Mike,
Dad's jalapeno peppers put to good use again!!
Hunters chicken for dinner tomorrow using this BBQ sauce.
Son-in-law doesn't like BBQ sauce but tried this one and was very impressed .
Thank you
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Yes! I love to hear it, Leigh. Awesome. Glad you enjoyed it!!
Jayne says
Hi
Just wondering what mustard are we talking about, English, Dijon, American Yellow,..... ?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Jayne, the recipe calls for ground mustard, which is a typical mustard powder made from ground mustard seeds, usually yellow seeds. You can use a bottled liquid mustard, though. I would use spicy brown, but any will add some nice flavor. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Jeff Hendee says
If I make an even larger batch to give away or sell at craft fairs, can this be water-bath canned in pint jars?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Jeff, you can definitely water bath this, but check the pH first. For home preserving, it's best to shoot for 3.5 or lower. Otherwise, you can use a pressure canner.
Tarkkonen Raimo says
Good for basting/mopping?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Absolutely!
can I do something else instead of the ketchup ? I try to use mostly home grown but, I don says
This sounds yummy
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Yes, use tomato sauce instead of ketchup, or fresh tomatoes. You may want to adjust some of the sweet if you'd like.