Smoky Sweet Heat Sauce
Our irresistible Smoky Sweet Heat Sauce is fortified with chipotle, molasses, honey, soy, and more to create a sweet and savory flavor. Slather it on your smoked or grilled meats and become a legend among your friends and family.
Created over 10 years ago, this is my OG sauce for all things barbecue. This Smoky Sweet Heat Sauce has just enough chile to let you know it’s there, with plenty of smoke and savory flavors to keep your mouth watering.
It’s balanced to taste delicious on all different meats and seafood and has an amazing red color to help your food glow.
Perfect Pairings for Smoky Sweet Heat Sauce
- Brisket Burnt Ends
- Smoked Pork Steaks
- Smoked Chicken Thighs
- Pork Belly Burnt Ends
- Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
Key Ingredients You’ll Need
The full recipe is listed below, but there are a few ingredients I wanted to highlight that really help this sauce shine.
- Chipotle powder – This smoky chile also brings the heat, a slow-burning spice that hits the back of your throat. There is just enough in the recipe to let you know there’s a little kick.
- Smoked paprika – Adding this helps to build the smoky flavor profile while also adding color. Use the freshest paprika possible when making this sauce.
- Molasses and dark brown sugar – Both of these are staples in many different BBQ sauce recipes. The combination of the two not only sweetens the sauce but also adds layers of smoky and savory notes.
- Worcestershire sauce – This complex sauce is made from a wide variety of ingredients, and has a long fermentation process. It’s salty, savory, smoky, and tangy – all of which taste delicious in this sauce. It’s very strong, so adding too much can start to change the overall flavor profile.
- Soy sauce – This salty sauce has a tangy, savory note. It’s much more mellow in flavor than Worcestershire and helps to complete the BBQ sauce recipe without overwhelming the palate.
Making the Sauce
Like most BBQ sauces, this one is very easy to pull off. All you need is a saucepan, a whisk, and about 15 minutes.
Add everything to a saucepan and bring it to a low boil. Make sure that you whisk the ingredients together to melt the sugars and prevent them from burning on the bottom.
Turn the heat to a low simmer. Allow the sauce to cook for about 10-15 minutes, whisking on occasion. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon when it’s ready, and it will thicken as it cools.
How Long Does Homemade BBQ Sauce Last in the Fridge?
As long as it’s sealed in the fridge, it will last about 2 weeks. You’ll start to notice that the flavors might change, and after awhile it can get a little sour.
This recipe is easy enough to throw together that you can make fresh sauce when you need it for a cookout.
More BBQ Sauces to Love
This Smoky Sweet Heat sauce might be the original gangsta of BBQ sauce recipes for us, but there are other tasty options:
- Spicy Buffalo BBQ Sauce
- Korean BBQ Sauce
- Mexican Buffalo Sauce
- Sweet Honey Bourbon BBQ Sauce
- Maple Chipotle BBQ Sauce
Smoky Sweet Heat Sauce
Our irresistible Smoky Sweet Heat Sauce is fortified with chipotle, molasses, honey, soy, and more to create a sweet and savory flavor. Slather it on your smoked or grilled meats and become a legend among your friends and family.
- Total Time: 20
- Yield: About 2 Cups 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Whisk to make sure the sugars dissolve and don’t settle on the bottom.
- Reduce to a low simmer for about 10-15 minutes until thickened. Continue to periodically whisk. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon and will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Store the sauce in an airtight jar once cooled. This sauce will stay freshest for about 10-14 days.
Notes
- Make sure you use both Worcestershire and soy sauce. If you try to double down with one, the flavors will either be too strong or too mild.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: Sauces & Salsas
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: BBQ Sauce
