Honey BBQ Sauce: A Sweet, Smoky Homemade Sauce in 20 Minutes

Honey BBQ sauce recipe

This makes about 2 cups. Simmer gently in a heavy saucepan, stirring every few minutes, because the sugars in honey and ketchup can catch on the bottom.

• 1 cup (240 g) ketchup
• 1/2 cup (170 g) honey
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon or yellow mustard
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, pinch of cayenne (optional)

Method

Whisk everything together in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Lower the heat and cook, stirring often, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. It will thicken more as it cools. Taste and adjust: more vinegar for tang, more honey for sweetness, more paprika for smoke.

When to brush it on

Any sugary sauce burns over direct heat, and honey browns even faster than brown sugar. Cook the meat with a dry rub first, then brush the sauce on during the last 10 to 15 minutes, turning once or twice so it caramelizes without charring. Serve extra sauce on the side.

Which honey to use

Barbecue sauce is bold, so it welcomes a honey with character. Pure Raw or Wildflower gives a rounded, classic sweetness. Replacing a quarter of the honey with Buckwheat adds a molasses-like depth that tastes like a sauce from a smokehouse. Because the sauce is simmered, crystallized honey is perfectly fine to use.

Variations

Adjust the base to match a regional style or your taste.

• Honey mustard BBQ: double the mustard for a Carolina-style tang
• Honey bourbon: add 2 tablespoons bourbon and simmer 5 minutes longer
• Honey chipotle: add 1 or 2 minced chipotles in adobo for smoky heat
• Honey garlic: add 3 cloves fresh minced garlic
• No ketchup: use tomato paste thinned with water and a little extra vinegar

Storage

Cool the sauce, then store it in a clean jar in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks, or freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Always use a clean spoon, and never return sauce that has touched raw meat to the jar; set aside a portion for basting and a separate portion for serving.

Honey BBQ chicken wings

Wings are the most popular use for honey BBQ sauce. For crisp oven wings, pat 2 pounds of wings very dry, toss with 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt, and bake on a rack set over a sheet pan at 425°F for 40 to 50 minutes, flipping halfway, until crisp and cooked to at least 165°F. Warm 3/4 cup of honey BBQ sauce and toss the hot wings in it right before serving. The baking powder dries the skin so it crisps without frying.