A Little Background on this Barbecue Sauce Recipe
Just like our ketchup recipe, this barbecue sauce recipe without corn syrup came about due to allergies. Whether you spell the sauce barbeque, bbq or barbecue, it is all tasty. Barbecue sauce recipes are not that hard to find. They widely vary based often on cultural and regional backgrounds. We are no exception. Our barbecue sauce recipe is based on Appalachian cooking within the Tri-State area of Kentucky, West Virginia and Ohio.
This area is very unique in its diversity. You can get some of the best cuisine in some hole in the wall in the middle of no where, surrounded by the beautiful Appalachian mountains. For this reason, we are blessed to have a lot of cultural influences in what would have been otherwise a relatively bland diet. So let’s learn how to make a bbq sauce without high fructose corn syrup (or any type of corn) with an Applachian twist. Once you learn the basics, you’ll be modifying this recipe to make it your own tradition.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Below, we will teach you how to make this barbecue sauce recipe without corn syrup in just a few simple steps.
Step 1: Gather the Ingredients
The first step is to being successful is to gather up the ingredients. We will only need a few simple ingredients for the base. As you get good at making it, you will be finding yourself making your own secret BBQ sauce!
There are some decisions to make. You can make your own ketchup or buy it from the store. If you purchase it, you need to make sure it is free of corn. If you choose to make your own, you don’t have to go through all the steps, you just need the ingredients found here. You will simply add the ingredients to the ones provided below and cook it all in one step.
For the vinegar: you can use either white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Apple cider is best for that distinctive flavor, but white will do a very nice job if that is all you have on hand. Yes, you can try other types of vinegar. Now when it comes to umami, you will need to chose between Worcestershire or soy sauce. Do be mindful of soy sauces as the American generics will often sneak corn into the ingredients list. For the types of sugar: we recommend a combination of sorghum or molasses and brown sugar, but you can use honey, white sugar or a combination of sugars. And you can add a little bit at a time to get the right amount of sweetness. You can also add more if you like.Once you have made these decisions, it’s time to combine the ingredients.
Step 2: Combine your Ingredients
You are going to start out with the ketchup we made prior. However, you don’t have to make the ketchup ahead of time. You can simply add the ingredients in all at once! Otherwise, you can use store bought ketchup provided you get one without corn added.
We need to do a little prep work. In a small bowl, pour in your mustard. Stir in the water, a little at a time so that it thins out. Failure to skip this step will result in bits of mustard throughout your barbecue sauce.
In another bowl, combine your brown sugar and spices. The spices are entirely optional and you can add them in the end to taste, but they work best being slow cooked in. In a medium sauce pan, whisk together your ketchup, brown sugar mixture, watered down mustard, molasses, apple cider vinegar and worsterchire sauce or soy sauce. If you have non-stick sauce pans, do not use a metal whisk. Instead, whisk the ingredients together in a medium bowl then transfer to the saucepan and stir with a heat proof spoon suited for your cookware. You can add these all in at once or a bit at a time. I like to add a bit at a time to prevent making too much of a mess. First I add in the sugars.
Then I add in the soy or worsterchire sauce.
Finally, I add in the liquid. If you are not refraining from alcohol, this is the time to honor those Kentucky roots. Get out your favorite Kentucky bourbon whisky and pour in a tablespoon or two. This is to taste. By the way, alcohol does not cook out, so keep that in mind. Next, I’ll stir in the water and vinegar. This doesn’t have to be in any particular order and it can be added in all at once. The only real crucial step is to thin out the mustard to prevent lumps.
After everything is whisked together, you are ready to cook your barbecue sauce. This can be done in a crock pot for several hours or on the stove top within 30 minutes.
Step 3: Cook your Sauce
When cooking barbecue sauce, just like ketchup, you cannot walk away from the stove. Tomato based sauces will “plop” as they heat up and this heated sauce can make a mess very quickly.
You will want to stir the sauce constantly until it begins to “plop” and then continue to stir for another 2 minutes. Once the two minutes has passed, turn the heat to a low simmer and cover for 10 – 30 minutes, carefully removing the lid away from you and stirring every 5 minutes. Cook as long as you like to get the desired thickness. For best results, get the BBQ sauce up to at least 180°F (82°C) but below 210°F (99°C) for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Cool
Turn off the heat and allow your barbeque sauce to cool before serving. You can transfer it over to a heat proof container at this time or just leave it in the saucepan. This will take 30 – 60 minutes.
We like to store our sauce in a wide mouth canning jar.
Step 5: Serve
You are now ready to enjoy your barbecue sauce without corn syrup! I hope it was worth the wait. We think so.
Substitutions and Tips
Here are some common substitutions and tips for this barbecue sauce recipe without corn syrup.
- If you have non-stick sauce pans, do not use a metal whisk as stated above. Whisk the ingredients together in a medium bowl, then transfer to the saucepan and stir with a heat proof spoon suited for your cookware.
- Make it in a crock pot! Use a medium bowl instead of a sauce pan to combine ingredients. Transfer to your crockpot and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until the temperature reaches at least 180°F (82°C) for 10 minutes.
- You can replace the onion and garlic powders with fresh onion and garlic to taste.
- Use any type of pepper. From black to the hottest you can think of, it is about you and your taste.
- Try changing up the spices. Add in some hot sauce, cinnamon, or chilis.
- Alcohol can be omitted.
- Do not allow the sauce to come to a full boil as it will scorch the flavors and can make a mess while cooking.
Storage
To store, let cool. Then transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator up to 5 days. The BBQ sauce may last longer than that, but that is as long as we feel comfortable using it, due to the lack of preservatives. BBQ sauce does freeze pretty well. It will need to be thawed overnight or reheated. It will separate as it thaws, so you just need to stir it back together.
The Recipe
Below you will find the barbecue sauce recipe without corn syrup along with a video tutorial on how it is made. If you didn’t read the above step-by-step directions, now is the time. Here at Jackson’s Job, we strive to stick to the details about the recipe with very little fluff. You may actually learn some valuable skills along the way. So scroll back and at least skim over our efforts to make this a rewarding and successful bake!
Barbecue Sauce Recipe without Corn Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240mL) ketchup
- ⅓ cup (60mL) apple cider or white vinegar
- 2 tbs (28g) brown sugar
- 2 tbs (40g) sorghum or molasses
- 2 tbs (30mL) worcestershire sauce or soy sauce
- 1 – 2 tbs (15 – 30mL) bourbon
- 1 tbs (15g) yellow mustard
- 1 tsp (2g) ground black, cayenne, chipotle or paprika pepper
- ½ tsp (1g) onion powder
- ½ tsp (1g) garlic powder
- 1 – 2 tbs (15 – 30mL) water
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir mustard, gradually adding water until it thins. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar and spices. Set this aside.
- In a medium sized sauce pan, whisk* together the ketchup, brown sugar mixture, watered down mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire (or soy sauce), molasses (or sorghum), and bourbon.
- On medium to medium low heat, stir constantly until the sauce begins to boil, "plop" or form large air bubbles if you briefly stop stirring. Once this begins, stir continuously for 2 minutes.
- Lower heat to a simmer or the lowest setting, cover and allow to cook 25 – 45 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until thickened. For best results, get the bbq sauce up to at least 180°F (82°C) but below 210°F (99°C) for 10 minutes.
- Cool in sauce pan, then move to air tight container. Store in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
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