Now that it's officially summer, there's nothing better than having a BBQ for family and friends.  For me, I LOVE grilled meats and yes, I'm usually the one at the BBQ grill, not my husband!  Over the years, I've figured out that thicker meats such as pork ribs, beef ribs and chicken thighs should be pre-cooked before grilling.  This keeps the meat tender and succulent.  After the meat is mostly cooked, finish it off on the grill with a BBQ sauce glaze to caramelize the sugars, provide that mouth-watering shiny coat and accentuate the BBQ grill marks.  Once in a while, I'll slather the meat with sauce just before eating but my meats are usually marinated overnight and basted during grilling to add flavor.  They don't need much more after grilling.

Over the years, I've developed and fine tuned this BBQ sauce.  Many years ago, in my haste, I would pick up a bottle of a very popular BBQ sauce brand and use that without checking the ingredient list.  I decided to look at the ingredients and the first ingredient was high fructose corn syrup.  I was horrified!  Needless to say, I've been warning people to look at their BBQ sauce's ingredient list.  Now I make my own sauce and just keep it in the refrigerator for a quick grilling marinade.  This sauce will keep for several months in the refrigerator so it's handy to make ahead and have around for those times when you need something to liven up your grilled meats!

Tips for this Quick and Easy BBQ sauce

The main ingredients of this sauce is a combination of Chinese Hoisin sauce and Ketchup!  Hoisin sauce is primarily made of fermented soybeans and provides the fruitiness and sweetness.  It can be found in Asian section of most grocery stores.

Ketchup

Most ketchups are made with high fructose corn syrup.  If this is an ingredient that you want to avoid, find natural ketchups that are high fructose corn syrup free.  

Worcestershire sauce

Worcestershire sauce originates from England.  It is a staple in any British or South African household.  I used to put Worcestershire sauce on everything in South Africa until I came to the States.  Worcestershire sauce has a unique combination of tart, sweet and salty. Some Worcestershire sauces are made with fish sauce which provides umami to the dish.  Adding Worcestershire sauce to the BBQ sauce gives the sauce more depth.

Tomato paste

Tomato paste provides a subtle tartness that rounds out the sweetness of the sauce, making the BBQ sauce more complex and interesting.  I like my barbecue sauce slightly tart.  The tomato sauce's acidity also provides the acid that helps tenderize the meat while marinating.

Other ingredients

Other ingredients like garlic powder, soy sauce, smoke flavor, hot sauce all add flavor to the this quick and easy BBQ sauce and is completely optional and depends on your taste.

Storing BBQ sauce

This homemade BBQ sauce can be stored for several months in a squeeze bottle in the refrigerator.  This sauce is perfect for a marinade to allow the meats to absorb the flavor of this delicious sauce, and the acid in the sauce also tenderizes the meat.