Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Sauce

Sweet or Spicy? Can’t decide which sauce you like the best? You’ll get the best of both worlds with this sweet and spicy barbecue sauce. Great for all meats– beef, chicken, and pork. This sauce is perfectly balanced with the spicy and sweet taste we all love.

 

There are some really good bbq sauces on the market shelves today. You will find honey, garlic, sweet, spicy, mustard, sticky, dark, light, and so on. And yes, I have a few in my pantry now. They are not expensive, and they save time when you are in a hurry. But, there are times when I like to make my sauce from scratch. And this is one of those times where I wanted and nice sticky sweet and spicy barbecue sauce. And in all fairness, I believe my Homemade Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Sauce tastes better than the store-bought brands. 🙂

In only a few steps, you too can have a bbq sauce your family and friends will love. Be warned; this is a spicy sauce. If you are serving this sauce on meats to family or friends, let them know ahead of time this sauce is not for the weak-mouthed person. No, seriously, it does have a kick, but my family (who is used to eating spicy cooking) can eat this sauce with no problem. It has just enough heat to savor and linger in your mouth after the first bite.

What To Add To Barbecue Sauce To Make It Spicy?

Chili Garlic Sauce and Sriracha Hot Sauce are the ingredients I use to make this sauce spicy. At the moment, I am in love with this Garlic Chili Sauce. I am using it in a lot of my recipes. It has a super spicy kick and adds thickness to the top of my meats or sauces. It’s kind of like a spicy sticky kick that gives my food just what I am looking for. If you are leery of the heat, use less and taste as you go. You be the judge as to when it’s hot enough for you. Even if you use less, the flavor and the spice will still be what you are looking for in a good sauce.
Chili Garlic Sauce is hot, spicy, tangy with just a touch of garlic. A little goes a long way. Again taste as you go and definitely use less if  so desired. It will leave a spiciness on your tongue after the first bite. You want to taste and enjoy your home-cooking, not blow a fuse while you are eating it. 🙂
Sriracha Hot Sauce is made of chili peppers, sugar, garlic, vinegar, and salt. Depending on the brand, the taste will vary. It’s basically tangy, sweet, garlicky, and spicy hot. And the label is correct– It’s HOT! If you are looking for a good hot sauce, I highly recommend this one.

BBQ Sauce Ingredients and Spices

garlic
oil
Chili Garlic Sauce– found in the International section of the grocery store
Soy Sauce
Brown Sugar
Apple Cider Vinegar
Sriracha Hot Sauce
black pepper

Make Your BBQ Sauce from Scratch

Saute garlic in oil over med-low heat for about 2 minutes or until brown.
Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.

Tips and Variations to Make this BBQ Sauce the Best for You

Spiciness— if you are looking for a sauce with a little less spice, then cut back on the Chili Garlic Sauce and the Sriracha Hot Sauce. You can undoubtedly substitute ketchup to make up the difference in the ingredients.
Sweetness— If you like a sweet bbq sauce, add a little more brown sugar.
Thickness— If the sauce is too thick, dilute with a little more apple cider vinegar or water. Add a spoonful at a time until you get your desired consistency.
Add Molasses-– Molasses seems to be more bitter than sweet. It’s great for bbq sauce and is also great for balancing out the sweetness.
Ketchup— Keep in mind that some kinds of ketchup contain a lot of sugar. This will alter the taste depending on how much is substituted in this recipe.

How to Store Leftover Sauce?

This sauce keeps well in the refrigerator for up to a week or two. I usually don’t have any left when I make it for grilling. I tend to go heavy on the sauce and use all of it at one time. But, if you do have some left, it will store nicely in the refrigerator. I have found the best way to keep leftover bbq sauce is in a Mason jar with a tight-fitting lid.

For another Easy Homemade BBQ Sauce, be sure to check out this recipe. 

Buffalo Chicken Tenders are great with this sauce.

Try some of this Sweet and Spicy Sauce on your Pulled Pork sandwich. 

For more on How to Tone Down Spicy BBQ Sauce, check out this link.