Sweet and Smoky Homemade BBQ Sauce

An easy, 20-minute Sweet and Smoky Homemade BBQ Sauce recipe. Make a double batch and keep leftovers in the freezer for ease and convenience!

This Sweet and Smoky BBQ Sauce is what dreams are made of.

With summertime here, it’s time to roll up your sleeves, bust out your basting brush, and get down to some serious grilling business.

My secret ingredient for homemade barbecue sauce is a touch of smoked paprika. It adds just enough of that earthy, smoky flavor without overwhelming the sweetness of the sauce.

Here’s a few ideas on ways to use this BBQ sauce:

Baste it on some pork ribs during the last thirty minutes on the smoker

Serve it as a dip for french fries or onion rings

Toss it with leftover chicken and make Southern-fusion tacos

Add some smoky flavor to your regular pulled pork recipe

Make a Tex-Mex inspired Chicken Tamale Casserole (see the photo below)

Use it as a smoky BBQ marinade

This smoked BBQ sauce will keep in your fridge for about two weeks, but feel free to make a larger batch and freeze it in mason jars for convenient homemade deliciousness throughout the year.

I buy these half pint mason jars like they are going out of style. Some mason jars are labeled specifically for freezer use (like these ones), but I’ve had great success using the regular old canning ones, too.

I also use the half pint jars as drinking glasses when we have people over during the summer. They are so easy to store when not in use!

Spend 20 minutes making this homemade BBQ sauce this week and report back on all of the fun ways you used it!

Please note that Smoky BBQ Sauce Recipe is often misspelled as Smokey BBQ Sauce Recipe.