Texas-style Barbecue Sauce

In the Lone Star State, sauce may be contentious. Central Texas barbecue, in particular, focuses heavily on meat, and dousing your barbecue with sauce is frowned upon.

Some even argue that having sauce on the table is a sign of poor quality barbeque.

However, in a state with a population of about 30 million people, there are many individuals who want their barbecue spicy.

It’s smokey and peppery, making it ideal for hearty foods like beef brisket, ribs, and chopped beef.

This recipe will show you how to prepare a traditional, Texas-style barbecue sauce that will provide a wonderful, savory spice to your BBQ.

What is Texas-style barbecue sauce?

While the style and taste of sauce vary by location in Texas, the original Central-Texas barbecue sauce is a savory, tomato-based sauce with a peppery edge.

Texas-style barbecue sauce is similar to Kansas City-style barbecue sauce, except it is less sweet and has more black pepper in it.

Some restaurants use ketchup in their sauce, but I think tomato paste is a far superior method to create a strong tomato taste without unnecessarily sweetening the sauce.

Because this sauce has less sugar than its Kansas City equivalent, it may survive the heat of the grill or smoker throughout the cooking process better. However, to keep the sauce’s integrity, add it at the conclusion of the cooking procedure.

Ingredients you’ll need

This sauce is fast and simple to create using items you most likely already have on hand.

Butter

As with many excellent dishes, this Texas staple begins with butter. For this dish, you may use either salted or unsalted butter.

White onion

Onions give the dish a delicious kick. I like white onion, but you can also use sweet onion or yellow onion instead.

Make careful to dice your onions as finely as possible so they combine easily after the sauce is finished.

Water

A couple of glasses of water are all that is required to give the sauce a smooth, flowing consistency.

You may also use chicken broth or beef broth to enhance flavor, but make careful to reduce the salt if you do.

Tomato Paste

Tomato paste is an excellent way to add tomato flavor without diluting the sauce too much.

Brown Sugar

In order to add a touch of sweetness to this sauce you want to add a bit of brown sugar.

You may use either light brown sugar or dark brown sugar, but I prefer light brown sugar so that the molasses taste does not overrun the sauce.

Honey

Honey is the sauce’s second sweetener. You may use whatever honey you have on hand, but I like Texas Wildflower honey. I find that the flavor is sweet, but not overpowering and it compliments the other flavors in the sauce wonderfully.

Apple cider vinegar

Vinegar should be added to the sauce to provide tang and acidity.

For this recipe, you may use distilled white vinegar or rice vinegar, but I like apple cider vinegar since the tastes complement the other components of the sauce well.

Lemon Juice

To add additional level of acidity and tang, squeeze the juice of a big lemon.

You may also use store-bought, pre-squeezed lemon juice for this recipe, but make sure it is concentrated.

A concentrated juice will have an overpowering citrus taste and will dominate the other components in the sauce.

Worcestershire sauce

I like to add Worcestershire sauce to this dish for a little more flavor.

It gives the sauce a nice savory taste and helps balance the sweetness of the brown sugar and honey.

Spices/Seasonings

You may experiment with the spices in this sauce to get the taste you like.

I keep it basic with paprika for a smokey taste, celery salt, coarse-ground black pepper, chili powder, and kosher salt.

Tools you’ll need

Medium-sized saucepan or pot

This dish requires a saucepan or pot with a capacity of at least 2 quarts. I like to use a pan since the sauce comes to a boil quicker, but a pot works just as well.

Choose one with a cover, since the sauce will need to boil with the lid on for around 20 minutes.

Large spoon or silicone spatula

Any spoon or tool you normally use to make sauce will work nicely for this recipe.

I like to use a silicone spatula (rather than a wooden spoon) since the sauce does not adhere to it.

Blender

I suggest mixing the sauce once it has done simmering to give it a uniform consistency without bits of onion in it.

I prefer to use an immersion blender right in the pan that I make the sauce in, but if you don’t have one, you may use a conventional blender instead.

Mason jar (or similar storage container)

Because you can keep this sauce in the fridge for up to a week, I suggest using a container with a lid rather than wrapping a bowl with plastic wrap.

You want a container with a good seal to keep your sauce from deteriorating, therefore I think mason jars are the ideal way to preserve homemade barbecue sauce.

What to serve Texas-style barbecue sauce with

This sauce has a powerful, peppery bite and is more savory than sweet.

It’s a flexible sauce that goes well with a variety of smoked meats, including brisket, chopped beef, smoked turkey, and chicken.

Because it does not have a high sugar content, it can endure the heat of the grill extremely well. However, as with other sauces, you should wait until the very end of the cooking process to ensure that it does not burn.

It’s also a tasty sauce to offer with your meal.

Here are a few dishes that go excellent with Texas-style barbecue sauce:

• Smoked brisket
• Smoked turkey wings
• Texas-style smoked turkey breast
• Whole smoked chicken
• Smoked chicken thighs