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It’s Memorial Day weekend already, and we can’t be the only ones who can’t believe that summer is just around the corner. That means we’re all scrambling to stock up on summer essentials, from marshmallows for s’mores to sunscreen to barbecue sauce. We’ve all had a bottle or two of store-bought sauce in our pantry all summer long, and we’ve even made an elaborate homemade barbecue sauce recipe. But what if you suddenly find yourself stranded? No worries, Martha Stewart has a recipe for an easy, last-minute barbecue sauce, and the best part is, it’s made with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
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This sauce doesn’t even need to be cooked before using, so if you have a last-minute get-together and decide to grill some chicken that you’ve had stored in the freezer, all you have to do is whip up this easy homemade barbecue sauce while the grill heats up and brush it on the meat as desired.
So what’s in Martha Stewart’s simple barbecue sauce? It’s all made with ingredients you have on hand. It’s got ketchup as the base, brown sugar for sweetness, white wine vinegar for acidity, Worcestershire sauce for umami, and paprika and cayenne pepper to round out the flavor. Stewart doesn’t specify the type of paprika to use, but if you like your sauce with a smoky flavor, we recommend using smoked paprika. This tip is especially useful if you’re barbecuing in the oven or on a grill pan, as it gives your food an authentic grilled flavor.
Burlap & Barrel Smoked Pimenton Paprika
You can also customize this recipe to suit your tastes and what you have on hand. If you don’t have brown sugar, you can use white sugar, molasses, or honey. Like it spicy? Use hot paprika and add some cayenne pepper. Any light vinegar can be used in this recipe, from champagne to distilled spirits. You can also add additional spices to your liking. Onion powder, garlic powder, coriander, and black pepper all work well in this recipe.
This means that if you bookmark this easy sauce recipe, you won’t have to rush to buy sauce at the store or spend an hour or two making it from scratch. Just grab some ketchup, open your pantry, and you’ll have homemade BBQ sauce ready in minutes.
Looking for more summer recipes? Giada De Laurentiis has lots:
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