Barbecue Ketchup Recipe

By
Joshua Bousel
a photo of Joshua Bousel, a Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Joshua Bousel
Joshua Bousel is a Serious Eats old-timer, having started sharing his passion for grilling and barbecue recipes on the site back in 2008. He continues to develop grilling and barbecue recipes on his own site, The Meatwave, out of his home base of Durham, North Carolina.
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Updated April 04, 2025
20140305-285668-bbq-ketchup.jpg
Photographs: Joshua Bousel

Taking a cue from Kansas City barbecue sauce, this ketchup delivers the sweet tang with a little heat, without being overwhelmingly strong.

Recipe Details

Barbecue Ketchup Recipe

Prep 5 mins
Active 3 mins
Total 5 mins
Serves 6 servings
Makes 3/4 cup
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Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup ketchup

  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon molasses

  • 2 teaspoons hot sauce

  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

  • 2 teaspoons of your favorite barbecue rub

  • 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard

  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

  1. Whisk together ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, molasses, hot sauce, Worcestershire, barbecue rub, mustard, onion powder, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container and store in refrigerator for up to a month.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
51 Calories
0g Fat
13g Carbs
1g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 51
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 1mg 0%
Sodium 219mg 10%
Total Carbohydrate 13g 5%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 2mg 8%
Calcium 17mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 147mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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