Paula Deen Barbecue Sauce

Paula Deen barbecue sauce takes 1 hour 10 minutes and just white balsamic vinegar, tomato puree and brown sugar to make a tangy, thin Southern-style sauce. It's an easy homemade BBQ sauce for cookouts, game day, potlucks or Sunday dinner, and it's a no-cook recipe you whisk together in one bowl.

Let the sauce sit covered for a full hour before you use it, because that wait lets the cumin, garlic and mustard blend into the vinegar. Skip it and the flavors taste sharp and separate instead of rounded.

Paula builds this on white balsamic vinegar instead of the usual cider vinegar, so you get a lighter, tangier sauce that's less sweet than bottled ones. It also needs no stovetop time at all, which means you can mix it in minutes and brush it on whatever you're grilling.

Paula Deen Barbecue Sauce

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: AppetizerCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking timeminutes

Calories

25

kcal

A thin, tangy sauce with a gentle sweetness and a warm backbone of cumin and black pepper. Everything whisks together in one bowl, then rests so the spices soften into the vinegar.

Ingredients

• 1 cup white balsamic vinegar
  

• 1/2 cup tomato puree
  

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
  

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  

• 2 teaspoons ground Black pepper
  

• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
  

• Kosher salt
  

Directions

• Combine the ingredients: Add 1 cup white balsamic vinegar, 1/2 cup tomato puree and 1/4 cup brown sugar to a medium bowl. Then add 2 teaspoons each of ground cumin, garlic powder and black pepper, plus 1 teaspoon ground mustard and a pinch of kosher salt.
• Whisk until blended: Whisk everything together until the brown sugar dissolves and the sauce looks smooth. Then taste it and add a little more salt if you like.
• Rest the sauce: Cover the bowl and set it aside for about 1 hour before serving. That rest gives the spices time to mellow into the vinegar.
• Store and use: Pour the sauce into an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. It makes about 1 1/2 cups, which is plenty for basting a few racks of ribs or a whole chicken.

Tools for this recipe

• Pyrex 3-piece glass mixing bowl set, OXO 11-inch balloon whisk, OXO silicone pastry brush, Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 3 lb. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use regular balsamic vinegar instead of white balsamic?

You can, but the sauce will turn much darker and taste sweeter and heavier. White balsamic keeps it light and tangy, so if you only have regular, use a little less brown sugar to balance it.

How long does homemade barbecue sauce keep in the fridge?

Paula says it keeps for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Give it a quick stir before each use, since the spices settle at the bottom.

Can I make this barbecue sauce ahead of time?

Yes, and it actually tastes better if you do. The flavors keep blending as it sits, so making it a day before your cookout works well.

Do I need to cook this sauce on the stove?

No, this one is just whisked together in a bowl and left to rest. For a thicker sauce, you can simmer it in a saucepan for a few minutes, though that's my own tweak and not part of the recipe.

When should I brush it on the meat?

Brush it on during the last few minutes of grilling or baking, because the brown sugar can scorch over high heat. It also works as a dipping sauce at the table, so set a bowl out for serving.