Spicy BBQ Sauce
On May 08, 2023 (Updated May 07, 2024)
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Looking for the best spicy BBQ around? This homemade BBQ sauce packs a good amount of heat with cayenne and chipotle pepper while still maintaining a classic sweetness. This sauce is an all-purpose sauce that is great on pork, chicken, and much more.
Best Spicy BBQ Sauce
This spicy BBQ sauce is a hot take on a classic Kansas City Style BBQ Sauce. Ketchup-based with a strong note of molasses and that spicy/smoky kick from a combination of cayenne and chipotle peppers. Slather this sauce on smoked ribs, baste it on grilled chicken, or use it as a dipping sauce and condiment for basically anything.
Pair this spicy BBQ sauce with my Hot Sweet Rub recipe for the most amazing, spicy meal. Using these on a rack of ribs creates layers of heat that is unbelievable. If you like your BBQ with a little spice, you’ll love this spicy BBQ sauce!
Ingredients for Spicy BBQ Sauce
Here’s what you’ll need to make this spicy BBQ sauce. These are all pantry staples that should make it easier for you to make this recipe in a flash without having to make an expensive trip to the grocery store first.
- 1 cup ketchup
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons molasses
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
How to Make Spicy BBQ Sauce
Making BBQ sauce is a fairly easy feat. For more information on this process, check out my post for How to Make BBQ Sauce.
- Combine ingredients. Combine all ingredients for the BBQ sauce in a medium-sized saucepan. Heat over medium heat.
- Boil then simmer. Bring the sauce to a boil and then lower the temperature to low and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes.
- Cool and store. Once the sauce has thickened, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool completely. Store the sauce in an airtight container (I like using simple canning jars for my homemade BBQ sauces) for up to 2 weeks.
Tips for Homemade Spicy BBQ Sauce
Here are some tips for making this homemade BBQ sauce.
- Make a day before using. The extra time the sauce has to sit together in the fridge overnight goes a long way in getting all of those flavors to meld together into a more cohesive sauce.
- Store in an airtight container. This helps the sauce stay fresh in the fridge, without taking on any other fridge flavors or odors. It also extends the life of the sauce. I always recommend using homemade sauces within 2 weeks as they taste better and tend to separate over time.
- Start with the recommended amount of cayenne. It will definitely deliver enough spice as is. If you’re a heat fanatic, feel free to increase the amount of the cayenne pepper, chipotle pepper, or both to suit your tastes.
More BBQ Sauce Recipes
Ready to make even more fantastic BBQ sauce recipes in your own kitchen?
Spicy BBQ Sauce Recipe
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Spicy BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup ketchup
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons molasses
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
Instructions
- Make the sauce. Combine all ingredients for Spicy BBQ Sauce in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Simmer. Bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Cool. Remove sauce from heat and allow to cool.
- Use or store. This sauce is ready to be used immediately. Any unused sauce can be stored in an airtight glass container for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious! And no fuss to assemble and heat. I used only one teaspoon of cayenne pepper and none of the chipotle (didn’t have any on-hand); this was the perfect amount of heat for me. We plan to use this as a dipping sauce. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Great spicy BBQ sauce. If you like a little sweet mix with the Honey BBQ.
Love the taste especially the bite it leaves on your tongue. Much better than store bought
Great stuff – I cooked it the other day – added a bit more pepper since I like hot
Great Sauce. Spicy but not overpowering
Outstanding! Much, much better than store bought!