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American · Southern US

Kansas City-style barbecue sauce

Non-vegetarian

Thick, sweet, tangy and smoky tomato barbecue sauce with molasses, brown sugar and cider vinegar — the style most people picture when they think of American barbecue sauce.

Kansas City-style barbecue sauce is an American sauce from United States, ready in about 35 minutes and made with tomato ketchup, apple cider vinegar and molasses. It serves 20 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep
5 min
Cook
30 min
Total
35 min
Serves
20
Level
Beginner
Calories
50

Ingredients

20 servings (about 2 tbsp each)

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Whisk (opens in a new tab) everything together in a saucepan (opens in a new tab) until smooth.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Bring to a simmer, then cook gently, stirring often and partly covered (it spits), until thick and glossy.

    • 25 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: Thick sugary sauces spit and are very hot; stir with a long spoon.

  3. Step 3

    Cool and pour into a clean jar. Brush on meat only in the last 10–15 minutes of grilling, as the sugar burns easily.

    Food cooking over a grill
    How it looks · Photo: Malte Luk on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Kansas City, Missouri, United States · Commonly attributedMore food from United States
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Sauces
Cooking method
Simmered
Taste
sweet & sour, smoky, sweet, tangy
Diet
Pescatarian · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat · DASH-style
With the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo), Eggetarian, Lacto-vegetarian, Ovo-vegetarianWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Batch cooking
Cook more with
Tomato ketchup · Apple cider vinegar · Molasses · Brown sugar · Worcestershire sauce · Prepared mustard
Techniques
Simmering

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Fishfrom worcestershire sauce
  • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom worcestershire sauce
  • Contains: Mustardfrom tomato ketchup, prepared mustard, chili powder (blend)
  • May contain: Celeryfrom tomato ketchup, worcestershire sauce, chili powder (blend)
  • May contain: Sulphitesfrom worcestershire sauce, prepared mustard

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

50 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 35 g · recipe makes 20

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 3%
  • Carbohydrate 95%
  • Fat 2%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy50 kcal143 kcal
Protein0.4 g1 g
Carbohydrate12.8 g36.6 g
Net carbohydrate12.5 g35.7 g
Sugars10.9 g31.3 g
Added sugars——
Fibre0.3 g0.9 g
Fat0.1 g0.3 g
Saturated fat0 g0 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium265 mg758 mg
Salt equivalent0.7 g1.9 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
148 mg
Calcium
19 mg
Iron
0.5 mg
Magnesium
15 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
15 µg
Vitamin C
1 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
2 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: cayenne / chilli powder.
  • Smoked paprika: Sweet paprika data; smoking does not change the nutrients meaningfully.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Taste once it has cooled — the sweetness and tang settle; adjust with more vinegar or sugar then.

Common mistakes

  • Brushing sauce on at the start of grilling — the sugar chars before the meat is cooked.

Serve with

  • Ribs, burnt ends and brisket
  • Grilled chicken
  • Pulled pork sandwiches

Storage

  • Refrigerate in a jar up to 3 weeks.

Variations

  • Memphis-style (United States): Thinner and tangier, with more vinegar and less sugar.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Goes with

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

The spice and seasoning backbone

Spices, masalas & pastes

Make Tex-Mex chili powderUsed in step 1

Masalas in this recipe

Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

  • Dry spice blend

    Tex-Mex chili powder

    This recipe uses 1 tsp (2.1 g for 20 servings (about 2 tbsp each)).

    Make Tex-Mex chili powder

Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

Reviews & corrections

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