Some purists argue that barbecue sauce has no place on pizza, but after one bite of a pie topped with my homemade Barbecue Pizza Sauce (like this one, for instance), I'm pretty sure I could get them all in my corner.
This recipe makes way more than you will need for one or even two pizzas; store the leftover sauce in the fridge and use it to make Barbecue Shredded Chicken, spoon a few tablespoons into your favorite mac and cheese recipe, or serve it as a dipping sauce for oven fries.
Barbecue Pizza Sauce
This BBQ sauce is great for all your barbecuing needs, but it's especially delicious on pizza!
Makes: 5 cups
Cost: $7
Equipment
- Medium saucepan
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow (sweet) onion minced
- 3 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons mustard powder
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon molasses
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté it for 3 to 5 minutes or until soft and translucent, then add the garlic and sauté for just 1 minute longer until fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste and mustard powder and cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes. The paste should turn a dark red color. Pour in 2 cups of water along with the crushed or puréed tomatoes, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, salt, and pepper, and stir until the mixture is smooth.
- Bring the sauce to a bubble, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Stir in the honey and cumin and let the sauce simmer for 1 more hour or until it has reached the desired consistency. (If it gets too thick, thin it out with a little water; if it’s too thin, let it cook a while longer.) Taste the finished sauce and adjust with more salt, pepper, honey, or cumin as needed.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the sauce cool to room temperature, then spread it on your pizza and transfer any leftovers to an airtight container. If you have time, refrigerate the sauce overnight before using. It will get richer and more complex as the flavors have time to meld. The sauce will keep for 1 week in the fridge and 6 months in the freezer.
Video
Notes
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart’s Classic Barbecue Sauce.
Bryan says
This was a super easy BBQ recipe. Delicious too!
John Appleseed says
I made this and it had no smoky of sweet taste, had to mix in a ton of smoky bbq dip to actually make it taste like BBQ.