Sticky Molasses Barbecue Sauce
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats and America's Test Kitchen.
Ketchup simmered with molasses, brown sugar, cider vinegar, mustard and chilli into a thick, sticky glaze, then blended smooth.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Soften the aromatics. Melt the butter in the saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion for about 5 min until soft, then stir in the garlic for 30 s.
- 2
Simmer the sauce. Add the ketchup, molasses, sugar, vinegar, mustard, chilli powder, cayenne and pepper. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20-25 min, stirring often so it does not catch, until slightly thicker.
- 3
Blend. Blitz the sauce until completely smooth with a stick blender or in a blender.
- 4
Glaze. Let it cool. Brush onto chicken during the last 10 min of grilling or roasting, turning once, and serve extra sauce on the side.

Cat tip
Brush on late; the sugar burns if it goes on too early.
More from the cat
- Add more cayenne for heat or a little more vinegar for tang.
- No blender? Grate the onion instead of chopping it and it will melt into a smooth sauce.
Storage
Keep in a clean jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- chopping board
- knife
- medium saucepan
- wooden spoon
- blender or stick blender
- clean jar
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 96 kcal |
| Protein | 0.6 g |
| Carbohydrate | 19.1 g |
| of which sugars | 16.1 g |
| of which free sugars | 15.7 g |
| Fat | 2.6 g |
| of which saturates | 1.6 g |
| Fibre | 0.5 g |
| Salt | 0.81 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
0.6 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
