Amazingly Easy Root Beer Barbecue Sauce

Amazingly Easy Root Beer Barbecue Sauce 

Amazingly Easy Root Beer Barbecue Sauce is the latest condiment recipe I’ve fallen in love with. It is amazing on anything grilled, or even as a great dipping sauce. 

My husband and I were watching a competition cooking show recently, and one of the competitors had to incorporate root beer into a recipe and use it. They made a quick and simple root beer barbecue sauce. Nathan asked me if I wanted to try this out, and of course I did. Because I love a great sauce, and so the Amazingly Easy Root Beer Barbecue Sauce was born! 

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Have you tried this Amazingly Easy Root Beer Barbecue Sauce yet? Come on in and let me tell you about it! 

Amazingly Easy Root Beer Barbecue Sauce Ingredients 

Olive Oil, 1 tablespoon 

Onion, ½ of a medium one, diced 

Garlic, 4 cloves, roughly smashed 

Ketchup, 1 cup 

Root Beer, 1 cup 

Worcestershire Sauce, ¼ cup 

Lemon, 1 medium, juiced 

Orange juice, ¼ cup 

Apple Cider Vinegar, ¼ cup 

Honey, ¼ cup 

Brown Sugar, ½ cup make your own with this recipe 

Ginger, ⅓ teaspoon, ground

Paprika, 1 teaspoon 

Ancho Chili Powder, 1 teaspoon 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

Amazingly Easy Root Beer Barbecue Sauce Directions 

Start by dicing up the onions and smashing the garlic. Be careful how fine you chop your garlic, as the smaller it is, the more likely it is to burn, and nobody wants burnt garlic. I like to turn my knife sideways and use the palm of my hand to tap on the knife and use that to smash the garlic and I’m good to go. A rough smash to bring out the natural oils and flavor in the garlic is all you really need. 

Add the olive oil into a frying or sauce pan, and turn the heat to medium-high. Once the oil is heated up, add in the onions and garlic. Statue them until the onions start to turn translucent. This should take 3-5 minutes or so. 

Start adding in all of the other ingredients in any order you choose. I like to start with liquids, ketchup, root beer, Worcestershire sauce, lemon and orange juice, vinegar, and honey. 

Then add in the dry ingredients, brown sugar, ginger, paprika, ancho chili powder, and salt and pepper. 

If we’re being honest here, it really doesn’t matter what order you add things in after the onions and garlic. I just like to keep it organized by going liquids and then dry ingredients. But the goal is just to get everything in the pan together. 

Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

You should notice that the sauce starts to thicken as it is cooking. If it is still thin at the end of the 20-25 minute mark, let it go a little bit longer until it reaches the desired consistency that you are looking for. 

Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool down a bit. 

Once the sauce has cooled down a bit, pull out a mixing bowl, a strainer, and a spatula. Using the spatula, start pushing the sauce through the strainer and into the mixing bowl. This will push the sauce through the stainer and into the mixing bowl, leaving you with just the solids in the strainer, and those can be discarded when you are done. 

Once you are done, transfer the sauce into an airtight container. These are my favorites. Refrigerate the sauce for up to two weeks. 

Recipe Notes 

One of the best things about making your own sauce is you can totally customize it to fit your preferences! If you want it hotter, dice up chipotle in adobo sauce and add it in. 

If you want it sweeter, add in a little extra brown sugar. Feel free to play around with it to fit your preference. 

This recipe is perfect for outdoor grilling of wings, ribs, and any kind of meat you want. It is also an excellent dipping sauce for fans of barbecue sauce but want something better than the traditional store-bought variety. 

Make it Vegan 

Making this recipe vegan is incredibly easy! Our best friend is vegan, and I’m always looking for ways to substitute simple things in my favorite recipes to make them completely vegan for him. 

For the honey, substitute agave nectar. For the Worcestershire sauce, here is the vegan version of it. 

That’s it! Just two simple substitutions to make this a completely vegan recipe. 

Why I Love This Recipe 

I love the simplicity of this sauce. Anyone of any skill level can make this at home. I’m a stickler about making things myself instead of buying a commercially made product in the store, because I know exactly what is in the sauce (and I can pronounce all of it!) and can customize it to fit my taste. 

It is also more budget-friendly to make things from scratch at home, especially in these times with the prices of everything increasing so much. A well-stocked pantry serves me well, and it will help you too. All of these things make both the prepper and the homemaker in me very happy. 

Discussion 

Have you tried making this Amazingly Easy Root Beer Barbecue Sauce yourself yet? Did you make any changes, substitutions, or additions to it? Are you a fan? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 

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