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    You Are Here Home » Sauce Recipes

    Published: Oct 24, 2020 Updated: Oct 25, 2020 by Hilda Sterner | This post may contain affiliate links Leave a Comment

    Spicy Vegan BBQ Sauce

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    bbq sauce pin

    This Spicy Vegan BBQ Sauce is so delicious, you can say goodbye to store-bought BBQ sauce for good. It's super easy to prepare and ready in under 15 minutes! The sauce has a nice spicy kick, yet is sweet, tangy, and is everything a good barbecue sauce should be. It's great drizzled over an Impossible Burger, or to dip your fries or onion rings into. Of course, if you're not a vegetarian, you can slather some on my Instant Pot Ribs recipe or in Pulled Pork sandwiches.

    bbq sauce in a jar with some bbq chicken on a plate

    Why This Recipe Works

    This Spicy Vegan BBQ Sauce is the perfect recipe for those times when you reach for your favorite barbecue sauce only to find the bottle empty. Don't you just hate that? Luckily, making BBQ Sauce couldn't be any easier.

    Using ingredients that you most likely already have at home, you can make a fantastic Vegan BBQ Sauce. Just dump the ingredients into a saucepan, whisk, and simmer for around 10 minutes.

    If you're not a vegan, it's ok, I'm not either. In fact, you'd never know it's a vegan recipe if I hadn't already spilled the beans. 😉

    What Goes Into This Recipe

    labeled bbq sauce recipe ingredients

    You will also need some HP Sauce to make this Vegan BBQ Sauce recipe. HP (House of Parliament) Sauce is a UK original and reminds me of a mixture of Heinz 57 and A1 Steak Sauce.

    hp sauce bottle being held over a pot of sauce

    Recipe Ingredient Notes

    • Molasses — Molasses has a deep, rich flavor. It's usually used to make gingerbread, but it's also an excellent sweetener to use in barbecue sauce. If you need to, you can substitute the molasses with brown sugar. It gives the BBQ sauce a richer flavor than fructose corn syrup ever could.
    • Liquid Smoke — Liquid Smoke is usually used to give meat or jerky a wonderful smokey flavor. It's also excellent in this homemade BBQ sauce and adds a wonderful smokey flavor. However, a little goes a long way. Start with ½ a teaspoon and add more if you want the sauce smokier.
    • Vinegar — Vinegar adds acidity, which is needed to balance out the sweetness of the molasses. If you don't have apple cider vinegar, you can use white or red wine vinegar instead.
    • HP Sauce — The reason I use HP sauce instead of Worcestershire sauce is that HP sauce is vegan, while Worcestershire sauce is not. It also happens to be delicious and contains tamarind, which I absolutely love! If you can't find HP Sauce, you can use vegan Worcestershire sauce instead.

    How to Make This Recipe

    1. Add all ingredients into a small saucepan and whisk to combine.

    bbq sauce ingredients in a sauce pan
    whisking bbq sauce in a small saucepan

    2. Add HP sauce for vegan BBQ sauce, or Worcestershire sauce for non-vegan BBQ sauce.

    adding hp sauce to vegan bbq sauce

    3. Simmer, covered, over low heat, for approximately 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

    4. Serve with ribs, burgers, or use to baste BBQ chicken. Store the remaining sauce in the refrigerator for later use.

    Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips

    Is BBQ Sauce Usually Vegan?

    BBQ sauce is usually vegan, however, there are some that are not. One of the main ingredients to watch out for is Worcestershire sauce, which contains anchovies.

    Using HP sauce instead of Worcestershire sauce makes this a vegan BBQ sauce recipe.

    What are the main ingredients in barbecue sauce?

    The main BBQ ingredients include tomato paste, sauce, or ketchup. BBQ sauce also contains vinegar, sweeteners like honey, brown sugar, or molasses.

    Spices, crushed red pepper, liquid smoke, garlic powder, and onion powder are also found in most barbecue sauce recipes.

    • This is a pretty forgiving recipe so you can be flexible with the ingredients.
    • Honey, brown sugar or maple syrup can be used instead of molasses.
    • My Spicy Vegan BBQ Sauce has a bit of a kick. If you prefer a less spicy sauce, skip the cayenne pepper and/or the crushed red pepper flakes. Another option is to use a little of each and slowly add more until it has the right amount of heat.
    • Store the barbecue sauce in a squeeze bottle (purchase at the dollar store) for later use.
    • If you want to kick this recipe up a notch, you can add a tablespoon or two of your favorite whiskey before you simmer the barbecue sauce.
    • Stir this BBQ sauce in baked beans or use it to make some barbecue chicken pizza.

    bbq sauce in a jar with chicken in the background

    Related Recipes

    • Homemade Chili Sauce Recipe
    • Spicy Korean Bibimbap Sauce
    • Savory Cherry Reduction Sauce (for lamb or pork)
    • Honey Mustard Sauce for Ham

    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

    Stay in touch with me through social media @ Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

    BBQ sauce in a small jar with bbq chicken in the background

    Spicy Vegan BBQ Sauce

    Delicious, Spicy Vegan BBQ Sauce in under 20 minutes!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Condiments, sauce
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 20 Tablespoons
    Calories: 62kcal
    Author: Hilda Sterner

    Ingredients

    • ¾ cup ketchup
    • ¼ cup molasses
    • 1½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
    • 1 teaspoon chipotle pepper
    • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
    • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
    • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 tablespoon HP sauce (or Worcestershire Sauce- non-vegan )

    Instructions

    • Add all ingredients into a small saucepan. Whisk to combine.
    • Add HP sauce for a vegan version, or Worcestershire sauce for non-vegan BBQ sauce.
    • Simmer, covered, over low heat for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    • Serve with ribs, burgers, or use to baste BBQ chicken. Store the remaining sauce in the refrigerator for later use.

    Notes

    • This is a pretty forgiving recipe so you can be flexible with the ingredients.
    • Honey, brown sugar or maple syrup can be used instead of molasses.
    • My Spicy Vegan BBQ Sauce has a bit of a kick. If you prefer a less spicy sauce, skip the cayenne pepper and/or the crushed red pepper flakes. Another option is to use a little of each and slowly add more until it has the right amount of heat.
    • Store the barbecue sauce in a squeeze bottle (purchase at the dollar store) for later use.
    • If you want to kick this recipe up a notch, you can add a tablespoon or two of your favorite whiskey before you simmer the barbecue sauce.
    • Stir this BBQ sauce in baked beans or use it to make some barbecue chicken pizza.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1TBS | Calories: 62kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 114mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 12g
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @HildasKitchenBlog or tag #HildasKitchenBlog!
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