Gluten Free BBQ Sauce is made with 5 ingredients in just 2 minutes. Just a little bit spicy with a touch of sweet honey - it has all the flavor, but doesn't require any cooking. Perfect on top of a burger, or to dip some chicken tenders in!
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Barbecue sauce has always been one of my favorites. Whether on top of Sloppy Joes, to dip chicken nuggets in, as a sauce for beef, or to glaze the perfect barbecue ribs on the grill - a good barbecue sauce is nothing short of a necessity.
Now, a lot of brands have gluten-free versions so grabbing the store bought version might seem like a great lazy option. But, at just 2 minutes, I'd say this no boil gluten-free barbecue sauce is the true lazy option. No dirty pans, no slow simmer, just 2 minutes and you're done!
Why you will love this recipe
- It's quick - done in just 2 minutes
- It's easy - just measure, mix, and serve
- It has only five ingredients, and most of them are kitchen staples
- No cooking required - I never found the cooked versions to be any better anyway, so why bother?
- Just a little bit of spice, so you can serve it to almost anyone
What you need to make it
Ingredient notes
- Liquid honey is easier to mix in with the rest of the ingredients than regular honey, but they can be used interchangeable. If using a more solid honey, microwave it for 15 seconds before adding to make it blend better.
- Honey can be substituted for sugar - preferably brown sugar
- If you have it - add in some cooking liquid from your meat, for example when making pulled pork. It takes this barbecue sauce from delicious to legendary! If using, add ½ dl or ¼ cup for one batch.
How to make sure your ingredients are gluten free
The main gluten culprit is wheat, but it can sometimes be difficult to know if a product actually contains wheat or not. Here are some specifics to look out for for this recipe:
- Honey, liquid smoke and salt are always gluten free
- Check the labels of your ketchup and Worcestershire sauce - the main ingredient to look for here is malt vinegar or any other vinegar made from grains. But you never know, depending on the brand there could be some other gluten lurking there as well.
- Tomato ketchup is generally gluten free, especially from the "big brands" (I always use Heinz Ketchup* which is gluten free)
- Worcestershire sauce is often gluten free, but not always. I use Lea & Perrins* but this is only guaranteed gluten free in the US, so make sure to check the label to find a gluten free worcestershire sauce. Here's a guide to which brands are generally safe.
How to make it
- Start by placing all your ingredients in a jar or bowl
- Mix
- And done! You are ready to serve your homemade gluten free bbq sauce.
Tips & tricks
- Make it vegetarian with a homemade, vegan Worcestershire sauce substitute
- Make it vegan by also switching honey for sugar
- Adjust the seasoning to suit your palate - make it sweeter with more honey, spicier with more Worcestershire sauce or smokier by adding more liquid smoke
- You can add different flavors to give this sauce a fun twist - for example a touch of bourbon or a dash of hot sauce
- If making meat to go with this sauce - add some of the cooking liquid to the sauce, to take it to the next level
Storage instructions
Store leftover gluten free bbq sauce in the refrigerator in an air tight container. Assuming your ingredients are fresh to begin with, and you are handling them with clean tools and using a clean container, it will be good for up to a month.
Recipe FAQ
Whether or not BBQ sauce is gluten-free or not depends on the ingredients you use. This recipe is gluten-free, but I still recommend checking an extra time that the ingredients you're using really are gluten-free, especially if you have celiac disease.
Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and vinegar are common ingredients for BBQ sauce that are not always gluten free.
Store bought barbecue sauces are sometimes gluten free, and many brands have gluten free options.
You can use sugar - preferably brown sugar - instead of honey.
What to serve with it
Barbecue sauce is delicious with so many things - on a burger, to dip fries in, or with anything barbecued. Use it as a marinade, a glaze or a sauce - or all three at the same time!
Here are some great options to use this gluten-free bbq sauce for:
- Steak
- Oven-baked Chicken Tenders
- Air Fryer Potato Wedges
- Chicken Wings
- Turkey Burgers
- Slow Cooker Pork Ribs
- Pulled Pork
- Sausage Rolls
- BBQ Chicken Pizza
Did you love this recipe? Rate it five stars!
...and let me know what you loved about it in the comments.
Recipe
2-minute Gluten Free BBQ Sauce
Print Pin RateIngredients
- ¾ cups ketchup*
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce*
- 2 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 2 teaspoon honey
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Taste test and adjust seasoning if needed.¾ cups ketchup*, 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce*, 2 teaspoon liquid smoke, 2 teaspoon honey, 0.5 teaspoon salt
Video
Notes
Ingredient notes
- Liquid honey is easier to mix in with the rest of the ingredients than regular honey, but they can be used interchangeable. If using a more solid honey, microwave it for 15 seconds before adding to make it blend better.
- Honey can be substituted for sugar - preferably brown sugar
- If you have it - add in some cooking liquid from your meat, for example when making pulled pork. It takes this barbecue sauce from delicious to legendary! If using, add ½ dl or ¼ cup for one batch.
How to make sure your ingredients are gluten free
-
- Honey, liquid smoke and salt are always gluten free
- Check the labels of your ketchup and Worcestershire sauce - the main culprit to look for here is malt vinegar or any other vinegar made from grains. But you never know, depending on the brand there could be some other gluten lurking there as well.
- Tomato ketchup is generally gluten free, especially from the "big brands" (I always use Heinz Ketchup* which is gluten free)
- Worcestershire sauce is often gluten free, but not always. I use Lea & Perrins* but this is only a guaranteed gluten free in the US, so make sure to check the label to find a gluten free worcestershire sauce. Here's a guide to which brands are generally safe.
Tips & Tricks
- Make it vegetarian with a homemade, vegan Worcestershire sauce substitute
- Make it vegan by also switching honey for sugar
- Adjust the seasoning to suit your palate - make it sweeter with more honey, spicier with more Worcestershire sauce or smokier by adding more liquid smoke
- You can add different flavors to give this sauce a fun twist - for example a touch of bourbon or a dash of hot sauce
- If making meat to go with this sauce - add some of the cooking liquid to the sauce, to take it to the next level
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an air tight container - it will be good for at least 1 week assuming the ingredients are fresh to begin with
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate and automatically calculated, and should only be viewed as an indication.
Allison
I LOVE BBQ sauce and this one looks incredibly easy to make!
Emmeline Kemperyd
It sure is!:D
Beth
Now here I am slaving over a hot stove to make BBQ sauce, when lo and behold, I see this. Delicious and incredibly easy, it will be my new go-to recipe! Thanks!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Love to hear that Beth - let me know how it turns out!
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
This sounds like such a tasty barbecue sauce! Love that it is gluten free so my husband can have it too!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Yes, that's great! Thanks Bintu!
Anjali
I didn't know it was so easy to make BBQ sauce from scratch at home! This turned out to be so good - I'll never need to buy store bought sauce again!
Emmeline Kemperyd
So happy to hear that, Anjali! Thank you!
Dannii
We love making our own BBQ sauce. We like to make it really smokey.
Emmeline Kemperyd
Mm smokey is my favorite too! Yum!
Lauren
Hi, i ended up here while looking for Burger King barbecue dipping sauce. May I know if this is similar? Like for burgers and nuggets or this is used as marinade for ribs?
Thanks!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi Lauren! This is quite similar to that I'd say - more for dipping than for marinading either way. I love to dip some baked chicken tenders in it! Hope you enjoy!
Lauren
Great! I'll try this on burgers. Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. Appreciate it!
Emmeline Kemperyd
And I appreciate your comment! I think it's gonna be amazing on burgers - would love for you to let me know how it turns out! 😀
Jill
I really like the addition of liquid smoke. I didn't know you could make a BBQ sauce so quickly! I'll have to try it!
Emmeline
Thank you Jill! Yeah the liquid smoke makes all the difference!
Juli
I wish I had seen this two days ago when I had to make an emergency BBQ sauce run, I even have liquid smoke on hand! I will try it for next time though!
Emmeline
Oooh next time!! Thanks for commenting Juli!
Chris Collins
I've always wondered how to make BBQ sauce, can't believe it's this easy!
Emmeline
It's as easy as you make it 😉 Some versions would have you cook it for hours... but nah I haven't got the time! 😉 Thanks for commenting Chris!
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
I'm definitely going to be giving this a try! We love barbecue sauce in my house.