Making your own BBQ sauce at home is so easy, straightforward & delicious. On top of that, there are so many different kinds of BBQ sauce that whipping up your own variation is a great beginner’s kitchen experiment. When I looked in my fridge after a weekend of hosting people who actually drink soda, I was left with a whole 2 liter of Coca-Cola. So of course my first thought was to make some kind of sauce with it. And, since it’s getting warmer out, aka time for grilling, BBQ was the only logical choice.
Ingredients needed
- Coca-Cola soda (any brand of cola will do)
- Ketchup
- Worcestershire sauce
- Whiskey of your choice (optional)
- Apple cider vinegar
- Garlic powder
- Chili powder
- Ground mustard
- Ground black pepper
Equipment needed
- Saucepan or small pot
- Whisk or spoon
- Measuring cups
- Jar or container for storing finished BBQ sauce
How to make Coca-Cola BBQ sauce
I love making sauces. Especially sauces like this where you can pretty much just throw everything in a saucepan, heat it up, then taste, season & experiment.
Most BBQ sauces include any combination of the following ingredients:
- Ketchup
- Brown sugar
- Mustard
- Black pepper
- Vinegar
- Chili powder
- Worcestershire sauce
- Liquid smoke
Another fact about BBQ sauces: There are so many variations in existence that you should never be afraid to explore. If you have a favorite spice or flavor, take a small bowl of your sauce and add the new flavor to it instead of to your entire pot of sauce. If you hate it, don’t add any more. If you don’t hate it, add a bit more to see if you love it. Then add more to your actual saucepan. This is often the way when you’re making sauces from scratch, so have fun with it!
BBQ sauces by region
I’m from Central North Carolina. I grew up eating either really thick, ketchup- and brown sugar-based BBQ sauces OR really thin & heavily-spiced vinegar-based BBQ sauces. Every part of the country has its own BBQ preferences. Each region has its own thoughts about what kind of sauce is best, what types of meats should be smoked, and even when in the cooking process the sauce should be added to the meat. BBQ is serious business!
Of course, personal preferences and the ability to travel allow those lines to blur a bit, but there are still some traditionalists who swear by only mustard-based OR vinegar-based OR ketchup-based sauces.
Check out these posts & infographics to learn more about how BBQ varies based on the geographic region where it’s made.
Eastern North Carolina’s BBQ Preferences:
Source: Fix.com Blog
Kraft Foodservices’ Regional Barbeque Map:
Source: All Q’d Up
Coca-Cola BBQ Sauce
Equipment
- Saucepan or small pot
- Whisk or spoon
- Measuring cups
- Jar or container for storing finished BBQ sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups coca cola soda
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup whiskey of your choice, optional
- 2 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a saucepan or pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to cook until the sauce has reduced by half, stirring occasionally. Let the bbq sauce cool then store in a jar in the fridge. It will be good for use for up to 10-14 days.
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