Spicy, slightly sweet without being overwhelmingly sweet, tangy, and smoky, this Spicy BBQ Sauce is my favorite incarnation of all the different styles out there!

Arizona is a strange beast when it comes to BBQ. The different imports of other state styles of BBQ is varied, ranging from the time honored Texas traditions to the more vinegar based sauces of the Carolinas. The smoking of meats is an art, and aficionados boast of their secret BBQ rubs, techniques, and of course, their beloved BBQ sauce concoctions. Grocery stores are flooded with choice after choice of BBQ sauces to slather on grilled meats, to dip fried chicken tenders into, or add into a hearty cowboy beans medley. BBQ sauces range from thick, smokey, molasses forward to a bright, acidic, ketchup base, or even a vinegar forward dipping sauce depending on what region of the country you are in. This, of course, is strictly limited to just the U.S.A. approach to BBQ meats, as every culture has their own approaches and techniques unique to their country. For the sake of keeping this post from being an entire series of books, let’s focus in on the familiar BBQ sauces in the United States, which again could have their own series of books for all the different styles out there.

As a child, I was not a huge fan of BBQ sauce. I think this was because of my natural preference for things that have bright, sharp flavors, and the BBQ sauces of my youth were very sickly sweet. I was definitely much more drawn to the bite of ketchup, and later, the heat and vinegar used in buffalo and other hot sauces. Everything changed, however, when I tried a bone in wing that was a mix of BBQ sauce with Buffalo sauce. It was sweet, tangy, spicy, and there was enough smoke from the BBQ side of the sauce that it made me rethink my apathy towards the sauce as a whole.

This revelation that BBQ sauces could vary so much in taste and texture, depending on the region of the country, provoked a bit of a taste test run for myself. Starting with the grocery store, I tried a variety of different brands that were easy to acquire nationally. Some were wonderful, nuanced and inventive, while some were…not so great. It did point me towards the tangier sauces, with both a punch of heat and the undertones of smoke were the most important points in a BBQ sauce were what I found I most favored and valued.

Bubbling away on the stove, this Spicy BBQ Sauce is a quick one to throw together to result in BIG flavor.

When I first found I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO), I eded up doing a whole revamp on my approach to eating due to many of the medications I was on. I basically had to relearn how to cook with limited vision again, and found that I felt better physically when I made 95% of my food from scratch. Figuring out how to make a great BBQ sauce that did not have a ton of preservatives and sodium and chemicals in it was part of this process. It was a trial and error of trying to incorporate the heat, the smoke, the tang into a homemade sauce that took more than a few tries to get right.

This Spicy BBQ Sauce I have come up with is to me, perfect. It has bright, bold flavors that are not too sweet, bring a nice element of heat from both the Sriracha Ketchup and the red pepper flakes, and it has a perfect viscosity in order to “shellac” your protein of choice while maintaining a perfect dipability for things like potatoes or cornbread. This sauce is delicious right after you make it, but it really shines after sitting overnight to let the flavors really meld together and develop. I have used this to baste BBQ roasted chickens, ribs (for those meat eaters in my life), and the tried and true easy weeknight dinner of pulled BBQ chicken sandwiches in the crockpot.

I couldn’t tell you what region of the country this sauce would best fall into, but the punch of heat and sweetly tangy notes of the apple cider vinegar complement the tones of the beer you use. Though this BBQ sauce may not lay claim to any state, or any secret sauce prizes, to me, it is exactly what I look for when I want to fulfill a BBQ anything craving.

This Spicy BBQ Sauce is fantastic to “shellac” onto your proteins of choice, dip your food into, and makes incredible pulled BBQ chicken.

Spicy BBQ Sauce

Author: Iris Anna Gohn

Servings: 2 Cups

The sauce takes roughly a half hour to complete from start to finish, and it doubles easily if you have a large amount of meat you plan on serving. The recipe, as written, yields 2 cups of the finished BBQ sauce. I recommend blending the sauce with either an immersion blender or in a traditional blender as it creates a gorgeously smooth consistency. This being said, I have absolutely skipped that step before and just made sure to mince my onions and garlic incredibly fine (sometimes I have used a box grater for the onion) and I think only the most discerning of people would really quibble about the slight texture difference.

I tend to favor a red ale for this Spicy BBQ Sauce, but I have also used a hoppier beer such as Sierra Nevada and the ingredients work well with that flavor profile as well. The Sriracha is my secret weapon in this recipe, it adds the heat and complexity from the chilis. If you do not have Sriracha Ketchup available to you, simply make your own by combining ketchup and sriracha as directed as an alternate in the recipe.

If you are not a beer drinker, you can substitute an equivalent amount of chicken stock for the alcohol. I’ve done this as well, and it is a fine substitute.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Butter
1 Cup Minced Onion (1 Medium Onion)
2 Tsp Minced Garlic (3 Cloves Garlic)
2 1/2 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tsp Ground Mustard
1 Tsp Ground Cumin
3/4 Tsp Smoked Paprika
1/4 Tsp Sea Salt
1 Cup (8 oz) Tomato Sauce
1 Cup (8 oz) Sriracha Ketchup (or 7 Oz Ketchup and 1oz Sriracha)
1 Can (12 oz) Red Ale Beer (or beer of your choice)
2 Tbsp Packed Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Molasses
3 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp Butter
2 1/2 Tbsp Cornstarch

Directions:

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and olive oil together. Once the butter has melted, add the onion and sauté for 5-7 minutes, until the onions are translucent and starting to caramelize on the edges.
Add the garlic and sauté for a minute till the garlic is fragrant.
Add in the red pepper flakes, ground mustard, cumin, smoked paprika, and salt to the onions and garlic and sauté for about two minutes. this helps the spices bloom and become very fragrant, but take care to constantly stir as to not burn the spices or the garlic.
Once the spices have become very fragrant, add the tomato sauce, Sriracha ketchup, beer, brown sugar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, and apple cider vinegar to the pot. Stir to combine, bring to a low boil, and simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes. This will help reduce the sauce a bit and let the flavors meld together.
Once the sauce has simmered for 15 minutes, taste and adjust salt level, if needed. If you want less of a vinegary taste, add an additional Tbsp of Molasses. Then, blend with an immersion blender or in two batches in a blender. Blending is not strictly necessary, however it does make the finished sauce incredibly smooth. Return sauce to the saucepan.
In a small sauté pan, melt the remaining butter and whisk in the cornstarch. Cook for 2 minutes, the mixture will be foamy and you want to make sure there are no lumps. Once done, add to the BBQ sauce and stir to incorporate it thoroughly.
Simmer the sauce for an additional 5 minutes to thicken it up. Transfer to an airtight container (I like a good mason jar) and use as needed for your favorite BBQ items.