How to make barbecue sauce - an easy step by step guide

Like many things in cooking, barbecue sauce is one of those things that you buy, until you finally make it yourself, then instantly realise that home made is ten times better than bought.

This sauce gets made all the time in our house. It’s scrummy poured over meat, like pork belly strips, or sausages, before you cook them, or you can bubble it away a little to thicken it up, then serve it as a condiment with any sort of roast meats, burgers or chicken.

It’s delicious and really easy. I promise once you’ve made it once, you’ll be making it all the time! If you’ve got lump-phobic children, you can give it a quick whizz with a hand blender for a smoother finish too.

You will need:

1 tbsp oil

1 red onion, finely chopped

Pinch of smoked paprika

About 1 tsp fresh ginger

4 tbsp cider vinegar

2 tbsps runny honey

2 tbsps brown sugar

1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

2 tbsps soy sauce

Pinch dried chilli

2 tbsps tomato purée

So firstly, pop the oil in a saucepan, and gently fry the onions until they’re starting to go a bit translucent. Grate in the ginger (I keep my ginger in the freezer and grate it straight in), sprinkle over the paprika then basically just add in all the other ingredients.

If I’m cooking sausages, lamb chops or belly pork strips, what I do now is spoon about half of the mixture over the meat (make sure you line the tray with foil as the sauce does caramelise), and pop them in the oven for about half an hour.

With the rest of the sauce or if you just want it to serve with burgers or at a barbecue, just simmer until it thickens. It will keep in the fridge for a few days too.

Check out my slow cooked barbecue pulled chicken as well.