If you’re looking for an easy bbq sauce recipe, this Root Beer BBQ Sauce is for you! It’s sweet, tangy and perfect for topping pork or chicken!
I have such fond memories of this recipe for Root Beer Barbecue sauce. When I think of this recipe, I think of being a new Ohioan, living in our condo in the middle of nowhere. One of our favorite things to do on the weekends was go to Barnes & Noble or Borders – RIP – and look at books.
These were the days before we knew how much cheaper books are on Amazon, so inevitably I would scour the discount book section or the cookbook section and come up with a new book to buy and ravage- I think this is where my obsession with cookbooks began.
One day, I bought this huge monumental Bon Appétit cookbook- this thing is like 800 pages thick. I have always found that I learn so much from cookbooks, and I will read them like regular books. While I was going through it, I came across a recipe for root beer barbecue sauce, and I was intrigued. It sounded good, and unusual, and unlike anything I have ever tried before.
[Actually, one of the things that I remember most about this recipe was the half cans of root beer that I bought to make the sauce. It was around Halloween, and they were black cans with Batson pumpkins on them. We had them forever, because generally we don’t drink a lot of soda, so I would only use one whenever I made the sauce.]
Anyway, the sauce is absolutely delicious. It’s sweet-yet-tangy, and easy enough to mix up on the stove while you’re cooking your chicken on the grill. I think everybody is apt to think that making barbecue sauce is difficult, or not worth the effort, or time-consuming, but none of those are true.
How to make BBQ sauce using root beer
Making barbecue sauce involves dumping everything into a pan and putting it on medium low heat on the stove until it’s thick. It’s always nice to have a recipe for it in your back pocket, because at least for me, it always seems to be a condiment that I am out of whatever I need it! I ought to take my own advice with my pantry staples list…
If you liked this easy Root Beer BBQ Sauce recipe, check out these recipes using BBQ sauce:
- BBQ Smoked Pork Belly
- Crockpot Spicy BBQ Cocktail Meatballs
- Spicy BBQ Baked Beans
- Perfect BBQ Pork Chops
Tools needed to make the best root beer BBQ sauce:
- This recipe could not be easier! All you really need is a [easyazon_link identifier=”B00NAU8VYY” locale=”US” tag=”gogogogo03-20″]small saucepan[/easyazon_link] and a nice [easyazon_link identifier=”B00004OCNS” locale=”US” tag=”gogogogo03-20″]whisk[/easyazon_link] and you’re good to go!
Root Beer BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup root beer
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/4 c lemon juice
- 1/4 c orange juice
- 3 T worcestershire
- 1 1/2 T dark brown sugar
- 1 T light molasses
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk together, then simmer on medium-low until the mixture has reduced to approximately 1 1/2 cups, about 20 min.
- Stir frequently to keep from burning.
Blair says
Such a delicious flavor combo, Jacqueline! I just made some Root Beer Barbecue Chicken in the slow cooker last week and it was such a hit with all of my boys that I decided I should make it again and take some photos for the blog. So easy, but so great.
Hope you’re having a good long weekend!
Blair says
Is there a recipe for the sauce? 🙂
Go Go Go Gourmet says
Oh jeez. What an idiot I am.
Jen says
I bet this sauce is incredible! And I love how simple it is to whip up. BBQ chicken is one of my faves. Definitely trying this sauce soon!!
Go Go Go Gourmet says
Me too! Gotta love something that is “throw it in the pan and turn the stove on!”