Classic Kansas City Style Sauce
Elevate your barbecue game with this Classic Kansas City Style Sauce—a rich, smoky, and perfectly balanced blend of sweet and tangy flavors that’s essential for any grilling enthusiast. Made with pantry staples like ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and molasses, this iconic sauce gets its bold depth from Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, and a hint of cayenne pepper for just the right touch of heat. Simmered to velvety perfection in just 30 minutes, its versatile consistency makes it ideal as a glaze, dipping sauce, or finishing drizzle for ribs, pulled pork, or grilled chicken. This must-have barbecue sauce is simple to make and will quickly become your go-to for any backyard cookout or summer gathering.
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 2 cups Ketchup
- 1 cup Brown sugar
- 0.5 cup Apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Molasses
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion powder
- 0.5 teaspoon Ground black pepper
- 0.25 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
- 0.5 cup Water
Instructions
In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, molasses, and water. Stir well to dissolve the sugar and mix the ingredients thoroughly.
Add the Worcestershire sauce, yellow mustard, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper to the saucepan. Mix everything together until well blended.
Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low.
Simmer the sauce uncovered for about 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency.
Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings, if necessary. You can add more vinegar for tanginess, more sugar for sweetness, or more cayenne for heat.
Allow the sauce to cool slightly. Use immediately as a glaze, dipping sauce, or drizzle it over your favorite barbecue dishes. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
1180 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 1.1 g | 1% | |
| Saturated Fat | 0.1 g | 0% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.0 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% | |
| Sodium | 2628 mg | 114% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 300.1 g | 109% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.2 g | 8% | |
| Total Sugars | 259.3 g | ||
| Protein | 1.8 g | 4% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.0 mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium | 286 mg | 22% | |
| Iron | 6.2 mg | 34% | |
| Potassium | 1278 mg | 27% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
