Barbecue Pizza Sauce Recipe

by
Joshua Bousel
Joshua Bousel is a Serious Eats old-timer, having started sharing his passion for grilling and barbecue recipes on the site back in 2008. He continues to develop grilling and barbecue recipes on his own site, The Meatwave, out of his home base of Durham, North Carolina.
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Joshua Bousel
updated Apr. 17, 2020
20120820-219464-barbecue-pizza-sauce.jpg
Photographs: Joshua Bousel

Recipe Facts

3

(2)

Active: 30 mins
Total: 30 mins
Makes: 4 cups

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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion (about 1 small)
  • 2 teaspoons freshly minced garlic (about 2 medium cloves)
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons molasses
  • 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

  2. Stir in tomato sauce, brown sugar, tomato paste, honey, cider vinegar, molasses, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and oregano. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  3. Using an immersion blender, or transferring to a regular blender, puree sauce until smooth. Use on pizza the same day, or transfer to a jar and store in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Special equipment

Immersion or Regular Blender

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