Memphis-Style Barbecue Sauce Recipe

By
Joshua Bousel
a photo of Joshua Bousel, a Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
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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Updated Aug. 30, 2018
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Whether there is a true style to a sauce in a city that prefers their barbecue "dry" is a debate for the ages. Through the rumblings I'm sure will follow, what is fairly solid is as we move east from Kansas City, barbecue sauce starts to transform from thick and sweet, to the thinner and tangier kind.

This "Memphis-style" is my favorite to make at home—it takes the aspects of sweet tomato-based sauces I grew up on, but by dialing back the sugar and amping up the vinegar, creates a sauce where seasonings and spice are more defined and achieves a pleasing balance between the main defining aspects of a barbecue sauce.

It's also a champion of usability. This thinner sauce bakes into tasty layers and caramelizes beautifully. It creates a flavor-packed sheen when finished on ribs and is an excellent consistency for dipping.

Recipe Details

Memphis-Style Barbecue Sauce Recipe

Cook 30 mins
Active 45 mins
Total 30 mins
Serves 20 servings
Makes 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1 small onion, finely chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 cups tomato sauce

  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar

  • 1/3 cup rice vinegar

  • 1/3 cup molasses

  • 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

  • 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar

  • 2 teaspoons yellow mustard

  • 1 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce

  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

  1. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

  2. Add tomato sauce, cider vinegar, rice vinegar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, mustard, hot sauce, salt, black pepper, and cayenne and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  3. Transfer sauce to the jar of a blender and blend until smooth. Let cool to room temperature, transfer to a jar and store in refrigerator for up to a month.

Special Equipment

Blender

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
43 Calories
1g Fat
8g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 20
Amount per serving
Calories 43
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 1g 4%
Cholesterol 3mg 1%
Sodium 219mg 10%
Total Carbohydrate 8g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0g 2%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 2mg 12%
Calcium 22mg 2%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 190mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)