Sweet molasses BBQ sauce

“Hello, my name is Andrew, and I’m a sauceaholic and condiment hoarder.”

At least that’s what my wife would lead you to believe. Sure, I did have to buy a second refrigerator for all the extra condiments I’d purchased (when I started this project?), but that’s beside the point. I admit to having a weakness for buying new sauces when I run across them, and “collecting” new ingredients to try. What can I say? I’m always on the lookout for a great new flavor. One thing that remains a constant over the years, I love a sweet sticky sauce on my ribs and chicken.  If you like your BBQ sweet, you are going to love this sweet molasses sauce I created.

People have strong opinions about sauce

Kansas City, Memphis, Texas, the Carolinas, and even Kentucky believe it or not, have their own signature flavor profile.  Most of the time this manifests itself in the form of a distinctive sauce or dry rub.  For my personal tastes I love the flavors of the Carolinas on my pulled pork.  Whether that’s a vinegar-based flavor profile from North Carolina or a mustard-based profile from South Carolina, I find them amazing on a fresh pulled pork sandwich.  For beef, particularly brisket, I’m a no sauce kinda guy.  Give me a spicy dry rub and I’ll let the beef do the rest.  For chicken and ribs my favorite is something sweet and smoky, what I would consider a Kansas City or Memphis flavor profile.  This flavor profile is what led me to develop this sweet molasses BBQ sauce.

The process

The process is very simple.  In a medium saucepan combine 1-½ cups of ketchup, 1 cup of Molasses, 4 TBS of Classic BBQ rub, 1 TBS of liquid smoke, and 1 TBS of Worcestershire Sauce.  Continue to stir until sauce starts to bubble.  Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside to cool.  Store in an airtight container until ready to use.  When I make this at home I use sweet sorghum as a substitute for molasses.  I remember growing up as a kid in a farming community and seeing local farmers using their mules to turn a sorghum press and then boil huge kettles of the sweet syrup.  The taste and smell instantly bring me back to my childhood.  Sorghum is not as easy to find as molasses so keep that in mind when shopping for ingredients.  If you can find it I encourage you to try it.  Sorghum is one of those awesome local ingredients that haven’t been spoiled by a huge agribusiness.

5 from 1 vote

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Sweet molasses BBQ sauce

Sweet, sticky, and smoky, this molasses BBQ sauce is amazing on chicken and ribs. Grab a napkin and get ready to lick your fingers.

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Author ilovemeat.com

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 cup Molasses or Sorghum
• 4 TBS of Classic BBQ rub
• 1 TBS Liquid Smoke
• 1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan combine 1-½ cups of ketchup, 1 cup of Molasses, 4 TBS of Classic BBQ rub, 1 TBS of liquid smoke, and 1 TBS of Worcestershire Sauce.
2. Continue to stir until sauce starts to bubble.
3. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside to cool. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Andrew Armstrong