Lighting up the grill in the summer, cooking your favorite foods, and slathering them in BBQ sauce are some of life’s greatest pleasures. I firmly believe that all of the best foods serve only as dishes for mouthwatering sauces.
You might want to learn how to make your own delicious homemade BBQ sauce now that summer is quickly approaching. The right sauce can make or break your meal, and it’s always one of the barbecue’s most enduring components.
Despite the wide variety of sauces available, it’s crucial to learn some of the fundamental techniques needed to produce a flawless end product. Even some store-bought sauce varieties can be excessively thin and need a little extra effort to become thick and sticky.
The right thickness is necessary for a sauce to be able to coat whatever you’ve cooked perfectly and not slide off as soon as it’s applied.
When using BBQ sauce, there will inevitably be some mess (that’s part of the fun), but you want the majority of it to stay on your food.
So, how should your BBQ sauce be thickened? The best techniques include thinning your sauce with gelatin, tomato paste, or xanthan gum, adding cornstarch or white flour, adding fat like butter, and reducing your sauce.
Continue reading to find out how to use these straightforward thickening techniques, complete with measurements and recipes, so you can master the art of making sauce.
The Top 7 Methods For Thickening BBQ Sauce
Depending on what you have on hand, there are many fantastic ways to thicken your BBQ sauce. You should also think about how the flavor of your sauce may change as a result of these various techniques.
I always advise adding a little extra salt at the very end of cooking for the majority of these techniques in order to intensify the flavors.
Your preferred flavor may differ from mine, but I like to start by adding one-quarter of a teaspoon, stir it in, and keep adding little amounts until I get the flavor I want.
Cutting Back on BBQ Sauce
The only technique on the list that doesn’t call for you to add any additional ingredients to your sauce is reducing your BBQ sauce.
It is also a fantastic choice if you discover that the flavor isn’t quite as potent as you had hoped. Reducing aids in flavor concentration and the production of a thick, gooey sauce.
Step 1:
Put a saucepan with your BBQ sauce over medium heat.
Step 2:
Gently bring the sauce to a boil so that tiny bubbles begin to appear on the surface. To prevent your sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pot, make sure to stir it occasionally.
Step 3:
Once it has reached a rolling boil, reduce the heat to a simmer.
The more time you let the sauce simmer, the more liquid will evaporate, leaving only the steam, which will result in a thicker sauce. You don’t want it to become too thick because it will thin out a little bit as it cools.
Every few minutes, check the spoon’s consistency.
Step 4:
Turn off the heat and allow to cool. Enjoy with the food of your choice.
As you can see, using this method to thicken your sauce is one of the easiest things you can do. But it might end up making the flavors very potent. When saucing your food, you might want to take the less-is-more stance.
Cornstarch Is Used To Thicken BBQ Sauce
You can also add some cornstarch to your barbecue sauce to make it thicker. The thickening process will still need to be started by heating the sauce, but it won’t take as long as it does to reduce.
The most crucial step in this procedure is making a slurry out of the cornstarch and water before stirring it into your sauce.
The cornstarch will end up clumpy and unpleasant if you attempt to add it directly to the saucepan.
Step 1:
Determine the quantity of BBQ sauce you will thicken.
Step 2:
Measure out 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1/4 cup of warm water for every 250 ml of barbecue sauce.
Step 3:
Mix the cornstarch and water thoroughly in a small bowl. There shouldn’t be any clumps remaining because they will mix with your sauce.
Step 4:
A small saucepan should be filled with the BBQ sauce and heated to medium.
Step 5:
The cornstarch mixture should be thoroughly incorporated with the BBQ sauce before being added.
Step 6:
While stirring occasionally, gently bring the BBQ sauce to a boil. Turn the heat to low once it has boiled.
Step 7:
The sauce will thicken after two minutes of stirring. It will get thicker the longer you leave it in the heat.
Step 8:
Take the sauce off the stove and pour it into a bowl or other container. Enjoy!
Regular Flour Can Be Used To Thicken BBQ Sauce
Regular flour can be used in the same manner as cornstarch to thicken BBQ sauce. The measurements are the only thing that differs slightly.
Because white flour contains more of the starch needed to thicken your sauce than whole wheat flour, I advise using it instead of whole wheat.
The most crucial step in this procedure is making a slurry out of the flour and water before stirring it into the sauce to prevent clumps.
Step 1:
To thicken the BBQ sauce, measure the desired amount.
Step 2:
Measure For each 250 ml of BBQ sauce, add 2 tablespoons of flour and 1/2 cup of warm water.
Step 3:
In a small bowl, whisk together the water and flour until completely smooth. To ensure there are no lumps, thoroughly combine.
Step 4:
In a small saucepan, heat the barbecue sauce.
Step 5:
BBQ sauce and flour are combined.
Step 6:
While the BBQ sauce simmers, stir occasionally. Reduce the heat after it has simmered for a while.
Step 7:
Stirring should continue for two minutes. The longer you cook the sauce, the thicker it will get.
Step 8:
Pour your sauce into a container once it’s done and enjoy!
Add Butter to BBQ Sauce to Thicken It
Butter is one of my go-to methods for making a sauce thicker. It gives the sauce a lusciousness and can help balance the flavors.
Although I prefer salted butter, you are welcome to use unsalted butter if that is what you have on hand.
Step 1:
Beforehand, measure out your BBQ sauce.
Step 2:
Make sure to have at least 1 tablespoon of butter ready for every 250 ml of BBQ sauce. I always add an extra heaping tablespoon just to be safe.
Step 3:
Bring the BBQ sauce slowly to a medium heat in a small saucepan after adding it.
Step 4:
Once all of the butter has melted into the BBQ sauce, add it in one tablespoon at a time.
Step 5:
The BBQ sauce should be stirred continuously until it begins to gently boil. Reduce the heat to low once it has started to boil.
Step 6:
As the sauce gradually reduces, continue stirring for two minutes. Keep in mind that your BBQ sauce will thicken as it cooks longer. By adding a little more butter, you can also guarantee the desired thickness.
Step 7:
Remove the sauce from the heat and pour it into a bowl or other container to cool. Enjoy!
BBQ Sauce With Gelatin Thickened
Gelatin is a different option that I like to use to thicken sauces of all kinds. Since it lacks flavor, it shouldn’t significantly alter the flavor of your sauce. Additionally, once thickened, it has a really lovely texture.
You should dissolve the gelatin in water before adding it to your sauce, just as you would if you were thickening it with cornstarch or flour, to avoid creating unappealing clumps.
Step 1:
Determine how much BBQ sauce you want to thicken first.
Step 2:
For every 250 ml of BBQ sauce, add 1 tablespoon of gelatin and 1/4 cup of cold water.
Step 3:
Gelatin and water should be combined in a different bowl until no clumps are visible.
Allow it to bloom for a few minutes to activate the gelatin. If you skip this step, your final sauce won’t have a smooth texture.
Step 4:
Bring your barbecue sauce to a medium heat in a small saucepan.
Step 5:
Heat up the BBQ sauce and then stir in the gelatin mixture.
Step 6:
The BBQ sauce should be gently brought to a boil while stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat after it has continuously boiled.
Step 7:
As the sauce thickens, continue stirring for an additional two minutes.
Step 8:
Pour your sauce into a bowl or other container once you’re done cooking, then enjoy!
Using tomato paste, thicken the BBQ sauce
If your barbecue sauce has a tomato base, this thickening technique works particularly well. Use tomato paste rather than tomato sauce as the latter will cause your BBQ sauce to become even thinner.
Step 1:
Start by bringing your barbecue sauce to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat.
Step 2:
For every cup of BBQ sauce, stir in about 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. This method allows for a little more wiggle room in the process and less exact measurements.
Step 3:
As you stir the BBQ sauce, start to gently simmer it. Turn the heat to low once it has started to boil.
Step 4:
As the sauce reduces, stir continuously for another two minutes.
Step 5:
Before enjoying, turn off the heat and let the food cool.
Xanthan Gum is used to thicken BBQ sauce.
Xantham gum is a fantastic option for thickening because a little bit goes a long way. The amount of work you have to do is reduced because you don’t have to prepare a slurry before adding it to your sauce.
Additionally, it readily dissolves in both hot and cold liquids and gives your sauce a creamy mouthfeel.
Step 1:
Bring your BBQ sauce to medium heat in a small saucepan to begin reducing it.
Step 2:
For each cup of BBQ sauce, stir in 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum.
Step 3:
Bring the BBQ sauce to a gentle boil while stirring. Turn the heat to low once it has boiled.
Step 4:
Stirring the sauce continuously for two minutes. It will become thicker as it cooks for an extended period of time.
Step 5:
Enjoy your sauce after pouring it into a small bowl.
Related Issues
You might have a few more inquiries now that you’re an expert at thickening your own barbecue sauce to make sure you’re grilling and saucing like a pro.
How can I get my sauce to adhere to my food?
There are two steps you must take to ensure that your barbecue sauce adheres to the food you are grilling. First, be sure to generously season your food with salt and pepper.
These seasonings give the sauce texture and a base to stick to in addition to improving flavor.
Additionally, you should wait 2-4 minutes after the meat or vegetables are almost finished cooking before adding the sauce.
Because your food is sweating while it cooks, your sauce may slide right off and into your grill.
Which thickener is ideal for a low-carb or ketogenic diet?
Use the following techniques to thicken your sauce without adding too many extra carbohydrates:
- Cut back on the sauce
- Using gelatin or butter to thicken
- Using tomato paste, thicken
- With xantham gum, thicken
Your sauce will contain more carbohydrates if you thicken it with cornstarch, flour, or another starch. So, if you want a low-carb option, the methods mentioned above are your best bet.
How can slow cooker BBQ sauce be thickened?
You can use any of the aforementioned additions to thicken your sauce in the slow cooker. Make certain that the thickener and sauce are properly incorporated.
The slow cooker can then be set to high and allowed to reduce with the lid off until the desired consistency is reached.
It might take a little bit longer if you want to keep the lid on, but it should still get to the desired sticky consistency.
As you can see, thickening your BBQ sauce has a ton of fantastic options. Don’t be reluctant to experiment in your kitchen with a few different approaches until you find your favorite.
And don’t forget to add a pinch of salt at the very end, unless you’re reducing.
Do you have any tried-and-true techniques for making your barbecue sauce thicker? Please inform me in the comments if so. Have fun cooking!