Memphis BBQ Sauce

Memphis BBQ Sauce is a tangy, sweet barbecue sauce made with molasses, brown sugar, tomato sauce, and cider vinegar. The best BBQ sauce for pulled pork!

Memphis BBQ Sauce is Pulled Pork Sandwiches‘ best friend! This crowd pleasing tangy sweet sauce is the perfect Sauce Recipe for any Summer cookout!

MEMPHIS BBQ SAUCE

This tasty, sticky sweet Memphis BBQ Sauce is so finger-licking good! It’s packed with so many layers of flavor and made completely from scratch in about 30 minutes. Memphis Style BBQ Sauce is a kid-friendly barbecue sauce with the perfect balance between tangy and sweet.

Now down over Memphis, there is a bit of a debate whether a sauce or a rub should be used on BBQ meat. Especially when it comes to pulled pork. This flavorful Memphis Barbecue Sauce has the best of both worlds! It combines Memphis BBQ Rub seasonings with a sticky sweet sauce perfect for any recipe.

A good Memphis BBQ Sauce has a tomato sauce and vinegar base sweetened with both brown sugar and molasses. Molasses is sugarcane syrup that has been refined a second time. This second time around cuts the sweetness of the cane syrup and gives it a slightly bitter taste that is perfect for making barbecue sauce!

Memphis BBQ Sauce is thinner than a Kansas City style sauce since there is no tomato paste and a lot more vinegar. It’s not quite as thin a Carolina BBQ Sauce so you don’t want to use it as mop or marinade. You SHOULD use this Memphis BBQ Sauce in slow cooker recipes like BBQ Beef Sandwiches or toss with BBQ Chicken Wings.

MORE EASY BBQ RECIPES

BBQ Beef Sloppy Joes

BBQ Pulled Chicken

Dominos Sweet BBQ Bacon Chicken (Copycat)

Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs

Tips for Memphis BBQ Sauce

• Add Memphis BBQ Sauce to grilled recipes like Easy Grilled Chicken. Brush meat with the BBQ sauce in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking so the sugar doesn’t burn off.
• Memphis BBQ Sauce is great as a finishing sauce brushed on grilled meat, a condiment, or in shredded meats like pulled pork.
• If you want a thicker Memphis BBQ Sauce, add a can of tomato paste and cook for an additional 5 minutes. The sauce will thicken as it cools, too.
• To make an ultra smooth Memphis BBQ Sauce, use an immersion blender or strain the barbecue sauce when it is finished cooking.
• This barbecue sauce can be canned and stored for up to a year. Use a water bath canning method or a pressure canner.

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VARIATIONS ON MEMPHIS BBQ SAUCE

• Whiskey BBQ Sauce: Add a 1/2 cup Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey to give your BBQ sauce a kick. You may need to simmer an additional 5-10 minutes to get the sauce thick.
• Vinegar: You can substitute white vinegar for the apple cider vinegar, or try fruitier vinegars like Balsamic vinegar for a sweeter tangy barbecue sauce.
• Spicy Memphis BBQ Sauce: Make this Memphis Style BBQ Sauce spicier by adding chipotle powder, more cayenne pepper, or your favorite hot sauce.
• Molasses: Instead of molasses, you can use honey, maple syrup, cane syrup, or dark corn syrup. Be sure to taste and reduce the amount as needed so the sauce isn’t overly sweet.
• Mustard: Make this a cross between a Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce and Memphis BBQ sauce by increasing to a 1/4 cup of yellow mustard. You could also use spicy brown mustard or Dijon mustard in this recipe.

SIDE DISH RECIPES FOR A PULLED PORK SANDWICH

Baked Mac and Cheese

Southern Baked Beans

KFC Coleslaw (Copycat)

Easy Macaroni Salad

HOW TO STORE MEMPHIS BBQ SAUCE

• Serve: Use this sauce right away or chill and store for later. Don’t leave at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
• Store: Place cooled sauce in a glass jar or airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week. 
• Freeze: Cool sauce completely and transfer in 1 cup portions to sealed containers. Freeze Memphis BBQ Sauce for up to 6 months, thawing in the refrigerator before serving.

5 from 5 votes

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Memphis BBQ Sauce

Memphis BBQ Sauce is a tangy, sweet barbecue sauce made with molasses, brown sugar, tomato sauce, and cider vinegar. The best BBQ sauce for pulled pork!

Course Sauce

Cuisine American

Keyword Memphis BBQ Sauce

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 12 servings

Calories 104 kcal

Author Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 yellow onion , diced
• 2 cloves garlic , minced
• 29 ounces tomato sauce
• 3/4 cup brown sugar , packed
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Add oil and onion to a large pot on medium heat.

2. Cook, stirring occasionally until onions are translucent and just starting to brown, about 6-8 minutes.

3. Add in garlic and stir until fragrant.

4. Add in the tomato sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, yellow mustard, chili powder, cayenne pepper, celery seed, salt and pepper to the pot and still well.

5. Cook uncovered for 20-25 minutes until thickened.

6. Use hot or keep in refrigerator until needed.

Nutrition Facts

Memphis BBQ Sauce

Amount Per Serving

Calories 104 Calories from Fat 18

% Daily Value*

Fat 2g3%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 626mg27%

Potassium 369mg11%

Carbohydrates 23g8%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 21g23%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 529IU11%

Vitamin C 6mg7%

Calcium 41mg4%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.