
Best BBQ Sauce for Chicken
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This is our favorite BBQ sauce for chicken. It has the perfect balance between sweet and tangy with a little hint of smokiness. It makes chicken taste amazing! It's also quick to make and easily refined sugar-free.
If you're a fan of BBQ chicken recipes, try our Smoky Gochujang Korean BBQ Chicken or our Grilled Chicken Wings. Both are delicious!

THIS. Yes, this sweet, tangy, smoky, and oh so tasty BBQ sauce that is perfect for chicken. Or perfect for nearly everything you want to taste like delicious BBQ.
How to make the best BBQ sauce for chicken
- Put the ingredients into a pot.
- Let it simmer for 10 minutes.
And just like that, you'll have better BBQ sauce than anything you'll find in a store. So easy!
READ MORE: Baked BBQ Chicken

Of course, you can use BBQ sauce to marinate your chicken before you throw them on the grill, but it has so many more uses.
Here are a few ways to use this BBQ sauce
- Pour it over chicken thighs and bake them in the oven.
- Sear a juicy steak and then add this BBQ sauce at the very end, just long enough to warm it up.
- Brush it onto veggies before you grill them.
- Coat the inside of a portobello mushroom in this BBQ sauce, pop it on the grill then use it as a delicious meatless burger patty.
- Mix a small spoonful into some ranch dressing and use it to smother your burger.
- Mix it into some mayonnaise and make a special dip for your fries.
- Add some to your potato salad for a smoky BBQ potato salad.
- Simmer meatballs in it and serve them as an appetizer. Mmm BBQ meatballs!


Best BBQ Sauce for Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup ketchup (refined sugar-free, if needed)
- ½ cup coconut sugar (can sub brown sugar)
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons EACH: dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce, and sriracha
- 1 teaspoon EACH: garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder
- 6 drops liquid smoke
Instructions
- Whisk the ingredients in a small pot over medium-high heat. Bring the pot to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Prop the lid over the pot to prevent splatters but do not cover the pot completely.1 cup ketchup, ½ cup coconut sugar, ½ cup apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons EACH: dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce, and sriracha, 1 teaspoon EACH: garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder, 6 drops liquid smoke
- Remove the pot from the heat and allow the bbq sauce to cool before using or storing it.
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our BBQ recipes!