Kansas City-Style BBQ Sauce
on Mar 09, 2020, Updated Aug 15, 2026
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Kansas City-style BBQ sauce is a must-have on beef, chicken, or pork. This sauce is my go-to barbecue sauce to quickly throw together because it is so well balanced and versatile. It gets its tang from the apple cider vinegar, some sweetness from the brown sugar, and a healthy amount of heat from the chili powder.
What is Kansas City-style BBQ sauce?
Generally, Kansas City-style BBQ sauce is a tomato-based sauce that gets its tang from an acidic component like apple cider vinegar and its sweetness from brown sugar. This style of BBQ sauce will almost always have a bit of heat that you will notice at the end, usually from chili powder, red pepper flakes, or cayenne pepper.
What can you put Kansas City-style BBQ sauce on?
- Burnt Ends: these smoked brisket burnt ends went for a swim in this Kansas City-style BBQ sauce and were SO DELICIOUS!
- Chicken wings: try it out on these air fryer buffalo chicken wings – from frozen.
- Pork: check out this recipe for pulled smoked pork butt (shoulder).
- Chicken breast: try these delicious and easy grilled chicken breast.
- Ribs: use it as the sauce for these easy barbecue pork ribs.
- Steak: try it with this grilled flank steak.
Make your own BBQ sauce
Everything is better when it is homemade! You could pick from several BBQ sauces at the store but you likely already have the ingredients you need in your kitchen to put together a delicious BBQ sauce. Plus, you can really control the flavors and modify the ingredients to fit your taste buds appropriately.
How to make BBQ sauce
In less than half an hour you can quickly put together a BBQ sauce following these easy steps. Go on, give it a try!
- Combine ingredients and bring to a boil. Allow it to simmer for about 20 minutes to allow all the flavors to combine and for the sauce to reduce down into a beautiful texture. Stir periodically to avoid burning.
- Cool and store the BBQ sauce. Once the BBQ sauce has thickened and you are happy with the texture, allow it to cool completely. Transfer the BBQ sauce into an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks.
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Kansas City Style BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups ketchup
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 5 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ cup molasses
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp chili powder
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat using a whisk.
- Bring to a boil and then allow it to simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes.
- Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool down before transferring to an airtight container. You can store this in the fridge for about 2 weeks.
Notes
- Stir constantly to avoid burning while the sauce is simmering.
- Store the cooled BBQ sauce in an airtight jar or container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- For longer storage, freeze it in freezer-safe containers or bags for up to 3 months, leaving a little room for expansion. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and stir well before using.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this sauce for a weekend bbq. Sauces three slabs of ribs with it. The sauce is amazing thanks for posting the recipe
Hey Jeff, thank you for the great comment! Glad you enjoyed it!
Can’t believe I’m the first one to comment!
This sauce is really great. You can use it hot as well as cooled down (while it’s increasing viscosity a bit after it cooled down/ Anton Paar confirmed!).
Had a great evening with pulled pork and mojitos!
Hey, thank you for the comment! I am happy to hear that you enjoyed it. I could go for a pitcher of mojito right about now! Cheers!