Smoky Maple BBQ Sauce

Sweet and smoky saucy goodness is what you get with this homemade BBQ sauce. It’s perfect for all meats and veggies—whether grilled, slow cooked, or air fried.

Reminiscent of Fall, Still Perfect for Summer

Anything smoky and maple-y reminds me of fall. So it might seem odd to push these flavors into what’s seen as a summer condiment, but trust me. It works.

This sauce is perfect for grilled meats on a scorcher of a day, and it’s incredibly comforting simmered in a slow cooker during the cooler months.

Liquid smoke is what brings on the smokiness, and the beauty of it is that you can use as much or as little as you wish. If you like a super smoky BBQ sauce, go wild; if you prefer just a hint of it, be reserved with it.

A lot of BBQ sauces call for brown sugar; some may call for honey. But my Canadian heart opted for maple syrup to sweeten the deal here.

Make sure to get the good stuff, produced at an actual sugarbush.

Ingredient List Quick Glance

*Exact measurements in recipe card below

• Ketchup (store-bought ketchup is totally fine, but if you’ve got homemade ketchup, even better!)
• Apple cider vinegar
• Pure maple syrup
• Brown sugar
• Worcestershire sauce
• Liquid smoke
• Garlic powder
• Lemon juice
• Sea salt + cracked pepper

The Gist on How to Make Homemade BBQ Sauce

1. Whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium-sized saucepan.
2. Pop the saucepan onto the stove and heat the mixture, over medium-high heat, until it starts to bubble. Keep a close eye on it.
3. Once the sauce is bubbling, bring the heat to low, and let the sauce simmer for about 10 minutes, or until it thickens. Whisk it occasionally as it simmers.
4. When the sauce has thickened, remove it from the heat and let it cool to room temperature. Transfer it to a glass jar or condiment bottle with an airtight seal.
5. This sauce keeps in the fridge for up to a week.

Useful Tools for This Recipe

• Saucepan
• Measuring cups + spoons
• Whisk
• Juice reamer
• Funnel
• Glass jars or condiment containers, for storage

Recipe Notes

1. Stick with the suggested amount of liquid smoke to start. Taste test as the sauce simmers, and if you want more smokiness, add more, bit by bit, until you reach your preferred level of smokiness. Liquid smoke is strong, so you want to be careful.
2. If you don’t have Worcestershire sauce, you can swap in soy sauce.
3. The sauce will get thicker as it sits in the fridge.

This Homemade BBQ Sauce Would Be Great On:

• Our famous turkey burger! Skip the ketchup and go for a smoky BBQ slather.
• These pulled pork sandwiches. The recipe includes a vinegar-based sauce, so if you like a thicker sauce, this is a perfect opportunity to squeeze on some of this BBQ sauce.
• Chicken tenders! They go great with a side of BBQ sauce.
• Air fryer pork tenderloin. I’ve made this exact recipe and swapped the maple mustard sauce for this BBQ sauce and it was a hit.

Have You Made This Recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a STAR rating & commenting below with feedback!

You can also show off your creations on Instagram by tagging @killing__thyme

More Homemade Condiments You’ll Enjoy

• Homemade Ketchup
• Green Goddess Dressing With Greek Yogurt
• Homemade Caesar Dressing
• Dill Pickle Buttermilk Ranch

SaveSaved Pin Print

5 from 5 votes

Smoky Maple BBQ Sauce

By: Dana Sandonato

Sweet and smoky saucy goodness is what you get with this homemade BBQ sauce. It's perfect for all meats and veggies—whether grilled, slow cooked, or air fried.

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Want to save this recipe?

Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from us every week!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Email *

Save Recipe

Ingredients 

• ▢ 2 cups ketchup
• ▢ 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 1/4 cup maple syrup
• ▢ 1 TBSP brown sugar
• ▢ 1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1 TBSP liquid smoke
• ▢ 1 TBSP lemon juice
• ▢ 1 tsp garlic powder
• ▢ 1/2 tsp sea salt
• ▢ 1/2 tsp cracked pepper

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

• Place all of the ingredients into a medium-sized saucepan; whisk them until well combined.
• Heat the saucepan over medium-high heat the mixture until the sauce starts to bubble. Keep a close eye on it, stirring occasionally.
• When the sauce is bubbling, reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer for about 10 minutes or until it thickens, whisking it every now and then.
• Once the sauce has thickened, remove it from the heat to cool to about room temperature, then transfer it to a glass jar or condiment bottle with an airtight seal.
• Refrigerate for up to one week.

Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!