Name: Simple Hodges BBQ Sauce Recipe For Everyday Meals
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 cups
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup ketchup; ½ cup rice wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar if unavailable); ½ cup dark brown sugar; 2 Tbsp soy sauce; 2 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste); 1 Tbsp sesame oil (optional, adds a slight nutty note); 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp ground black pepper; 1 tsp chili powder (adjust to heat preference); 1 Tbsp cornstarch; 2 Tbsp water (to make a slurry)

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Whenever I fire up the grill or roast chicken in my oven, I keep coming back to a special sauce I developed based on the legendary Hodges BBQ Sauce Recipe.

It’s the kind of barbecue sauce that brings people to the table, coats meat with glossy color, and tucks into your memory. In this post, I’ll walk you through my version—with a little Korean BBQ influence—so you get that balance of sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy.

Whether you’re making it as a glaze, a dipping sauce, or a marinade, this BBQ sauce recipe gives you flexibility and flavor. Read on, and I’ll share tips, personal touches, and ways to adapt it to what you have at home.

Sweet And Tangy Hodges BBQ Sauce Recipe At Home

Hodges BBQ Sauce Recipe — A barbecue sauce blending tomato, vinegar, spice, and a touch of Korean flair.This is more than just a condiment—it serves as a marinade or glaze. Use it on chicken, beef, ribs, or even roasted vegetables. It also works great as a dipping sauce, dressing, or finishing BBQ sauce drizzle.

Recipe Overview

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20–25 minutes
Total Time: Approximately 35 minutes
Cuisine: American / Fusion (with a Korean twist)
Course: Condiment / Sauce / Glaze
Yield: About 2 cups (≈ 500 ml)
Calories Per Serving (2 Tbsp): Around 60–70 kcal

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 cup ketchup
½ cup rice wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar if unavailable)
½ cup dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
1 Tbsp sesame oil (optional, adds a slight nutty note)

1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp chili powder (adjust to heat preference)
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp water (to make a slurry)

Ingredient Notes & Substitutes

If you don’t have gochujang, you can use a mix of Korean chili flakes (gochugaru) plus a bit of miso or Korean chili sauce.
You can replace sesame oil with a mild vegetable oil if needed.
Use light brown sugar if dark is too intense for you.

If you want a thinner sauce (for a marinade), you can reduce the cornstarch (or omit) and add a bit more water or vinegar.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Here’s how I make it in my kitchen—follow along, and I’ll drop little tips.

Prep Before Heat
- Mince the garlic, grate the ginger, measure out the brown sugar, and sift the cornstarch (to avoid lumps).
- In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 2 Tbsp of water to form a smooth slurry.
Combine Base Ingredients
- In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine ketchup, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, gochujang, ginger, garlic, black pepper, and chili powder.
- Stir gently until well combined.
Bring To A Simmer
- Increase heat slightly so the mixture comes to a gentle boil. You’ll see bubbles around the edges.
- As it begins to bubble, reduce heat to low.

Thicken The Sauce
- Slowly whisk in the cornstarch slurry, stirring continuously so no lumps form.
- Let it simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, for 15–20 minutes. This helps the flavors meld and the sauce to thicken.

Taste And Adjust
- Taste the sauce (careful, it’s hot!). If it’s too sharp, add a little more brown sugar. If it’s too thick, stir in a tablespoon or two of water or vinegar.
- If you like it spicier, add more chili powder or a pinch of crushed red pepper.

Cool And Store
- Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
- Transfer into a clean bowl or jar and refrigerate. It keeps up to 1 week (sometimes longer, but fresh is best).

Tips while cooking:

Stir often, especially toward the end, to prevent sticking or burning at the bottom.
Keep the flame gentle—nothing too aggressive.
If lumps appear, strain the sauce through a fine sieve.
Use a whisk to incorporate the slurry smoothly.

What Is The Secret To Good Barbecue Sauce?

The secret lies in balance—sweetness vs acidity, and a richness vs heat. A good barbecue sauce has enough sugar (or sweetener) to counter the sharpness of vinegar, enough depth (soy sauce, garlic, ginger) to make it savory, and just enough spice to wake you up.

The cornstarch helps you get the viscosity you want so that the sauce clings to meat as a glaze or drizzle rather than sliding off.

When I first made this version, I overdid the vinegar. It was too sharp. So I bumped up the brown sugar and mellowed it with gochujang.

Now, every time I taste it, I find that it holds up well when slathered on grilled meats or even as a finishing brush on oven-roasted chicken.

What Makes A Barbecue Sauce Truly Homemade?

A homemade barbecue sauce is about control—you decide how much tang, how much heat, how thick or thin. You skip preservatives. You adjust to your taste.

Also, in your own kitchen, you smell it while it simmers, you stir by hand, you taste and tweak. That’s what turns a store-bought bottle into your “house sauce.”

I always make a small batch and keep it fresh in the fridge—once I tried storing an old batch too long and the flavor turned flat. Learn from me: fresh is better.

Pairing & Serving Suggestions

Brush it over grilled chicken wings, ribs, beef skewers, or pork chops. Let it caramelize slightly on heat.
Use it as a marinade: coat meat, refrigerate for 30 minutes to a few hours, then grill.
Serve it alongside fried items as a dipping sauce (e.g. Korean fried chicken style).

Drizzle over roasted vegetables, tofu, or paneer as a finishing glaze.
Garnish with toasted sesame seeds or thinly sliced scallions.
Pair with a simple coleslaw, steamed rice, or grilled corn for a full meal.

Personal Touch & Expert Notes

When I first started messing with this sauce, I tested small batches in mason jars, letting friends taste blind. Their reactions taught me what to tweak. A few lessons I learned:

Don’t rush the simmer—letting it gently bubble is where the magic happens.
Always cool before you seal the jar—hot sauce can create pressure.
If you’re in a hot kitchen, let it simmer low so it doesn’t scorch.

Use fresh garlic and ginger—they make more difference than you think.
Label your jar date: after a week, the flavor can dull.

One time I used this sauce in a Korean BBQ fusion dinner—marinated short ribs with it, grilled, then brushed with fresh sauce right before serving.

My guests went back for seconds. That’s what I love: blend of classic BBQ and Korean notes, all in your home kitchen.

FAQs

Can I Make This Hodges BBQ Sauce Recipe Ahead And Freeze It?

Yes. Once cooled, freeze in small jars or ice cube trays. Thaw overnight in fridge. Stir before use.

Is This Sauce Suitable For Both Korean BBQ And Traditional BBQ?

Yes. Because I included gochujang and soy sauce, it leans slightly Korean, but the core flavor remains American-style BBQ. Use it as a Korean Barbecue Sauce or regular barbecue sauce.

How Long Does Homemade Barbecue Sauce Last?

Stored in a clean, airtight container in the fridge, about 1 week. If you see mold or smell off, discard.

My Sauce Is Too Thin—What Can I Do?

Make another small slurry (½ tsp cornstarch + 1 Tbsp water) and whisk it in over low heat. Simmer until thickened.

Can I Use This As A Salad Dressing Or Glaze?

Yes—thin it with a little water or vinegar to use as a dressing. For glaze, brush it thickly near the end of cooking so it caramelizes lightly.

I hope you’ll try this Hodges BBQ Sauce Recipe the next time you fire up the grill or roast meat in the oven. It’s a sauce born from home kitchens and tuned by trial and love.

Please leave me a comment below after you try it—tell me how you used it (chicken? beef? veggies?) and any tweaks you made.

If you love sauces like this, you might enjoy checking out my Korean BBQ Sauce or other condiments on my blog. Happy cooking, and may your kitchen smell smoky, sweet, spicy—and just right.