This honey barbecue sauce recipe is the best sweet sauce for burgers, wings, chicken, and more. It’s amazingly sticky and very kid-friendly, making it a great sauce to have on hand for weekday dinners or big group barbecues with family and friends.

Honey barbecue sauce is a delightfully sweet sauce that is nice on chicken, burgers, and so much more. It isn’t spicy or sour, so it’s the best sauce for your most discerning young person.

Not only is this sauce a favorite of every member of the family, it is easy to make and can be made in advance making dinner prep easy.

I especially enjoy having this sauce on hand as a dipping sauce when I have extra picky eaters over for dinner. Meat and veggies are quickly eaten with a little dip from this barbecue sauce.

How to Make Honey Barbecue Sauce

Making BBQ sauce at home is a very easy process. The most essential step is to simply allow the sauce to simmer. Giving this sauce a nice simmer allows the flavors to combine and it thickens it up into a wonderfully sticky sauce.

Follow these three easy steps and you’ll see just how easy it is to make your homemade BBQ sauce in your kitchen:

1. Combine the Ingredients: To start, grab out a medium saucepan and stir to mix all the ingredients.

:2. Boil and simmer: Bring the sauce to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Cool and Serve: Once the sauce has thickened, remove it from the heat and let it cool.

This sauce is ready to go right away and can be served at once. If you’re making it ahead of time, store the sauce in the refrigerator in an airtight glass jar (a good ol’ Mason Jar works well for this sauce, but I also love these hinged glass jars) for up to two weeks.

Honey Barbecue Sauce Ingredients

This sauce uses a ketchup base – perfect for pleasing any palate. The remaining eight ingredients are ones you likely have in your pantry, making this a quick and easy recipe.

One quick note: most of my sauce and rub recipes will use smoked paprika in place of regular paprika. We recommend grabbing a big bottle the next time you’re at the store. This smoked seasoning makes all the difference!

Here’s what you’ll need on hand to make this honey Barbecue sauce:

1. Ketchup

2. Brown sugar

3. Apple cider vinegar

4. Honey

5. Salt

6. Smoked paprika

7. Garlic powder

8. Onion powder

9. Black pepper

Final Note

To make this dish, place 1 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup honey, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper if using in a medium saucepan and stir to combine.

Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until thickened slightly, seven and ten minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let cool before consuming.