Kansas City Barbecue Sauce

Thick, glossy, sweet and tangy, Kansas City style sauce is the barbecue sauce most Americans know best. Here is what goes into it, how to use it without burning it, and how to make a basic batch at home.

What defines the style

Kansas City sauce is built on tomato, usually ketchup or tomato paste, sweetened with molasses, brown sugar or both, and sharpened with vinegar. Spices typically include black pepper, paprika, chili powder, garlic and onion, sometimes with mustard, Worcestershire sauce, celery seed, allspice, cayenne or liquid smoke. The result is thick enough to cling to meat and form a sticky glaze.

It reflects the city's barbecue scene, where pitmasters smoke a little of everything (brisket, ribs, pork, chicken, sausage and burnt ends) and a versatile sauce ties it all together. See our Kansas City barbecue guide.

Sweet, tangy, smoky, spicy

A good Kansas City sauce balances four sides:

  • Sweet from molasses, brown sugar or honey.
  • Tangy from vinegar and tomato.
  • Savory and smoky from Worcestershire, smoked paprika or a little liquid smoke.
  • Spicy from black pepper, chili powder and cayenne.

Commercial sauces lean sweet. Homemade versions let you dial back the sugar and turn up the tang or heat.

A basic method

There is no one official recipe. Use this as a framework and taste as you go.

  1. In a heavy saucepan, soften a little finely minced onion and garlic in oil or butter over low heat. (Or use onion and garlic powder.)
  2. Add ketchup or tomato sauce as the base, then molasses and brown sugar, and cider vinegar.
  3. Season with black pepper, paprika, chili powder and salt, plus Worcestershire, a little mustard and cayenne if you like.
  4. Simmer gently, stirring often so the sugar does not scorch, until thickened.
  5. Taste and adjust: more vinegar for tang, more sugar for sweetness, more cayenne for heat.
  6. Cool, then refrigerate in a covered jar. Many cooks find it tastes better the next day.

When to sauce

Sugar burns. If you brush a sweet sauce on at the start of a long cook, it will blacken and turn bitter long before the meat is done. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service advises applying sauce during the last 15 to 30 minutes of smoking to prevent excess browning or burning. That is also when a thin coat will set into a sticky glaze.

  • Ribs: brush on a thin layer near the end and let it set; add a second coat if you like.
  • Brisket: serve on the side, or warm a little to drizzle over slices.
  • Burnt ends: toss cubed brisket point with sauce and return to the smoker until sticky.
  • Chicken: glaze at the end over moderate heat.
  • Pulled pork: toss lightly, and put extra on the table.

Burnt ends

Kansas City's most famous barbecue creation is a perfect showcase for its sauce. Burnt ends are cubes cut from the fatty, crusty point of a smoked brisket, tossed with sauce and often a little extra rub, then returned to the smoker until the sauce caramelizes. Some cooks make "poor man's burnt ends" from pork belly or chuck roast. See how to smoke a brisket and our glossary.

Sauce safety

  • Pour off what you need for basting into a separate bowl. Do not dip a brush that has touched raw or partly cooked meat into the main jar.
  • Throw away leftover basting sauce rather than serving it.
  • FSIS advises reheating sauces by bringing them to a rolling boil.
  • Store homemade sauce covered in the refrigerator.

Variations

  • Spicy: chipotle, cayenne or hot sauce.
  • Bourbon or beer: a splash, simmered to cook off the raw alcohol taste.
  • Fruit: apple, cherry or peach preserves for a fruity glaze on pork.
  • Coffee: a little brewed coffee for depth on beef.
  • Less sweet: cut the sugar and add more vinegar and pepper.

Serve it with

Compare with Carolina vinegar sauce or see all the sauce families.

Frequently asked

Why does my sauce burn on the grill?

The sugar in Kansas City style sauce caramelizes and then burns at high heat. Apply it late, in thin coats, over moderate heat.

How thick should it be?

Thick enough to coat a spoon and cling to meat, but thin enough to brush. Thin with a splash of vinegar or water if needed.

Can I use it as a marinade?

Sweet sauces are better as glazes. If you do marinate, do it in the refrigerator, and do not reuse marinade from raw meat on cooked food unless you boil it first, as FSIS advises.

Sources

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