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Copycat A&W BBQ Sauce

5 from 1 vote

Recreate the nostalgic taste of A&W BBQ Sauce at home. Made with A&W Root Beer, this creamy sauce is perfect for dipping, basting, and marinating your meat

a&w bbq sauce

I love the taste of Root Beer and clearly remember going to A&W as a kid so I just had to to try and make their BBQ Sauce.

If you are not familiar with A&W, they started serving its famous root beer back in 1919 in Lodi, California. A&W is the first American chain restaurant to reach the 100-year milestone.

a&w bbq sauce

This BBQ Sauce has the creamy flavor of A&W Root Beer. Excellent for dipping but this sauce can also be used for basting, or marinating your meat.

One of my favorite things to use this BBQ Sauce is to toss my pulled pork in it for some BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches. But I also love to use it as a dipping sauce for my chicken tenders and my fries!

a&w bbq sauce

Since the goal of a Copycat Recipe is for it to taste exactly like the original, it’s only natural to rate this recipe against the original. This Copycat recipe rates a solid 9 out of 10 in my opinion.

a&w bbq sauce

You will need the following ingredients to make this A&W BBQ Sauce recipe. For ingredient amounts please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

  • Vegetable Oil – You can also use Canola Oil
  • Yellow Onion – Sweet Onion can be used as well
  • Root Beer – I like to use A&W brand (obviously) but you can use whatever kind you want. I recommend using full-sugar root beer for this recipe.
  • Orange Juice – Any brand just make sure it’s pulp-free
  • Dark Brown Sugar – You can also use light brown sugar if needed
  • Honey – Try to use a good quality honey
  • Worcestershire Sauce
  • Tomato Paste
  • Cayenne Pepper – This is optional. You don’t really taste it in the final product though
  1. In a medium saucepan, add the oil and saute the onions over medium-high heat until the onions become soft.
    onions in saucepan
  2. Add all the remaining ingredients and allow the sauce to simmer on low for 30 minutes.
    bbq sauce ingredients in saucepan
  3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow it to cool completely.
  4. Use an immersion blender (or blender) to puree the sauce and let it cook for an additional 30 minutes on low.
    bbq sauce simmering

More Recipe Ideas

Printable Recipe Card

a&w bbq sauce

Copycat A&W BBQ Sauce

Recreate the nostalgic taste of A&W BBQ Sauce at home. Made with A&W Root Beer, this creamy sauce is perfect for dipping, basting, and marinating your meat
5 from 1 vote

โ†‘ Click stars to rate

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
cooling time 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 35 minutes
Course BBQ Sauce
Cuisine American
Author Rodney
Servings 12
Calories 102 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • 1 Yellow Onion, diced
  • 1 ยฝ Cups Root Beer
  • ยผ Cup Orange Juice, no-pulp
  • ยฝ Cup Dark Brown Sugar
  • ยผ Cup Honey
  • ยผ Cup Worcestershire Sauce
  • 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper

Instructions
 

  • In a medium saucepan, add the oil and saute the onions over a medium-high heat until onions become soft.
  • Add all the remaining ingredients and allow the sauce to simmer on low for 30 minutes.
  • Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow it to cool completely.
  • Use an immersion blender (or blender) to puree the sauce and let it cook for an additional 30 minutes on low.

Nutrition

Calories: 102kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 0.3gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gSodium: 103mgPotassium: 116mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 125IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 1mg

Nutritional information provided for this recipe is based on 1 serving. This information is an estimate and may vary based on several factors. If nutritional information is important to you and your diet, please verify this recipe with a Registered Dietitian.

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5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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