I love making Homemade BBQ Sauces and since Dr Pepper is one of my favorite soda flavors, making this recipe was a no brainer.
Like most Homemade BBQ Sauce recipes, this one is fairly easy to make and needs only a handful of simple ingredients. Dr Pepper being the main ingredient in this recipe.
This BBQ Sauce recipe is super versatile. You can use it to baste chicken or even for Pork Ribs. One of these days I might even make myself a burger and top it with this delicious BBQ Sauce.
Ingredient Substitution
If you don’t have any Chipotle Powder on hand you can substitute for 1/2 teaspoon of Smoked Paprika or 1 tablespoon of Liquid Smoke.
If you prefer not to leave the diced onions whole in the BBQ sauce you can either run the sauce through a strainer or use an immersion blender to smooth it out. I prefer to strain it myself.
Be warned that chipotle chili powder packs a punch. You may want to adjust accordingly based on your preference.
If you plan on gifting some of this delicious Dr Pepper BBQ Sauce or just want a cool way to store it, check out my favorite Sauce Bottles on Amazon.
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Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Dr Pepper BBQ Sauce recipe (see recipe card for quantities): Yellow Onion, Olive Oil, Ketchup, Dark Brown Sugar, Chipotle Chili Powder, Garlic Powder, Worcestershire Sauce, Dr Pepper and optionally some Cornstarch.
How to Make Dr Pepper BBQ Sauce
- In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onions until soft and tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the ketchup, brown sugar, chipotle powder, garlic powder and Worcestershire Sauce together in the saucepan.
- Slowly add in the Dr Pepper while stirring. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to low. Continue to stir until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Optionally make a cornstarch slurry. Mix equal parts cornstarch and water and whisk until there are no more clumps. Add to the BBQ sauce and cook until you reach your desired thickness. The sauce will thicken a bit as it cools down.
Printable Recipe Card
Dr Pepper BBQ Sauce
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Ingredients
- 1 small Yellow Onion, finely diced
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- â…“ Cup Ketchup
- 1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
- ½ Tsp Chipotle Chili Powder, or more to taste for spicier
- 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 12 oz Dr Pepper
- 1 Tbsp Cornstarch, optional
Instructions
- In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onions until soft and tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the ketchup, brown sugar, chipotle powder, garlic powder and Worcestershire Sauce together in the saucepan.
- Slowly add in the Dr Pepper while stirring. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to low. Continue to stir until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Optionally make a cornstarch slurry. Mix equal parts cornstarch and water and whisk until there are no more clumps. Add to the bbq sauce and cook until you reach your desired thickness. The sauce will thicken a bit as it cools down.
I would never have thought about using Dr Pepper in my BBQ sauce, but once I used it I will never go back to the original way of making it. It was absolutely delicious.