Homemade BBQ Sauce

Since moving to Memphis, Taylor and I have broadened our food horizons. We can get sushi, juicy cheeseburgers, or big ole salads within 5 miles from our house. That is completely different from how we grew up. We both grew up in the country, at least 20 minutes from anywhere. You didn't just 'run' to town; you had a plan. Not anymore. Living in an area with so many options is a double edged sword. 'I don't feel like cooking.' 'Ok, let's just go out.' It's nice being so close to various options, but then again, it takes a person (normally me!) to say, 'Nope, we are cooking tonight.'

After the new year, a new BBQ restaurant opened just down the road from our house. We've already been three times. Not good for the whole let's try to save money before Tay starts school resolution. Whoops! So I decided that if we like their BBQ that much; why not make our own?

All I knew about homemade BBQ sauce was that it had ketchup, Worcestershire, and maybe some molasses.

So I've been scouring the Internet and my cookbooks looking for a homemade BBQ sauce. After printing off 3 recipes and reading numerous cookbooks, I took a little bit from each recipe and and tried my hand at homemade BBQ.

You know it's going to taste good when it calls for 1/3 cup of molasses. And brown sugar. Did I mention that?!

Normally when I go to Kroger, I know where everything is, but it took me the longest time to find these peppers. Yes, I went to the Mexican food section, searched high and low, and didn't spot it. Went on about my business, got all the other ingredients, and then went back to the Mexican section. I was eyeing that shelf like no one's business. Finally, at long last, I spotted one can, hiding behind some enchilada seasoning. Thank the Lord. Now let me tell you, these peppers and the sauce they are canned in do not play. Hot and flavorful. And hot.

I let the onions and garlic cook in some canola add, then added the ketchup, and that sweet molasses. Not to mention, all the other ingredients.

This is when the whole house started to smell like the 4th of July. Once everything was added in, I put it on low to keep it warm until Tay got home.

While I was making the sauce, I had already cooked the chicken. Dip the cooked chicken into the yummy sauce; put the oven on broil and broil the sauce covered chicken for about the 5 minutes.

The final results. BBQ Chicken in about 30 minutes.

Tater's plate. With tater salad :)