Barbecue sauce comes in a variety of textures, but sometimes you find that your favorite flavor is too thick for a particular recipe. Adding water to the sauce will liquefy it, but also take away some of the flavor. The goal is to add a liquid that retains the flavor of the sauce while thinning the texture. This may require some experimentation, but the result will be a flavorful sauce that works well for the desired use.
Step 1
Read the ingredient label for the barbecue sauce to determine if the base ingredient is tomato or vinegar. Tomato-based sauce has a sweet flavor, while vinegar-based sauce is tarter.
Step 2
Pour about 3 tbsp. of sauce into a small bowl to test the flavor after adding the liquid. This prevents ruining all the sauce if the liquid is not a good match.
Step 3
Add 1 tbsp. of beef or chicken broth to a tomato- or mustard-based sauce. Add 1 tbsp. of apple cider vinegar to a vinegar-based sauce. Mix well, then taste to see if you have the desired consistency and flavor. Add up to 2 additional tablespoons of thinning liquid to get the desired consistency.
Step 4
Add ketchup, sugar or spices to the mixture to adjust the flavor of the sauce.
Step 5
Determine the ratio of sauce to thinning liquid, with 1 tbsp. of liquid being a 1:3 ratio of thinning liquid to barbecue sauce.
Step 6
Measure the amount of barbecue sauce you need into a bowl. Add the correct ratio of liquid based on the test you did with the 3 tbsp.
Step 7
Adjust the flavor, after liquefying the barbecue sauce, by adding ketchup, sugar or spices to the sauce.
Things You'll Need
- Small bowl
- Beef or chicken broth
- Apple cider vinegar
- Measuring spoons
- Ketchup
- Sugar
- Spices of your choice
References
- "Steven Raichlen's BBQ USA"; Steven Raichlen; 2003
- South Carolina Barbecue Association; BBQ History; Lake E. High, Jr.
- Outdoor-Cooking.com: How to get the best out of barbecue sauces and marinades
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