Recipes

Kansas City Barbecue Sauce

Sweet and tart, with just a whisper of heat.

Kansas City Barbecue Sauce
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By Remus Powers


Updated on February 6, 2023

We got the recipe for this tangy Kansas City barbecue sauce from Remus Powers, who founded the Diddy-Wa-Diddy National Barbecue Sauce Contest, now part of the American Royal BBQ Contest, the world's biggest competitive BBQ cookoff. It's perfect over ribs, chicken, or any grilled or barbecued meat.

Ingredients

  • ¼ tsp. allspice
  • ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. ground mace
  • ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ tsp. curry powder
  • ¼ tsp. chili powder
  • ¼ tsp. paprika
  • ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
  • ¼ tsp. hot sauce, such as Tabasco
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • ⅓ cup molasses

Instructions

Step 1

Into a medium bowl, sift together the allspice, cinnamon, mace, black pepper, curry powder, chili powder, and paprika. Stir in the vinegar, followed by the hot sauce, ketchup, and molasses, mixing until very well blended before adding the next ingredient. Serve warm or at room temperature. The sauce may be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2–3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

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