Why would you want to thicken barbecue sauce?
I think the key which makes a successful barbecue that become an unforgettable memory of your family or friends is the BBQ sauce.
A delicious BBQ sauce can make a perfect sandwich or steak but the boring sauce will have the opposite effect. And the main point of this key ingredient is it needs to be thick enough.
But it’s so common that even the purchased or homemade BBQ sauce can be too thin right at the after you open the can or finish cooking the sauce at home or become runny from time to time and I know we all don’t expect that.
Can you thicken barbecue sauce?
Actually, there are plenty of ways to change the consistency of the sauce but what will be your best option to easily accomplish it at home and what is the notice that you have to be aware of, this article will show you right below.
Tips to thicken barbecue sauce
- When you boil the BBQ sauce to thicken it, the steam that evaporates from the saucepan is the liquid leaving the sauce so the more liquid is removed, the thicker the sauce is so it’s your choice if it reaches your desire
- If you use a thickener to thicken the sauce, it’s recommended that you should mix the starch with water first before pouring in the sauce because this will prevent clumping and make sure that the thickener is evenly distributed throughout the sauce
- Adding fats to thicken the BBQ sauce is the last resort if you don’t want to change the flavor of the original sauce. When you use this method, you should add a little by little of fats then check the flavor if you like or not to decide to add more or stop
Things you’ll need
- A stovetop
- A wooden spoon
- A saucepan, a bowl
- Water, starch thickener such as flour or cornstarch
- Butter/ Heavy cream/ Coconut cream
How to thicken barbecue sauce (boiling BBQ sauce)
- Pour the runny sauce into a saucepan and put it on the stove
- Heat the pan over a medium heat
- Stir the sauce occasionally with a wooden spoon until it starts boiling
- Turn the flame down to a low heat and keep stirring the sauce
- Remove the sauce from the heat and pour into a bowl when it reaches the desired consistency
How to thicken barbecue sauce using starch thickener (flour or cornstarch)
- Pour the runny sauce into a saucepan and put it on the stove
- Heat the pan over a low heat
- Meanwhile, mix a bowl of water with flour or cornstarch (the proportion will be around 2tbsp. of four/ 1 tbsp. of cornstarch to ¼ cup of cold water for each cup (250ml) of BBQ sauce)
- Add the thickener to the saucepan then stir the sauce occasionally
- Increase the temperature to medium until it boils
- Reduce the heat again when the sauce starts to boil and keep stirring for about 2 more minutes
- Take the pan out of the heat and pour the sauce into a bowl when it reaches the desired consistency
How to thicken barbecue sauce by adding fats
- Add 1 tbsp. of butter/ heavy cream or coconut cream to a cup of BBQ sauce then pour into a saucepan
- Heat the pan over a medium flame until it boils then reduce the heat down to low
- Stir the sauce for 2-3 minutes until it reaches the desired thickness
- Take the pan out of the heat and pour the sauce into a bowl
Can you thicken BBQ sauce in a slow cooker?
While there are numerous methods to thicken BBA sauce but what if you are an available slow cooker at home and want to try with this? Yes you can do that.
You know what using the slow quicker will create rich and velvety in the flavor but it will require more techniques since the slow cooker tends to soften food and cause a runny sauce.
So it sounds challenging to thicken BBQ sauce with a slow cooker but we can still help you to find out the way to succeed with this decision.
Tips to thicken BBQ sauce in a slow cooker
- When using heavy cream to thicken the BBQ sauce in a slow cooker, you need to be careful that curdling can become a big issue so remember to resist adding cream until the last 30 minutes before serving
- If you don’t make sure the amount of starch or cream needs to be added to thicken your sauce because you can’t imagine how thick the sauce is will be perfect, so just add a little by little and check it out before finishing
- Some people like to add dried vegetables like onions or herbs to the runny sauce so that they will absorb the excess moisture so you can also try. Just ensure that the flavor of those ingredients won’t affect the original flavor of BBQ sauce. Some add brown sugar or ketchup into the liquid so it’s all your choice.
Things you’ll need
- A slow cooker
- A bowl
- Thickener such as flour or cornstarch/ arrowroot
- Water, fats (butter, heavy cream,…)
How to thicken BBQ sauce in a slow cooker with flour
- Mix equal parts of flour and hot water or butter together to make a slurry (using 2 tbsp. of slurry for every cup of sauce in the slow cooker)
- Pour the slurry into the cooker and stir the mixture of the sauce and the slurry
- Simmer on high for 15 minutes
- Check if the sauce reaches the thickness as your desire then turn off the cooker
How to thicken BBQ sauce in a slow cooker with cornstarch
- Mix one part of cornstarch/ arrowroot with two parts of cold water together to make a slurry (using 3 tbsp. of slurry of cornstarch or 1.5 tbsp. of slurry of arrowroot for every cup of sauce in the slow cooker)
- Pour the slurry into the cooker and stir the mixture of the sauce and the slurry
- Simmer on high for 15 minutes
- Check if the sauce reaches the thickness as your desire then turn off the cooker
How to thicken BBQ sauce in a slow cooker with cream
- Whip together 1 egg yolk with 3 tbsp. of cream in a bowl
- Add equal parts of the sauce from the slow cooker to the bowl and stir into the sauce in the last 20 minutes of cooking
- Leave the slow cooker on the low setting until the sauce thickens as you want
How to thicken BBQ sauce in a slow cooker by cooking with the lid off
With this method, you just need to reduce the excess liquid by removing the lid of the cooker while boiling the sauce. After the normal cooking time is done, turn the cooker to high power without lid covering until you check the sauce reaches the desired consistency.
