This homemade English BBQ sauce was made before I moved to Spain, and it shows — every ingredient in it is British, sourced from named producers across the country. Shallots from Kent, garlic from the South West Garlic Farm, mustard powder from Hampshire Foods, chilli from the South Devon Chilli Farm, rapeseed oil cold-pressed in Yorkshire, Billington's organic brown sugar, Maldon sea salt from Essex, and Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce — alas now made in the Netherlands, but still the original and still the best.

Homemade English BBQ Sauce – A Proudly British Recipe — The Flexible Chef

It was a deliberate exercise in provenance. Britain has quietly excellent food producers, and this sauce is a small celebration of them.

I make it as a marinade and as a table sauce for grilled meat — burgers, sausages, chops, anything coming off the barbecue. Since moving to Andalucía the Spanish larder has largely taken over, and for grilling I am more likely to reach for my 4-3-2-1 spice rub these days. But this homemade English BBQ sauce earns its place when I want something with a British backbone — sharp with mustard, warm with chilli, deepened by Worcestershire sauce caramelised in the pan.

It takes fifteen minutes. It keeps in the fridge for a week.

How to Make Homemade English BBQ Sauce

Makes one small jar. Use as a marinade or table sauce.

Ingredients

• 2 shallots (from Kent if you can find them), finely diced
• 1 garlic clove (South West Garlic Farm), crushed and finely chopped
• 1 dried red chilli (South Devon Chilli Farm), crushed and finely chopped
• 1 tsp Hampshire Foods dry mustard powder
• 1 tsp Billington's organic light brown soft sugar
• 1–2 tbsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
• Glug of cold-pressed Yorkshire rapeseed oil
• Small pinch Maldon sea salt, ground in a pestle and mortar
• White pepper to taste

Method

1. Soften the shallots — Heat the rapeseed oil in a small pan over low-medium heat. Add the shallots and cook slowly until soft and showing signs of colour — about 8 minutes. Don't rush this.
2. Caramelise — Sprinkle over the sugar and continue cooking until the shallots begin to caramelise.
3. Add the chilli — Stir in the chopped chilli and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the mustard powder — Sprinkle in the mustard powder and stir until you have a paste.
5. Loosen with Worcestershire sauce — Add the Worcestershire sauce and stir to loosen the paste. Let it bubble for 30 seconds.
6. Season — Add a small pinch of ground Maldon salt and white pepper to taste.

The Flexible Chef Tip — Sprinkle the mustard powder in dry and let it bloom in the caramelised shallots before the liquid arrives — this is where the flavour comes from. Don't add the Worcestershire sauce too early or you'll lose that step entirely.

Use as a marinade for chicken or pork, brushed onto ribs before grilling, or as a table sauce alongside burgers and sausages.

This recipe is part of my Spice Blends & Condiments collection.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef