Quick Vegan Barbecue Sauce

By Nava · On Jan 01, 2011

Though I’m all for good store-bought sauces as shortcuts, I’ve never found a prepared vegan barbecue sauce I’ve really liked. This easy, no-cook BBQ sauce takes nearly no time to make. It’s especially delicious with plant-based protein foods—tofu, tempeh, and seitan—prepared on the grill. See Barbecued Tofu, Tempeh, or Seitan for ideas and directions.

Makes: about 2 cups

1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
3 tablespoons agave nectar or maple syrup
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari, or to taste
1 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano or basil

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. If time allows, cover and let stand for an hour or so to allow the flavors to combine more fully. But don’t worry if you need to use it right away, it will still be quite good.

Find more recipes for grilling in VegKitchen’s The Vegan Barbecue.
Find more ways to make Special Occasions and Entertaining easier and healthier.

Here are lots more recipes for simple sauces and such.

Categories : Simple Sauces and Such, The Vegan Barbecue: Recipes for Grilling

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8 comments on “Quick Vegan Barbecue Sauce”

elisha on June 27, 2012 at 2:39 am said:

What is the tomato sauce?a can of tomatoes, ketchup or puree?
Nava on August 7, 2012 at 8:50 pm said:

Elisha, sorry, your question went under my radar. It is tomato sauce that comes in a can…literally labeled tomato sauce. A 15-ounce can should be sufficient for this.
Cisneros Cares on September 6, 2012 at 5:14 pm said:

Blend some tomatoes with tomato paste. Best tomato sauce.
Cyd on January 6, 2013 at 11:41 pm said:

awesome recipe!! I used my food processor to purée cherry tomatos. This Made my sauce a bit thinner than normal BBQ sauce, but the flavor was exceptional!!
Nava on January 7, 2013 at 10:16 pm said:

Thanks, Cyd — glad you enjoyed it. Chances are if you refrigerate it overnight, it will thicken up a bit.
Rebecca on January 9, 2013 at 6:32 pm said:

I was short on the tomato sauce (only had an 8-oz can for 1 cup) so I substituted some Annie’s organic ketchup for the last 1/2 cup. This sauce was amazing!
Kris on March 15, 2013 at 7:07 pm said:

Made it tonight. Quick and easy — and it tasted terrific!
Nava on March 15, 2013 at 7:38 pm said:

Thanks, Rebecca and Kris — I make this a lot, as I find store-bought sauces have an odd aftertaste. I tried to make this as easy and as flavorful as possible and glad you enjoyed it!