Sweet Pineapple BBQ Sauce is both sweet and tangy. It is a perfect accompaniment for chicken or pork on the BBQ or smoker. Also great as a dipping sauce.
Sauces are a big part of BBQ and we have many different recipes for BBQ sauces. Most are small batch sauces like this one because we use different flavours depending on what we are serving.
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to consumers. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you click these links and make a purchase we may earn a commission. Keep in mind that we link these products because of their quality, not because of the commission we may receive from purchases.
Why Make Your Own BBQ Sauce?
Making your own BBQ sauce is simple and tastes so much better than store bought sauces.
And it is easy to make small batches so that you can have flavours that compliment whatever you are serving at the time.
Homemade BBQ also doesn’t have as many preservatives as store-bought, and you can control the amount or sugar and sodium in the sauce.
Ingredients For Sweet Pineapple BBQ Sauce
This simple BBQ sauce recipe has a total of 12 ingredients. Each ingredient adds to the flavour of this sauce.
- Pineapple juice. Unsweetened, 100% pineapple juice works best to make this sauce.
- Ketchup. Use your favourite ketchup to make this recipe. Our preference is French’s ketchup.
- Brown sugar. This type of sugar compliments BBQ better than white sugar because it add a caramel like flavour that
- Molasses. Adding molasses to BBQ sauce gives the sauce a sweetness as well as it helps to create a glaze when basting meat.
- Worcestershire sauce. A little of this sauce goes a long way and it adds so much flavour.
- Apple cider vinegar. Every BBQ sauce needs a little acid to balance out the flavours and our choice is usually apple cider vinegar because it also adds flavour not just acid.
- Garlic. Finely minced garlic is what we use in this recipe.
- Onion powder.
- Paprika. Smoked or regular paprika works in this recipe. Use what you have or prefer.
- Dry mustard. A little of this ingredient is used to add depth and a touch of spiciness to the sauce.
- Salt. Fine sea salt is our go-to for making this sauce because it dissolves better into the liquids for a more even taste.
- Pepper. Again we use fine ground pepper because it blends in better than coarse pepper.
- Cornstarch. This ingredient is optional but helps to thicken the sauce quicker.
Thick or Thin?
Sweet Pineapple BBQ Sauce can be made as thick or as thin as you’d like.
A thin sauce is best for mopping or basting chicken or ribs. To make it thinner, don’t add the cornstarch and cook only half the time.
Thicker sauce is best for dipping. This is when we add the cornstarch to help thicken it.
What To Use This Sweet Pineapple BBQ Sauce With
There are many ways to use this BBQ sauce. It can be used as a glaze or dipping sauce. The pineapple pairs well with chicken and pork so these are the meats we recommend using the sauce with.
- Whole chicken. When we are BBQing a whole chicken we use this sauce to glaze the outside of the chicken when it is almost cooked. Whether it’s beer can chicken, spatchcocked or rotisserie, this sauce is the perfect glaze.
- Chicken Lollipops. This is our go to sauce for dipping chicken lollipops. We omit the cornstarch in the sauce and let it smoke on the smoker with the chicken for about 30 minutes. It won’t thicken too much this way so it make a great dipping sauce for this type of chicken.
- Pork Tenderloin. Glaze a pork tenderloin while smoking or grilling for a sweet and tangy finish.
- Dipping Sauce. Our family loves chicken tenders and Sweet Pineapple BBQ sauce is a great sauce for dipping tenders.
- Hawaiian Pork Burgers. Add this sauce to pork burgers with a slice of grilled pineapple. Or make it sliders using sweet Hawaiian rolls. The burgers can also be glazed with the sauce or pour the sauce right into the meat before making the patties.
Storing Sweet Pineapple BBQ Sauce
Any leftover sauce should be refrigerated in an air-tight container. It will last in the fridge for up to one month.
This sauce can also be made in larger batches and canned.
Sweet Pineapple BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups pineapple juice
- ¾ cups ketchup
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp Worcester sauce
- 2 Tbsp molasses
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 Tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp cornstarch, optional*
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients except cornstarch in a sauce pan.
- Heat over medium heat until the mixture starts to simmer.
- Lower heat to medium-low and continue to simmer, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes. (add cornstarch if using whisking to combine)
- Remove from heat and allow to cool. (Sauce will continue to thicken once removed from the heat)
- Use as you would any BBQ sauce and refrigerate any leftovers.
