Dr Pepper Barbecue Sauce

Sticky sweet and tangy, this Dr Pepper barbecue sauce is perfect for dipping and dunking or for slathering over grilled meats. Forget the store-bought stuff, this cherry cola sauce is the absolute best barbecue in town.

Why this recipe works

Dr Pepper barbecue sauce is finger-licking delicious when brushed over grilled chicken, ribs, burgers, and kebabs. I can’t think of a more versatile sauce, it even doubles as a zippy dipper for chicken nuggets, fries, tenders – you name it. 

This sauce has a subtle kick with a touch of hot sauce and the perfect amount of sweetness to round it out. It’s kind of like teriyaki sauce with its sweet and tangy elements. 

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

DR PEPPER – The star of the show. You’ll need one 12-ounce can for this recipe. We have not experimented with diet Dr. Pepper, but I would imagine it would work just fine.

HOT SAUCE – Use your favorite brand.

VINEGAR – The acidity brings nice balance to this sauce. You can use apple cider or white vinegar here.

CORNSTARCH – This plus a dash of water helps thicken the sauce into an ideal consistency.

How to Make Dr Pepper Barbecue Sauce

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

1. Combine all ingredients except the cornstarch and water in a medium saucepan.
2. Whisk everything together and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
   
   TIP – Be careful not to turn the heat up too high as it can burn the sugar in the soda.
   
   
   
3. Combine cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Add the slurry to the saucepan.
4. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes, or until sauce is thickened.
   
   TIP – 20-30 minutes may seem like a long time, but you need time for the water in the Dr. Pepper to evaporate and cook off.
   
   
   

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

Serving Suggestions

You can use this Dr Pepper barbecue sauce on anything you would use a regular ole barbecue sauce with. Burgers, wings, pulled pork, grilled chicken, ribs, and kebabs are some of our go-to’s. It’s also great as a dipper with potato wedges and chicken tenders/nuggets. Enjoy!

More Sauce Recipes

• Yum Yum Sauce
• French Fry Sauce
• Sweet and Sour Sauce
• Garlic Parmesan Wing Sauce

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Dr Pepper Barbecue Sauce

Dr Pepper barbecue sauce has a subtle kick with a touch of hot sauce and the perfect amount of sweetness to round it out. Great for basting over ribs, chicken, pork, burgers, you name it!

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IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!

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Course: Condiments

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 servings

40 minutes mins

Calories: 52

Author: Amanda Davis

Ingredients

• ▢ 12 ounces Dr. Pepper 1 can
• ▢ ½ cup ketchup
• ▢ 2 ½ Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons hot sauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ▢ 1 ½ Tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon firmly packed light brown sugar
• ▢ 2 ½ Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• ▢ ½ cup water

Things You’ll Need

• ▢
  Saucepan
• ▢
  Whisk

Before You Begin

• Use your favorite brand of hot sauce for this recipe.
• You can use apple cider or white vinegar.

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients except the cornstarch and water in a medium saucepan.
• Whisk everything together and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

  Be careful not to turn the heat up too high as it can burn the sugar in the soda.
• Combine cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Add the slurry to the saucepan.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes, or until sauce is thickened.

  20-30 minutes may seem like a long time, but you need time for the water in the Dr. Pepper to evaporate and cook off.

Expert Tips & FAQs

• Store the sauce in an air-tight container or jar kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. 
• We have not tested this recipe using diet Dr. Pepper, but I would imagine it would be fine – although it may be a little less sweet which you can easily remedy.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (1/4 cup) | Calories: 52cal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 0.5g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 326mg | Potassium: 136mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 169IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

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