Why You Will Love Dr Pepper BBQ Sauce

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Even If You Can't Stand To Drink Dr Pepper

I’m not sure what made me decide to make Dr Pepper BBQ sauce, but I am so glad I did because it is absolutely amazing! It’s thick, sweet, sticky, and it will be perfect on chicken and ribs.

I’m putting little meatballs in it this time and serving them as an appetizer, but I can easily think of a dozen ways I will use this Dr pepper BBQ sauce in future recipes!

You see, I absolutely can’t stand Dr Pepper. I gave up soda years ago, but I never could drink the stuff. Dr Pepper was invented in Waco, Texas, in the 1880s. Pharmacist Charles Alderton created it and first served it around 1885. It was first nationally marketed in the United States in 1904. It’s been around for well over a hundred years!

Take a look at this easy recipe for Dr Pepper Pulled Pork. I was drawn to it by the intriguing 23 flavors and the fruitiness of the taste. I thought this intriguing flavor combo would lend itself well to barbecue.

There are legions of hardcore Dr Pepper fans. They often speculate that twenty-three flavors might be amaretto, almond, blackberry, black licorice, caramel, carrot, clove, cherry, cola, ginger, juniper, lemon, molasses, nutmeg, orange, prune, plum, pepper, root beer, rum, raspberry, tomato, and vanilla. No one will ever know for sure.

There is even a Dr Pepper museum in Waco, Texas, the birthplace of the iconic soda.

The other thing I like about this sauce is that the rest of the ingredients are things I always have on hand, except for Dr Pepper! Finally, I am happy to have found a sauce our granddaughter can enjoy without gluten, dairy, or soy! It’s a triple win!

You can easily make this in a large, heavy pot like a Dutch oven on your stovetop. The relatively high sugar content does suggest you must stir it often and watch toward the end of the cooking time so it doesn’t burn.

When I made this DR Pepper BBQ sauce, it was ninety-eight degrees, so I used my Instant Pot. I had never tried the slow cooking setting, and I thought it was a good time to try it! I set the Instant Pot to saute and sauteed the diced onions in the olive oil until they were lightly brown on the edges

Next, I added the rest of the ingredients, changed the setting to slow cook, and returned to my computer. I would take a peek and stir it whenever I wandered through the kitchen, and after about three hours, it had cooked down to about two cups of sauce. Wow! This sauce was so easy, and the whole house smelled amazing!

Finally, I switched the Instant Pot back to saute, and when the sauce began to bubble, I stirred the cornstarch into the cold water and dribbled it into the sauce as I stirred until it was the consistency I wanted. I did not need the whole amount.

I poured the sauce into a cute old jar and stuck it in the fridge. A few days later, we celebrated our daughter’s birthday, and I poured the sauce over a bag of frozen meatballs in a little crock pot. It was such a tasty little appetizer on the huge charcuterie board we made for her special day!

Here is a sauce I will make again and again because it is so good and so easy. Who wouldn’t love a pint jar of Dr Pepper BBQ sauce for Christmas? It will be perfect on pulled pork sandwiches, ribs, brisket, meatballs, or chicken!

PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD

Yield: 2 cups*

Dr Pepper BBQ Sauce

Print

Dr Pepper BBQ is sweet, sticky, and thick. One can of soda plus pantry ingredients makes a great sauce for pork or chicken.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• One half of a sweet onion, diced
• One 12-ounce can of regular Dr Pepper. You can also use diet Dr Pepper
• One 15-ounce can of tomato sauce
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp seasoned pepper like Lawry's
• 1 Tbsp corn starch
• 1/3 cup water

Instructions

1. Saute the onion in olive oil until lightly browned.
2. Add all the rest of the ingredients except for the cornstarch and water and stir until well blended.
3. Cook over medium heat, occasionally stirring until sauce thickens.
4. Watch closely toward the end of the cooking time so the sauce doesn't burn. The sugar content makes this possible.
5. Dissolve cornstarch in cold water and add it as needed to the bubbling d=sauce until it reaches the desired consistency.
6. I used my Instant Pot for the whole process. I sauteed the onions on the saute setting and switched to the slow cooker setting. I let the sauce cook on low for about 3 hours, stirring it from time to time. Then, I used part of the cornstarch mixture to thicken it slightly.
7. You can do this on the stovetop in a heavy pot or a slow cooker, but with a slow cooker, you must saute the onions separately before you begin.

Notes

*One recipe is the perfect amount for a bag of frozen meatballs.

I hope you enjoy this Dr Pepper BBQ sauce. Tell me how you use it! Our family also loves Alabama White Barbecue Sauce and Sassy Jezebel Sauce.

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Love, GB (Betty Streff)

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