Have you ever made a bbq sauce at home? Then you could confirm that it’s such a satisfying achievement. But if you allow a barbecue sauce to simmer for more than the required time, it becomes thicker than desired. The flavors also become more pronounced. 

Maybe you think adding water will solve the problem but are wrong. It will only weaken the sauce by reducing its flavor. 

The best way of thinning a barbecue sauce is by using ingredients used in making the sauce. Are you wondering how? Then you may need to continue reading, how to thin barbecue sauce, to grasp some knowledge.

How To Thin Out Barbecue Sauce

Following Agents Are Used:

1. Bourbon or Rum:

Rum and bourbon are perfect agents for thinning bbq sauces. Depending on what you prefer, you can use either of them. You only need to add ¼ teaspoon of rum or bourbon to a cup full of the sauce, and all will be okay.

Most people love using this method to thin their sauces. It is quick and straightforward. But don’t forget to ensure that the mixture gets to boil or simmer to get rid of the alcohol.

2. Apple Cider Vinegar:

It is one of the most accessible options available, and especially for the Carolina bbq sauce because it contains vinegar as its secret ingredient. But it is advisable to first test a small portion before using vinegar to the entire sauce. What you need to do is to put ½ a cup of the sauce into a bowl. Then add ½ a tablespoon of the apple cider vinegar and stir. Then taste to determine if the flavor and thickness are okay.

If satisfied with the mixture, continue adding the rest of the sauce in the same proportion of ½ a cup to ½ a tablespoon of the apple cider vinegar and continue whisking until you get the right consistency.

3. Citrus Juice:

Do you like tangy bbq sauces? Then you may need to consider adding citrus juice next time you want to thin your sauce. First, use a ¼ cup of your sauce to test. Add the citrus juice in bits until you get the right consistency.

Then use the same measurement of citrus juice to thin another ¼ cup of the sauce. Repeat the process until all the sauce gets thinned.

4. Fruit Liquor:

Just like Rum and Bourbon, fruit liquor is a famous thinning agent for bbq sauces. If you are the kind of person that loves hints of fruits incorporated in things, then you will like using fruit liquor to thin your barbecue sauce. All you need to do is carry out a test using ¼ cup of the sauce you want to thin. Place it in a bowl and continue adding the fruit liquor until you achieve the right thickness.

Then based on the amount of sauce and fruit liquor used, use the same measurements to thin the rest of the sauce. But remember to boil or simmer; it allows the alcohol to the cookout.

5. Chicken or Beef Broth:

If your bbq sauce is ideal for taking with barbecued beef or chicken, then thinning it using either the chicken or beef broth is a perfect idea. For example, if barbecuing either chicken or pork, the chicken broth will work great in thinning your sauce.

If you are grilling meat, then the beef broth would be the ideal agent to thin your sauce. The procedure is simple. You only need to add half a cup of either chicken or beef broth to half a cup of the sauce. Then mix the mixture thoroughly to get the required thickness.

6. Beer:

If you don’t have rum, bourbon, or fruit liquor, you can use beer to thin your bbq sauce. Just like with the other thinning agents, the process is simple. You only need to mix ½ a cup of beer with your bbq sauce and allow it to simmer or boil to extract the alcohol.

If your sauce is still over thick, add another half cup of beer and allow the sauce to boil. Keep repeating the process until you attain the right thickness.

How to Thin Tomato Based BBQ Sauces?

If your sauce is tomato-based, the best way to thin it is by using ketchup. Fortunately, the procedure is quick and straightforward.

You only need to add two cups full of your sauce to half a cup of ketchup and mix the mixture thoroughly until you achieve the required thickness and consistency.

You should take care not to add too much thinning agent. As a result, you may get required to thicken it. But the process of thickening a sauce is harder compared to that of thinning a sauce.

It is, therefore, advisable to get keen when adding your thinning agents into your sauce. But in case you get to add more thinning agent than required and your sauce becomes very light, you can use the following methods to thicken your barbecue sauce.