DIY BBQ sauces, rubs & marinades using pantry staples

Smoky sweetness, honeyed citrus, tongue-tingling umami heat… Backyard BBQs dinners just wouldn’t taste the same without our favourite sauces, rubs and marinades. 

While it’s easy to just pick up BBQ sauce or a special BBQ spice blend at the grocery store, sometimes you either don’t have the time or simply avoid spending on an entire bottle you know you’ll only use once. 

That’s why we came up with these three DIY BBQ sauces, marinades and rubs you can make at home using what’s already hiding in your pantry. 

Perfect for grilled meats and veggies, these little flavour bombs are all you need to turn your favourite grilled foods into an irresistible summer meal the whole family will love.

Let’s get grilling!

Sweet & Spicy BBQ Sauce Recipe

This simple BBQ sauce recipe from Kingsford is great for marinating meats like ribs and chicken, as well as slathering on top of tofu, eggplants or burgers. 

Ingredients

• ¾ cup ketchup
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp hot pepper sauce or cayenne powder

Instructions

1. Mix all the ingredients together until well combined.
2. Use as an overnight marinade for meat or as a sauce for burgers.

Peppery Fennel Rub Recipe

This peppery fennel rub recipe is one of our faves by Jamie Oliver. We love to use it on tuna steak, swordfish, grilled veggies like zucchini, asparagus and eggplant, or to flavour ground lamb for kebabs.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp ground fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp crushed black pepper (or less if you don’t like a strong peppery taste)
• 1 tbsp kosher salt (adjust if you like it saltier)

Instructions

1. If you got whole spices, crush them in a mortar and pestle or blitz them in a spice grinder.
2. Mix all the ingredients together until incorporated. Taste and adjust until you’re satisfied.
3. Sprinkle on top of your ingredients of choice or mix into ground meat and light up the grill

Simple Dijon Marinade 

We all know honey and mustard are a match made in heaven, which is why they work beautifully in this marinade recipe from PaleoHacks. Perfect to marinade pork chops, pork loin and chicken, or to lather on top of eggplant, tofu or salmon.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp yellow or Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp paprika

Instructions

1. Blend all the ingredients together until combined.
2. Use as an overnight marinade for meat and fish, or to brush on top of tofu and eggplants.

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