I’m a big fan of Trader Joe’s. When it comes to vegan-friendly convenience meals, condiments, snacks, and certain items in the produce & pantry sections, their price and quality can’t be beat. It sounds strange to say, but shopping there is an enjoyable activity independent of the fact that I’m getting groceries. Recently the new (ish) Trader Joe’s Sriracha and Roasted Garlic BBQ sauce has been getting rave reviews, and I decided to come up with a homemade version. (I don’t know why it’s so expensive on Amazon! In the store it’s only a few dollars..)
We like making homemade BBQ sauce because you can control the ingredients just to your liking – and it’s a lot cheaper! J leans more toward super sweet, sticky BBQ sauces that are made of equal parts sugar and vinegar, and not a lot else. It’s delicious in its own way – kind of like a western sweet and sour sauce. I personally prefer something more naturally-sweet and with darker, deeper flavors. Think molasses, tamarind, lots of spices and a slow-burning spiciness. Which is where the sriracha comes in! This sauce is definitely spicy, but not in an overpowering or overwhelming way. However, individual tastes vary, so play it by ear according to your preferences. BBQ sauce is meant to be lovingly prepared, tasted many times and seasoned until it’s just right.
Difficulties deciding whether to picture the sauce in the bottle or the jar 🙂
Roasted garlic is also an amazing addition to BBQ – I’m not sure I would have thought of that myself if not for Trader Joe’s. Roasted garlic has so much sweetness to it, but also an intense umami flavor. It’s no secret that I love the stuff 🙂 I’ve put it in vegan quiche, creamy pasta sauce, and white bean stew. And this sriracha roasted garlic BBQ sauce certainly won’t be the last time it makes an appearance! Most of the time I make my own, but this time I caved and bought some pre-roasted at the store. If you do so, look for one without added preservatives or ingredients other than garlic, oil, and salt. Other additives will unfortunately, change and sometimes totally dull that sweet garlicky flavor. You can totally make your own sriracha, too!
This isn’t the first Trader Joe’s item that I’ve reversed engineered. My homemade soyrizo recipe is still one of my all-time blog favorites! Come to think of it, I’m sure you could devise some sort of delicious BBQ soyrizo nachos or something along those lines… :). I’d love to know if there are any other vegan Trader Joe’s favorites that y’all would like to see made into a homemade version!
Sriracha and Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tsp neutral oil (I used grapeseed oil)
- 1/2 red onion diced
- 1 clove fresh garlic minced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup roasted garlic cloves loosely packed
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 30 oz canned tomato sauce or tomato puree
- 4 tbsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar; plus more to taste)
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp sriracha (plus more to taste; or reduce if sensitive to heat)
- 2 tbsp whiskey (optional)
- 2 tbsp blackstrap molasses
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (or use gluten-free tamari or liquid aminos)
- 1 tbsp prepared mustard
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp tamarind paste
- 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce (see notes for substitutions)
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
Instructions
- Add a small drizzle of oil in the bottom of a saucepan over medium-high heat. When warm, add the diced onion and fresh garlic and stir. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the onion is softened and slightly browned. Add smoked paprika, cumin, and black pepper, stir, and cook for about 60 more seconds or until fragrant. Remove from the heat.
- Use a rubber spatula to add the saute mixture to a blender along with the roasted garlic cloves and apple cider vinegar. Blend until completely smooth, adding some of the tomato puree if needed to blend.
- Pour the blender mixture into a saucepan and and all of the rest of the ingredients, except for the liquid smoke. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer the mixture for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the liquid smoke and taste for seasoning (like more sweetness, acidity, salt, or spices). If you want a super smooth sauce, you can blend it again in batches or with an immersion blender.
- Let the sauce cool completely before storing in the fridge (it's even better the next day!). Leftover BBQ sauce will keep for at least a week.
Notes
Nutrition
Coming in a couple of days: a mouthwatering serving suggestion for this BBQ sauce, pictured above 🙂
Adapted from the basic BBQ sauce recipe in But I Could Never Go Vegan! and from the Trader Joe’s Sriracha and Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce ingredients list.
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I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
Jessie says
This looks so awesome! I cant wait to see the sandwich recipe!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thank you! I feel bad that I promised the sandwich recipe and then took so long to follow up, but I finally published it today after some technical difficulties 🙂
ｒｉｋａ＠ｖｍ says
I love Trader Joe’s, but I have yet to try their sauce, maybe I will drop by tomorrow! The sauce looks incredible – garlicky, sweet, spicy and a whole lotta yum! Btw, another favorite local dish of mine is spreading bbq sauce all over roasted or boiled corn, so good!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
That BBQ corn sounds delicious, I’ll have to remember that for corn season later this year. Trader Joe’s is always coming up with new delicious vegan stuff 🙂
Farrah says
This combines so many of my favorite things in one! <3 Can't wait to try it out!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thanks 🙂 hope you enjoy!
Natalie says
Yay! So thrilled to have a recipe for this sauce!
How many cups does it make?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
🙂 I can’t say it tastes exactly like Trader Joe’s but it’s delicious just the same! Sorry I didn’t add the amount to the original recipe. It makes about 4 cups of sauce.
Little Vegan Bear says
Sounds delicious!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thank you 🙂
Deborah Davis says
Some like it hot, and so do I! I love the taste of Siracha but I find that most brands have additives that I prefer to avoid, so making your own hot sauce and BBQ sauce makes much more sense. Thanks for sharing this delectable post! I am pinning and sharing it.
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Exactly! There is actually an organic, all-natural brand of Sriracha at my local grocer now. But it’s nice to know there are also tons of great tutorials on the internet for making it homemade. Thanks for sharing 🙂
June Burns says
Mmmm that looks amazing! I’ve never made my own barbecue sauce like this but it sounds like heaven 🙂
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Oh you must try making your own! It’s pretty much all pantry items and it’s really easy 🙂