Is it Cheaper to Make or Buy Barbeque Sauce?
Picture this: you’re firing up the grill, ready to indulge in some finger-lickin’ goodness. But before you get saucy, a burning question pops up: Is it cheaper to whip up your own BBQ sauce or grab a bottle from the store?
Well, worry not! In this article, we’re diving into the nitty-gritty of BBQ economics. We’ll break down the cost of a homemade recipe and then embark on an epic price comparison adventure, scouting different grocery stores to find out where you can save some serious cash.
So, get your taste buds and wallet ready as we unravel the truth behind those BBQ sauce price tags. Let’s find out if it’s time to don the apron or take a shortcut down the sauce aisle!
How much does homemade barbeque sauce cost?
The reason there is so many different barbeque sauces to choose from is because everyone makes it a different way. So for this cost breakdown, we will use a very basic BBQ sauce recipe.
| Homemade BBQ Sauce Ingredients | Total Cost | Cost for Recipe |
| 1 1/2 cups of Ketchup | Great Value 24oz bottle= $1.18 | $0.59 |
| 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar | Great Value 32oz bottle= $2.32 | $0.29 |
| 1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce | Great Value 10oz bottle= $1.00 | $0.20 |
| 3/4 cup of packed brown sugar | Great Value 32oz bag= $1.97 | $0.37 |
| 2 tbsp of yellow mustard | Great Value 20oz bottle= $1.12 | $0.06 |
| 1 tbsp of paprika | Great Value 2.5oz jar= $1.12 | $0.11 |
| 2 tsp of onion powder | Great Value 3.25oz jar= $1.12 | $0.06 |
| 1 tsp of ground pepper | McCormick 1.5oz jar= $2.08 | $0.11 |
| 1/2 cup of water | Tap Water | Free |
| Total Cost: $11.91 | Cost for the Recipe: $1.79 |
I priced all the ingredients at my local Walmart because they are cheaper for most things in my area. Depending on where you live and shop, your costs may vary.
If we had nothing already at home, the total out of pocket cost for homemade barbeque sauce would be $11.91. The cost for the actual recipe is about $1.79.
This recipe makes about 2 1/4 cups of barbeque sauce, so that equals about 18oz. In order to compare our homemade version to the store bought stuff, we willbreak our cost down to cost per ounce.
The homemade barbecue sauce cost about $0.09 per ounce to make!
How much is barbeque sauce at the grocery store?
Now let’s head out and see how much barbeque sauce costs at the grocery store. In order to be fair, we will be looking at just basic sauce and mostly store brand. Some brand name and even specialty BBQ sauces can get very expensive.
| Store Bought BBQ Sauce & Size | Store & Price | Cost per Ounce |
| Kroger brand, 18oz bottle | Ralph’s, $1.59 | $0.09 |
| Stater Bros brand, 18oz bottle | Stater Brothers, $1.49 | $0.08 |
| Signature Select brand, 18oz bottle | Albertsons, $2.69 | $0.15 |
| Great Value brand, 18 oz bottle | Walmart, $1.64 | $0.09 |
| Burman’s brand, 18oz bottle | Aldi, $1.65 | $0.09 |
| Publix brand, 18oz bottle | Publix, $3.19 | $0.18 |
| Kraft brand, 18oz bottle | Food Lion, $1.98 | $0.11 |
| Sonny’s brand, 84oz bottle | Sam’s Club, $9.31 | $0.11 |
| Bull’s Eye brand, 17.5oz bottle | Family Dollar, $1.49 | $0.09 |
| Kraft brand, 18oz bottle | Dollar Tree, $1.25 | $0.07 |
| Average Cost per Ounce: | $0.11 |
We checked multiple stores and even searched some warehouse and discount type stores. The lowest cost BBQ sauce was actually at the Dollar Tree where it was only $0.07 per ounce.
The highest cost BBQ sauce was at Albertsons where the store brand/generic sauce cost almost $0.15 an ounce. Overall, we determined the average cost per ounce of barbeque sauce at the grocery store was about $0.11 per ounce.
So, when we compare the homemade cost of $0.09 to the store bought of $0.11 per ounce, it is definitely cheaper to make your own barbecue sauce!
Is homemade barbeque sauce worth it?
If we are looking at just cost savings, then yes making your own homemade barbeque sauce is definitely worth it!
Other advantages of making your own BBQ sauce:
- you control the ingredients
- you control the amount of sodium and other perservatives
- you can create your own ideal flavor
- takes very little time to make
- probably have most of the ingredients already at home
The disadvantages of making your BBQ sauce:
- shelf life will only be 2-3 days compared to 3-6 months of the store bought kind
- it is still quicker to just grab a bottle of BBQ sauce from the fridge or pantry
- it may take many tries to find your ideal flavor
Overall, I would say that making your own homemade barbeque sauce is definitely a great skill to have. The next time you run out of BBQ sauce but don’t want to run too the store, you can whip up your own with ingredients you probably already have at home.
We don’t typically use a lot of barbeque sauce, so I would probably start making very small batches to use for 1-2 meals at a time. This will definitely save me money, because I would only make enough to use right now. Instead of buying a big jar that could take months to use.
If you typically use a lot of barbecue sauce regularly, it will really be up to you to see if there is a savings. I would compare the cost of the kind you typically buy to making it yourself.
Then you could see if the time it takes to make it and the ingredients needed, would make up enough savings to give up the convenience of it already being made for you.
