10 super sauce recipes for your barbecue

On a sunny day, there’s no better way to make the most of the weather than getting friends and family together for a barbecue. And no barbie is complete without a few sauces to elevate your feast.

Add excitement to your grilled meat and veg with moreish dips and sauces, from a deep and rich BBQ sauce to spicy sriracha and chilli sauce. Cooking up Mexican-style food, like pork quesadillas? Team it with a hot red pepper sauce. For those serving up succulent grilled lamb or steak, pop some green or apricot sauce on the side for a delicious combo. And don’t forget those crowd-pleasers, mayonnaise or aioli – particularly good for dunking your chips.

Not only do homemade sauces taste better, they’re also simple and fun to make and can be on the table in no time at all. There’s nothing quite like homemade sauce and dips to get your guests excited for more and sending their compliments to the chef!

Jamie’s BBQ sauce packs a brilliant flavour punch, with gentle spices and sweet apples adding to the party, and can be stored for up to six months. It makes a delicious marinade for pork ribs, beef, and chicken, but it’s also a quick and tasty way to add oomph to vegetarian dishes like BBQ baked beans. Or simply slather it over your burger before squishing it together and taking a big old bite!

It’s the layers of flavour in this BBQ sauce from Jamie’s America that make it truly special. The ingredients list features lots of store-cupboard essentials you probably already have, and it’s super easy to make. This BBQ sauce is the real deal, and once you try it you won’t go back – elevate almost any grilled dish with this heavenly combination.

Need an accompaniment to give your roast a new twist? This is your sauce. Especially good with lamb, it has a rich, deep flavour, although it only uses four ingredients. Red chilli adds a kick and infusing the sauce with thyme takes it to the next level. It’s also delicious with roast pork and seared chicken.

Jamie’s take on a green sauce is the perfect punchy topping for steak and chicken. Made with pistachios, capers, mint and parsley, it gives you more than a little bang for your buck. It can also add a beautiful hit of flavour to Mexican dishes like quesadillas, tacos and burritos, and is so good drizzled over fried eggs or omelettes.

This vibrant, peppery sauce is so easy to make and a real celebration of the beautiful leaf. Silverskin pickled onions and anchovies add a briny tang, while English mustard brings the kick – team that with the pepperiness of the watercress, and you have a truly special sauce. It’s really tasty drizzled over roast potatoes, or served with red meat, like roasted rump, or white fish.

No grill feast is complete without a chilli sauce. And Jamie’s tried-and-tested offering is an absolute game changer, with its balance of sweet and savoury. Get experimenting with the chillies depending on how hot you like your condiments, switching up mild red chillies for jalapeño or Scotch bonnets if you want something punchier. It also makes a great gift – it’s bound to give the recipient a new appreciation for homemade sauce!

Sweet, rich, warming and oh-so moreish, this sauce has it all. Impress your guests with something a little different and pop it in a taco with some pork belly, or simply enjoy it with chicken wings or veg sticks for dunking. However you try it, we guarantee it’ll have you coming back again and again.

This fiery chilli sauce adds an irresistible kick to almost any meal. It’s tasty with meatballs, noodles, salads, drizzled over eggs, and stirred into mayonnaise, but there are so many ways to eat it – its uniquely tangy flavour is sure to spice up your meals! Tweak the consistency to your liking by adding a splash of water, and it will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Endlessly versatile, nothing quite beats homemade mayo. Once you’ve made our simple recipe, you won’t go back. Try mayo the classic way, slathered on chips, or given a garlicky twist and heaped on potato salad. Our vegan version is an excellent addition to our Brilliant veggie burgers, or add a fresh twist with lemon and serve with fish. You can also spread a thin layer on bread and top with a sandwich filling of your choice.

Our quick recipe for flavour-packed aioli packs a punch when dolloped on top of your favourite dish. Lemon or basil aioli is delicious with salads, poached fish (salmon is especially lovely), seafood soups, chicken, pork or as a dipping sauce for vegetables. However you like to eat it, one thing is for sure – a dollop of aioli is sure to take your meal up a notch!

After more inspo? Check out our full BBQ food recipe collection.