Last updated on October 6th, 2026 at 03:05 pm
This Grape Jelly BBQ Sauce is made from just three ingredients. It has just the right amount of sweet and heat to add that perfect glaze.
Some recipes feel almost magical in their simplicity, and this Grape Jelly BBQ Sauce is one of them. Made from just three ingredients, it comes together in minutes yet delivers a flavor that tastes like it simmered all afternoon. It’s the kind of sauce that proves you don’t need a long ingredient list to create something bold, memorable, and downright delicious.
The beauty of this recipe is the balance it strikes—just the right amount of sweet, just the right amount of heat, all blending into a glossy, finger‑licking glaze. Whether you’re brushing it over grilled chicken, slow‑cooked ribs, or even using it as a dipping sauce, it adds that irresistible sticky‑sweet finish that keeps everyone coming back for more.
It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s one of those little kitchen tricks that instantly elevates a meal. When you can whip up a homemade BBQ sauce this good with almost no effort, it becomes a go‑to recipe you’ll reach for again and again.
Easy Recipe with Simple Ingredients
This sauce was made from not having all of the ingredients I needed for dinner one evening. Since we live in the country and the closest store was a half hour away, it was necessary to improvise.
Many years ago, one evening I started to make BBQ chicken only to realize that there was only a little sauce in the bottle and no extra in the pantry. Therefore, I did some thinking and mixing. The results were scrumptious. Today, this is still one of our favorite BBQ sauce mixtures!
Grape Jelly BBQ Sauce
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Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Grape Jelly Any Brand
- 1 Cup BBQ Sauce I like Baby Rays Honey
- 1/2 Cup Open Pit Original BBQ Sauce
text ingredients
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix with a whisk a few minutes. Use to glaze your favorite meat or use as a BBQ dipping sauce.1 Cup Grape Jelly, 1 Cup BBQ Sauce, 1/2 Cup Open Pit
- If you are going to use this as a dipping sauce, you might want to heat the sauce for just a bit to melt the grape jelly. This will make the sauce smooth.
Your Own Private Notes
Nutrition
A few of my favorite things
The Power of Positivity
BBQ Sauce with Rich Complex Flavors
This BBQ sauce has the texture and complexity of something that might be served at a fancy barbeque restaurant with tones of ingredients and care. However, I love this recipe because it is simple with a few ingredients that I have in my pantry.
However, in the last few years, this combination of grape jelly and BBQ sauce is becoming one of the best kept secrets. There are just so many uses.
One of those is for Slow Cooker Meatballs. To be honest, I made these little gems decades ago. This must be why I ever thought of combining the grape jelly with the BBQ sauce in the first place when I was short on ingredients. Either way, this recipe is a winner.
I have made BBQ Ribs and BBQ Chicken using the Grape Jelly BBQ Sauce. So easy and delightful.
Perfect Dipping Sauce
Make sure to set aside some when you serve your BBQ goodies. My family insists! They love to dip their meat in the extra sauce.
Ideas for using the Grape Jelly BBQ Sauce
BBQ Sauce that is thick, slightly sweet with a bit of kick.
- Top a meatloaf
- BBQ chicken
- BBQ Ribs
- Pulled Pork
- Slow cooker meatballs
- Little Smokies in a slow cooker
BBQ Sauce Ingredients
Just three ingredients make up this delicious sauce. The Open Pit adds a bit of heat to the mix. If you prefer less heat for when you make slow cooker meatballs, for instance, omit this ingredient. However, there are times we love the additional heat as in our BBQ chicken and ribs.
- Bottled BBQ Sauce. I use the Sweet Baby Rays Honey BBQ
- Open Pit BBQ Sauce. The original flavor
- Grape Jelly. Any brand is simply fine
A note on the BBQ sauces used for this recipe. There are surely a wide variety of other sauces that could be substituted for the types and brands I mentioned. However, this is my tried-and-true ingredients in this recipe. Therefore, I am sharing the details that work for me.
However, if there are other sauce brands that you are more familiar with and prefer, please go ahead, and use those. Maybe you even make your own BBQ sauce from scratch. I have never tried that.
If you loved this post, please share. It helps to show me that these types of posts are helpful – thank you!
I hope that you liked this recipe. If you are looking for more ideas on what to make, here are a few other recipes that you may enjoy.
You can find Victoria crocheting, quilting, and creating recipes. She has cooked in restaurants for over 20 years, including many larger parties. She learned to crochet when she was just 11 years old and has been crocheting ever since; over 50 years now. Over 40 years ago, she loved her first class in sewing and continues to hone her skills in quilting. Many have enjoyed the handmade gifts over the years. In her professional career, she has worked in management in a wide variety of businesses including higher education as a dean of a division. All the while attending college part-time to achieve her doctorate in higher education with an emphasis in e-learning.
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