Finish That Bottle Of Barbecue Sauce In A Simple Vinaigrette

We've all reached the end of a condiment bottle and debated over what to do with it. If you have too little sauce to make a complete recipe but don't want to waste any food, what options do you have? If the bottle in question was once full of barbecue sauce, you don't have to immediately toss it out. Simply add a little olive oil and lemon juice, and you have all you need to make a tasty vinaigrette.

Barbecue sauce vinaigrette is a happy medium between the original sauce and a dressing. It's not as thick or heavy as the product on its own, but it can spruce up a plain vinaigrette by giving it a complex flavor and a little more substance. You don't just have to use it for salads — this mashup is delicious on burgers, bowls, sandwiches, smoked meats, and grilled vegetables. Barbecue sauce typically has a little vinegar, so it acts as the perfect tang to balance out the oil in your dressing, but you'll also get sweet, smoky, and possibly spicy flavors.

The most convenient part of using a little barbecue sauce in your vinaigrette is that you don't have to make it in a fresh container. Simply add the rest of your ingredients to the barbecue sauce bottle, shake or stir everything together, and polish off the contents for the new dressing. While olive oil and lemon juice will make for a deliciously simple vinaigrette, you don't have to stop there. If you want a little more tang (and if your barbecue sauce of choice has a minimal amount), feel free to add in some red wine or apple cider vinegar. You can even incorporate some lime juice instead of lemon if you prefer the flavor more, and feel free to up the amount until you get the taste you want.

You can also experiment with adding sweetness to your dressing, particularly if your BBQ sauce is on the smokier or spicier side. Options of ingredients to try include brown sugar, molasses, honey, and maple syrup. To give your dressing a flavor upgrade, sprinkle in spices like garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, and mustard powder — or, to up the spice level in a different way, throw in a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce. Whether you keep it simple or bring your sauce to the next level, you'll end up with a tasty dressing without wasting any food.