This Simple Addition Guarantees Rich, Sticky Barbecue Sauce

Whether it's being slathered on ribs, grilled chicken, or added to a pulled pork sandwich, barbecue sauce is one of our favorite ways to boost flavor. According to Restaurant Clicks, it's one of the top condiments in America, and it's popular for good reason. This versatile sauce is made for dipping and basting, plus it's an easy way to take recipes up a notch. Swap traditional tomato-based sauce on pizza or use it as topping on meatloaf for a flavor upgrade. No matter how you choose to use it, there's no shortage of sauces to choose from.

It seems like there's a barbecue sauce out there for everyone, and while most people have their favorite styles, some of the most popular types of barbecue sauce feature ingredients ranging from mustard and vinegar to tomato sauce and molasses. And if you like a slightly sweet and sticky sauce, you can elevate and increase the flavor and stickiness of barbecue sauce with one unexpected ingredient you probably already have in your fridge.

Although barbecue sauces come in many styles and ingredients, it might seem unheard of to add an Asian-style condiment to your barbecue sauce. But as Taste of Home reports, adding teriyaki sauce to your barbecue sauce can pump up the texture. The article further adds that teriyaki not only adds richness and flavor, but the addition of teriyaki is also what creates a stickier barbecue sauce.

If you've ever had teriyaki, then you know it has a thick and sticky consistency, and that can be attributed to the sweetness in the sauce. According to All Recipes, teriyaki sauce combines soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and sake, and many versions of the sauce also include ingredients like ginger, honey, and garlic. That stickiness from teriyaki is what will help make your barbecue sauce thick and to work like an adhesive. The bonding effect is the key to keeping the sauce where it belongs, on the meat you've slathered it on.