Turn Tangy French Dressing Into Your New Favorite BBQ Sauce

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Summertime, or anytime, BBQs create ample opportunities for grilling your favorite meats and veggies and preparing the very best side dishes. Among all of these must-haves, of course, is sauce. Though not every style of regional BBQ in the U.S. calls for slathering on the sauce, it's important to have a good variety of options, particularly for a larger-scale gathering. Trying a delightful new take on an old favorite, reach for a bottle of French dressing as the base for your next sweet and tangy BBQ sauce recipe to give it a big boost of flavor.

French dressing is known for its distinctive bright red-orange color and sweetly acidic taste. Typically tossed in salads, the dressing is made from a mix of mayonnaise or eggs, tomato, and spices, including sugar, paprika, onion powder, and salt. Between the flavor, consistency, and general appearance of this dressing, it provides the ideal base for a BBQ sauce worthy of ribs, chicken, tri-tip, and more.

Take some inspiration from Terry Black's Sweet & Tangy Barbecue Sauce and mix up a memorable recipe fit for basting, mopping, and even dipping all your BBQ best. Starting with at least 1 cup of French dressing as your jumping off point, you'll only need a handful of additional ingredients to make this BBQ sauce. Just add brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and chili powder, along with minced garlic and a finely chopped onion to a food processor and blend until smooth.

This seamless blend of French dressing into a sweet BBQ sauce acts as a great accompaniment to a number of different BBQ entrees. Use it as a marinade for a rack of beef or pork ribs, or as a topping on beef or turkey burgers. It would also add a lot of flavor to portobello mushroom caps, preparing them to be grilled. You can also use it as a finishing mop for steak or brisket and as a condiment for dipping grilled chicken, vegetables, and other foods.

The sauce also goes well with many different BBQ sides. For example, try using half a cup of the sauce in place of the typical mayonnaise for an amped up version of coleslaw. You can also mix it into an unforgettable dish of baked mac and cheese. This is especially tasty if you then top it with a generous portion of BBQ pulled pork.

Beyond just meats or even BBQ-specific dishes, you can also use a French dressing-based BBQ sauce for other favorite meals. Rather than a typical French dressing, try using the sauce to dress a lush, green salad or spread it on a round of dough as the base for a delectable BBQ chicken pizza. Anywhere you can think of to add BBQ sauce to a home-cooked meal, this French dressing version will more than satisfy.