Can You Freeze BBQ Sauce?

BBQ sauce is a condiment that no home should be without. While BBQ sauce is readily available in almost all grocery stores, you can’t get better than homemade BBQ sauce.

If you have made a batch at home, and don’t think you will use all of it before it might spoil, you’ll need to find a way to keep it fresh for longer.

Can you freeze BBQ sauce? You can freeze BBQ sauce! Freezing is a great way to keep BBQ sauce fresh for a longer period of time. Simply allow your BBQ sauce to cool to room temperature and place it into airtight, freezer-safe containers for easy storage.

There are some rules to follow when freezing BBQ sauce, so keep reading to find out the best way to do it!

How To Freeze BBQ Sauce

Freezing BBQ sauce is fairly easy, but you do need to take some precautions to ensure that it freezes well and is safe to use when the time comes.

Here is a step by step guide on how to freeze BBQ sauce:

1. If you have just made the BBQ sauce at home, allow it to cool down to room temperature.
2. Once cool, pour the BBQ sauce into freezer-safe containers.
3. If necessary, portion the BBQ sauce out into smaller containers. Only freeze as much as you will use in one container, as you cannot refreeze the BBQ sauce once it has been thawed.
4. Seal the freezer-safe container and label it with the date of freezing. Labeling it with the contents, which would be BBQ sauce, also helps you easily identify it in the freezer.
5. Place the BBQ sauce in the freezer and thaw it once you are ready to use it.

What Containers Can I Use For Freezing Barbecue Sauce?

There are a few options of containers to use when freezing BBQ sauce. Most of the time, it’ll just be what you have available to use in your kitchen, but here are some of the pros and cons of each different option:

Freezer Bag

Freezer bags are always a good option for freezing foods. They are affordable, and the sauce can be laid flat and frozen flat in the freezer, saving space.

You can even stack a few frozen sauces on top of each other. These bags are often not reusable.

Pouring the sauce into a freezer bag might be slightly difficult, and you do need to remove as much air from the bag before sealing it.

Mason Jar

Mason jars make for good sauce containers, just be sure to check that it is suitable for freezing.

When using a mason jar, leave an inch of space at the top, not filling it all the way up, as the liquid will expand and you do not want an explosion in the freezer.

Plastic Freezer Container

Another option is using a plastic freezer container that has an airtight lid. These are easy to pour the sauce into and help you portion out the sauce nicely.

Just like mason jars, you need to leave some space at the top of the container, without filling it all the way to the top.

How Long Can I Keep Barbecue Sauce In The Freezer?

You should aim to use BBQ sauce within 6 months of freezing.

The BBQ sauce will be fine to use beyond this, but the quality will begin to decline, and you might not get that great flavor or texture that you were hoping for.

Labeling the freezer container with date of freezing helps keep track of this.

Once you have defrosted the BBQ sauce, it will keep in your fridge for up to 4 days.

You cannot refreeze BBQ sauce (or reheat it after heating it once thawed) as this increases the chance of bacteria growth and the sauce will decline in quality quite a bit!

Related Questions

Now that we’ve gone over how to freeze BBQ sauce and some things to be aware of when doing so, let’s cover a few more questions on the topic.

How do I store homemade barbecue sauce?

To store homemade BBQ sauce, you should pour it into a mason jar once it has cooled down to room temperature. You could also store the BBQ sauce in an airtight container.

Stored this way, the BBQ sauce can be kept in the fridge for up to two weeks.

How long does bottled barbecue sauce last?

If kept in the fridge, store-bought bottled BBQ sauce can last between 6 and 9 months. Opened BBQ sauce can also be kept in the pantry for up to 1 month, but it lasts much longer in the fridge.

Can I use unopened barbecue sauce that has expired?

Unopened BBQ sauce can usually be fine to eat after 1 year of purchase, but you will need to open the bottle and look for any signs of spoiling.

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