Get a glossy finish with thin layers of sauce and controlled heat.
Why sauce burns
Ketchup, honey, brown sugar, and fruit preserves bring sweetness to barbecue sauce, but they also darken quickly over a hot fire. A black coating is not the same as a flavorful crust. If the outside tastes bitter while the inside still needs cooking, the sauce probably went on too early or over too much heat.
Cook most of the way first
Follow your recipe’s cooking method and use a thermometer to track the center of the meat. Add sauce when the food is close to done, leaving enough time for a thin coating to become tacky. Timing depends on the sauce, grill temperature, and cut, so watch its appearance rather than committing to a fixed countdown.
Build thin layers
Pour a small amount into a working bowl. Brush on a light coat, close the lid briefly, and check it before adding more. Turn or move the food if one area darkens faster. Indirect heat gives you more control than placing a sugary glaze directly above flames. Sauce should cling to the surface rather than drip heavily into the fire.
Keep serving sauce separate
Set aside sauce for the table before brushing raw or partly cooked meat. Do not dip a contaminated brush into the serving container. A clean brush and fresh working bowl make it easier to keep finishing sauce separate from anything that contacted raw food.
Rescue a fast-darkening glaze
Move the food to the cooler zone immediately and reduce heat if necessary. Finish cooking gently, checking internal temperature. Adding more sauce will not remove a burnt layer. On the next cook, start later, use thinner coats, and give the food more distance from the fire.
Put it into practice
Try these tips with our Kansas City–Style Sticky Ribs recipe.