Homemade Sauces for Grilled Meats

There is life beyond garlic sauce! While most people know this, we often lack the time, inspiration, or courage to try something different. Instead, we settle for store-bought sauces and mayonnaise filled with ingredients we can barely pronounce. But with a blender and fresh, seasonal ingredients, you can whip up these simple and delicious homemade sauces that pair beautifully with grilled meats.

1. Chimichurri

Wine, beef, tango, and football—Argentina’s pleasures. But if we could add a fifth, it would be chimichurri: a vibrant, fresh green sauce made with young herbs, always prepared fresh.

Ingredients: parsley, oregano, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, chili flakes, salt, pepper.

Best served with: grilled steak.

2. Mint Mojo

Freshness is the essence of this Puerto Rican sauce. Mint Mojo is a green sauce made with mint and coriander—refreshing herbs with intense aroma. Perfect for a hot summer grill session.

Ingredients: mint, coriander, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, salt.

Best served with: lamb or chicken.

3. Aioli

From the Latin world to Spain, aioli derives its name from the Catalan “all i oli” (garlic and oil). It’s similar to a garlicky mayonnaise—dense, creamy, and aromatic, loved throughout Mediterranean France and Italy.

Ingredients: homemade mayo, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice. Traditional versions include only garlic, olive oil, and salt.

Best served with: fish and seafood.

4. Classic BBQ Sauce

The quintessential American sauce for grilled meats—sweet, tangy, smoky, and unmistakably red. It’s based on ketchup and brown sugar, often spiced with paprika and vinegar.

Ingredients: ketchup or tomato sauce, brown sugar, sweet and hot paprika, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper.

Best served with: pork ribs, but great with almost any meat.

5. Honey-Lime 3-Ingredient Sauce

Ready in 3 minutes, this sauce is ideal for spontaneous sunny weekend barbecues. It balances sweet, sour, and salty perfectly—and works great as a marinade too.

Ingredients: honey, lime juice, soy sauce.

Best served with: chicken and fish.

6. Sweet Mustard Sauce

This quick sauce offers a sweet and tangy twist for your grilled dishes. Also ready in 3 minutes, it’s a go-to when you’re craving something simple yet bold in flavor.

Ingredients: mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar, a pinch of garlic powder, salt.

Best served with: grilled sausages or chicken.

7. Horseradish Sauce

This is the sauce worth heading to the market for—especially if you can find fresh horseradish. Of course, the jarred version works too, though the fresh one packs more punch.

Ingredients: grated horseradish, Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, salt, pepper.

Best served with: pork.