Spicy Barbecue Sauce

Spicy Grill Sauce with four chilies from Berlin

The Spicy Grill Sauce by Sossen Eckart is a handmade, hot barbecue sauce from Berlin, seasoned with four types of chili. The heat remains balanced, not brutal: spicy and fruity with a tomato base, providing a noticeable fire that heats things up while remaining friendly.

Spicy Grill Sauce is labeled No. 5 at Sossen Eckart and is the fiery sister of their mild barbecue sauce. Thomas Eckart seasons it with four different chili varieties, along with tomato puree, raw cane sugar, and red wine vinegar. A sauce that really turns up the heat without burning your palate away.

Fiery, spicy, and fruity all at once

First, you taste ripe tomato and the soft sweetness of raw cane sugar, then the fire of the chilies arrives, slow and steady. On a hypothetical heat scale of 1 to 10, it sits comfortably in the middle: clearly noticeable, but not aggressive. The fruity note buffers the heat so that the flavor persists even after the initial burn.

The four chili varieties play together like a small ensemble, each bringing its own note: fruity, smoky, spicy, with a long, warm aftertaste. A splash of Worcestershire sauce adds savory depth underneath. This ensures the heat remains well-rounded and never one-dimensional; those looking for fire will find it here without the evening ending in a glass of water. Nevertheless, it remains a barbecue sauce with character rather than a pure "hell sauce."

From grilled meat to marinade

Classically, the Spicy Grill Sauce goes with anything that can handle a bit of fire: steak, ribs, pulled pork, grilled vegetables. Brushed on as a marinade, it penetrates the meat; served as a dip, it adds flair to the table; and in a burger, it wakes up every tired bite. It also makes for a delightful addition to baked cheese and wedges, and for those who like, it can be used to glaze chicken wings in the oven.

A Bolognese or chili con carne gains depth of flavor when a spoonful is cooked into it. If you prefer things gentle, reach for the mild Grill Sauce without chili; for a smoky, robust kick, try the Whiskey BBQ Sauce from the same producer.

Hand-cooked in Berlin since 2009

Behind the "Spicy No. 5" are Thomas Eckart and his wife Sabine Welz, who have been cooking their own sauces in Berlin since 2009—in small batches and entirely without artificial additives. Balancing four types of chilies is a craft, not a coincidence. Over the years, their initial recipes have grown into ten varieties, ranging from mild to fiery hot.

"The only downside," Thomas says with a wink about the spicy version, "is that the bottle empties so quickly." Each one is stirred, tasted, and bottled by hand, with the colorful label designed by Sabine herself, a trained designer. This gives every sauce its own unique identity.

You can find the entire world of Sossen Eckart sauces with us, along with many other grill sauces for the summer at the grill.

The heat kicks in after a minute or two

Start with a small amount and add more as needed, as the heat continues to build for a minute or two. Served at around 20 degrees Celsius, the fruity note comes through best beneath the fire.

For marinating, mix with a little oil so it spreads evenly. Because the raw cane sugar caramelizes under high heat, apply it only in the last few minutes of grilling—not over an open flame at 250 degrees, or it will turn bitter. Once opened, the 250 ml bottle will keep for several weeks if refrigerated.