9 Genius Ways to Use Up a Bottle of Barbecue Sauce

Make barbecue chicken pizza.

Swap tomato sauce for barbecue sauce, then add cooked cubes of chicken, cheddar cheese, and scallions. Once your pizza is out of the oven, top with plenty of fresh cilantro.

Put a southern spin on nachos.

Top your nachos with pimento cheese sauce, pulled pork, fresh or pickled peppers, and a generous pour of Carolina barbecue sauce.

Make salad dressing.

Spice up your salad by turning your favorite barbecue sauce into a basic vinaigrette. Simply whisk with lemon juice and olive oil (or, better yet, drizzle them right into the barbecue sauce bottle and shake well).

Stir into dip.

Use a smoky-spicy barbecue sauce as a dip for fried jalapeño poppers, mozzarella sticks, or Panko-crusted chicken. Mix with sour cream, greek yogurt, or serve on its own.

Make pulled anything.

Pulled pork is the obvious pick here, but pulled chicken sandwiches (or tacos) are equally delicious. You can also make it vegetarian and stir barbecue sauce in with tofu crumbles, roasted carrots, or sweet potatoes before serving on toasted buns or tortillas.

Top hot dogs.

Make a southern-style barbecue dog by topping a beef frank with mac and cheese, your favorite sauce (Carolina would work well), and coleslaw.

RELATED: The Guide to Pairing Barbecue Sauce With Beer

Upgrade potato salad.

Whip together a spicy, smoky Mexican-style potato salad with red potatoes, jalapeños, cilantro, tajin, and barbecue sauce.

Give cocktail sauce a lift.

Upgrade a classic shrimp cocktail by combining barbecue sauce with Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, vinegar, and a squeeze of lemon. Throw the shrimp on the grill to elevate the flavor even more.

Make a savory muffin topping.

Swirl leftover sauce on top of cornbread muffins. Or, take it a step further by alternating piping barbecue sauce and cheddar mascarpone "icing" on top of the muffins as a fun (and delicious) decoration.