Why Youll Love Honey Bourbon Bbq Sauce
- Sweet and smoky. Its meant to be a sweeter profile, but theres a lot of depth to it. The complexities of the bourbon shine through, pairing perfectly with the rich honey for a well-balanced profile.
- Simple to make. If youve got a bottle of bourbon, its very likely youll have most of the other ingredients ready to go. Pour everything into a saucepot and simmer until its ready. No blender, no mess.
- Boozy bites. Yes, theres alcohol still in the sauce. This recipe uses a generous portion of bourbon to highlight the flavor profile, which leaves a nice warm burn to each bite.
Minute Homemade Bourbon Bbq Sauce
May 22, 2016
This quick and easy homemade Bourbon BBQ Sauce is smoky, semi-sweet, and tangy. It features your favorite Bourbon for a smoky twist. Slather it on wings, burgers, cauliflower bites, or use it as a barbeque dipping sauce.Ready in 15 minutes flat!
For someone who doesnt love to drink bourbon, I sure love cooking and baking with it. This BBQ sauce is no exception, and its one of the first bourbon recipes published here on FITK, back in 2016.
Its tangy, acidic, and slightly sweet, and slightly spicy, with the hint of smoky bourbon that takes it to the next level. Once you see how easy it is to make your own BBQ sauce at home, youll never buy from a jar again. In no time youll be slathering it on grilled chicken wings, tossing it with pulled pork, and using it as a dipping sauce for everything.
Its easily made vegetarian and vegan, too, so no matter what dietary needs you or your guests might have, everyone can enjoy this bourbon sauce recipe!
Is This Sauce Kid Friendly
There is bourbon in this recipe, so youll want to decide yourself how you feel about serving it to kids. It is definitely not going to get anyone drunk since most of the alcohol cooks off while the sauce simmers.
But, its personal preference as to whether or not youre comfortable feeding this one to the kiddos.
I will tell you that our kids enjoy this sauce and we dont give it a second thought, same with our beer bread.
Recommended Reading: What To Make With Orange Vodka
Mix And Reduce The Sauce
Follow the directions in the recipe card below, but once all the ingredients are in the saucepan, lower the heat and let the contents reduce into a thick sauce.
If you want a smoother sauce, you can use a stick blender and whisk it so that any onion bits are pureed. If you like tiny bits of onion in the sauce, just leave it as is.
When reduced to the thickness you like, you can let it cool and then use it. You can save the leftovers in the refrigerator, or you can use the hot water bath process canning method and store in a pantry for up to 18 months.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
The Best Bourbon Bbq Sauce
June 25, 2020 | Sauces + Sides
As most of you know by now my wife, Mrs. Buddha, is from Louisville, KY. One of the benefits of being married to someone from Kentucky is discovering a taste for bourbon. I have fallen in love with bourbon in its many shapes and forms. Combining my passion for BBQ and bourbon is the logical next step. So, sit back, grab a glass of Four Roses, and enjoy this post for the Best Bourbon BBQ Sauce.
Recommended Reading: Where Can I Buy Pickle Vodka
How To Make It
Making your own barbecue sauce is simple. Heres how to make this easy bourbon BBQ sauce recipe
Pour bourbon into a medium-sized saucepot over low heat. Add the tomato paste and whisk until smooth. As the tomato paste and bourbon warm, it will come together. Then add in all of the spices and whisk again until smooth.
Increase the heat to medium and let it simmer for 15 20 minutes, until thickened. Thats it!
Does Honey Bourbon Bbq Sauce Still Have Alcohol
Yes, this BBQ sauce has alcohol, and its important to be aware of serving minors or those that would be sensitive to alcohol.
There is a way to determine how much is left, or minimize it as much as possible. Heating up bourbon does remove some of the alcohol, and theres helpful research that narrows it down to just how much:
| Time Cooked at Boiling point of alcohol | Approximate Amount of Alcohol Remaining |
|---|---|
| 15 minutes |
You May Like: What Can You Mix With Tequila
Homemade Bourbon Barbecue Sauce
Its not even summer yet, and Im already in BBQ mode! Ive been thinking of a million and one ways to use this barbecue sauce. I guess thats what a freezing cold winter will do to a person.
Full disclosure that I am a major condiment lover. I love to dunk and dip everything in sauces. But I have never tried making a homemade version of one of my favorite condiments barbecue sauce.
Making your own barbecue sauce at home is super easy! It doesnt require much effort, only needs one pot, calls for less than 20 minutes of cooking time, and you can customize it to your liking. Just throw all of the ingredients into a saucepan and let it simmer. This barbecue sauce is sweeter than it is spicy however you can always spice it up by adding some cayenne pepper and paprika.
Best of all, you should have all of the ingredients for this sauce already in your pantry.
Easy Bourbon Bbq Sauce
Bourbon BBQ Sauce is thick, rich, and deeply flavored. What makes this sauce special is brown sugar, ketchup, and a variety of seasonings.
You can use bourbon barbecue sauce on a variety of meats such as ribs, pulled pork, and chicken breasts. This makes a wonderful basting sauce, but be sure to save some to dip your meat in.
This smoky bourbon BBQ sauce recipe is tangy and made richer and more complex with blended bourbon. Bourbon gives this barbecue sauce a depth of flavor that complements a variety of meats such as steaks and chicken breasts. It also makes a wonderful basting sauce be sure to save some to dip your meat in.
Spicy and sweet with smoky flavors, you can make this mouthwatering BBQ sauce recipe in no time at all. All you need is brown sugar, bourbon, ketchup, liquid smoke, garlic, and onion.
What Is Liquid Smoke?
Liquid smoke is a concentrated seasoning that gives meat a smoky or woody flavor. It can be found in most grocery store spice or condiment aisles, as well as on line. You only need a small amount as the flavoring is very intense. Liquid smoke comes in a few different flavors, such as hickory, mesquite, pecan, and cherry. Hickory flavor is perfect for this recipe.
What Kind of Bourbon for This Bourbon Barbecue Sauce Recipe?
- Jim Beam is a decent, inexpensive bourbon.
- Makers Mark is a more expensive, sweeter bourbon with caramel and vanilla notes that make a nice contrast to the smoky spice.
What About the Alcohol in This Barbecue Sauce?
Recommended Reading: What Can You Drink Vodka With
Smokey Bourbon Barbecue Sauce
Enjoy with your favourite meat roasted, boiled or fried. You will love adding this sauce to everything!Make barbecue sauce.Prepare lids.Pour hot sauce into hot jars.Boiling water canner processing.Next day: check jars have sealed before labelling and storing in a cool, dry and dark place for up to 12 months. As with all vinegar-based preserves, this sauce is best opened after 6-8 weeks to allow the vinegar flavour to mellow.STEP-BY-STEP PHOTOGRAPHS OF THIS RECIPE
How To Make This Peach Bourbon Bbq Sauce Recipe
The recipe today will yield one batch. Youll only need a medium saucepan, a stockpot, and a slotted spoon to get the job done. If you do decide to smooth the sauce at the end, you will need an immersion blender or other blender.
Brown Some Butter
Melt the butter in the saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low as the butter begins to foam.
The milk solids will begin to brown after a few minutes, so do not walk away from the stove as the solids can turn from a nice toasty brown to burned in a matter of a minute.
The butter will smell nutty when its ready. Close your eyes and put your nose to the pot and smell. Youll know.
Brown butter takes a bit of time and patience. Your heat mustnt be too high, or youll burn the milk solids before they ever have a chance. Go low and slow and use your nose to tell when the nutty sweet smell of brown butter is complete.The above photos were taken over an 18-minute period over medium low heat.
Build Layers of Flavor on Top of The Brown Butter
Add shallot to the brown butter. Increase the heat to medium and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in some brown sugar, some quality bourbon, cider vinegar, Dijon, cayenne pepper, Kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and chopped peaches.
Bring to a very gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until peaches are soft, and the sauce has thickened. I let it go for at least 30 minutes but as few as 25 minutes may do the job.
Read Also: What Is Ginger Ale And Whiskey Called
What Youll Need To Make Bourbon Sauce
Simple, basic pantry ingredients make this sauce with absolutely no chopping of ingredients. The simple ingredients for this quick bbq sauce come together in less than 15 minutes, making it perfect for quick weeknight dinners and easy enough to make when hosting guests for a delicious dinner!
- Bourbon even if youre not a bourbon drinker, youll love the smoky bourbon flavor and dimension it adds to the sauce!
- Ketchup for an easy tomato base
- Honey and Brown Sugar both help thicken the sauce and add sweetness to balance out the acid and spice we have in the sauce
- Onion and Garlic Powder flavor, flavor, and more flavor!
- Hot Sauce to add a kick to the sauce
- WorcestershireSauce for a wonderful umami addition.
Apple Bourbon Bbq Sauce Q& a
A few helpful tip and answers to frequently asked questions.
How long will this sauce last in the fridge?
Generally, it will last at least a month, if stored in an airtight container.
Can I freeze this sauce?
Yes! Make sure it is completely cooled before you freeze it.
Will the alcohol cook off completely?
No. I let this sauce simmer for an hour, which removed about 75% of the alcohol. So, most of it cooks off, but not all of it.
Can I substitute the bourbon in the recipe?
Yes If you do not want to use bourbon in this recipe, you can add extra apple cider or apple juice.
What bourbon is best for BBQ sauce?
The best kind is the one you have. That being said, dont use a very expensive bottle here. Use one that you would drink on its own.
Also Check: Which Tequila Is Best For Margaritas
Tips For Making The Best Bourbon Bbq Sauce
- Choose The Right Bourbon. Use a good quality bourbon whiskey, one that you enjoy the flavour of! This will ensure that your sauce has a great flavor.
- Thicker The Better. Be sure to simmer the sauce until it has thickened. A good BBQ sauce is a thick BBQ sauce, this helps it coat your meat well.
- Cool It. Allow the sauce to cool before serving. This will help the flavors to meld together.
Honey Bourbon Bbq Sauce Recipe
This is an amazing sauce that I created for probably some of the best wings I have had in a long time! This honey bourbon BBQ Sauce recipe offers a nice twist on your traditional barbecue sauce and Im sure will become a favourite of yours. It offers a nice sweetness from the honey while balanced out with that bit of bit from the bourbon. Best of all it only takes a few minutes to mix together, so if you are in a pinch this is will be your new go-to bbq sauce recipe! So grab some wings and get cookin.
Prep TimeCook TimeTotal Time
Also Check: What Drinks Can You Make With Grey Goose Vodka
How To Make Bourbon Peach Bbq Sauce
This recipe couldnt be any easier to make! Heres how you make this homemade peach BBQ sauce:
If the sauce thickens too quickly, you can add a few tablespoons of water to thin it out.
Thats it! Can you believe it?
Step : Drop The Heat Down To A Simmer
Allow it to cook for at least 20-25 minutes, depending on how thick youd like to have it. Make sure you keep whisking periodically to keep the sugar from pooling at the bottom. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon and will continue to thicken as it cools. I typically simmer for about 20 minutes.
Don’t Miss: Can I Buy Whiskey Online
Does Bourbon Bbq Sauce Have Alcohol
Some, but not much. Alcohol evaporates as the sauce boils. The amount of alcohol that remains in food after it is cooked depends on a variety of things like how long it is cooked, the size of the pot , and the other ingredients in the recipe.
Anecdotal evidence: we’ve eaten a lot of bourbon bbq sauce and not felt the tiniest bit funny’ afterward.
Ingredients For Bourbon Chipotle Barbecue Sauce
Nothing fancy in this recipe, but when you put these things together!!
One little note. When I bbq I always add some sort of wood. If you are grilling without any wood, add 1/2 teaspoon of liquid smoke to the bbq sauce.
- Ketchup Standard foundation for any tomato-based BBQ sauce.
- Bourbon Nothing fancy, but make sure its real bourbon or whiskey.
- Worcestershire sauce
- Chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce
- Apple Cider Vinegar This adds some acid to cut through the sweetness
- Paprika Smoked paprika if you have it
Recommended Reading: Where Can I Buy Bacon Vodka
A Combination Of Mouthwatering Flavors
My favorite part of this smoky BBQ sauce recipe? The whiskey and smokiness of the adobo and liquid smoke. Although the alcohol cooks off, the bourbon flavor remains. Combine the interest of bourbon with the smokiness adobo sauce and liquid smoke, the subtle sweetness of apple juice and brown sugar, and the tang from vinegar, youll be slathering this on anything to savor this mouthwatering Smoky Bourbon BBQ Sauce.
A spoon will work too, if inclined
How To Make Homemade Bbq Sauce From Scratch
It takes a few pantry staples and 15 minutes of simmering for saucy BBQ sauce heaven to be made. In summary, heres how to make this smoky BBQ sauce :
- First, in a sauce pan, whisk the ketchup, brown sugar, adobo sauce, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Balsamic vinegar, liquid smoke, yellow mustard, apple juice, Bourbon whiskey and salt.
- Second, bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat down.
- Third, simmer the mixture for 15 minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Last, remove from heat and its ready to be used, or chilled for later.
The mixture will be smooth and will thicken as it cools. Use right away in your favorite BBQ recipe or store in the refrigerator or freezer for later.
Also Check: Who Makes Don Julio Tequila
Bourbon Chipotle Barbecue Sauce Recipe
If youre the type of person who enjoys making their barbecue sauce versus grabbing a bottle from the grocery store, you will appreciate this Bourbon Chipotle Barbecue Sauce recipe.
This barbecue sauce would be compared to the standard ketchup-based sweet barbecue sauce, a pretty straightforward sauce. However, the addition of bourbon and chipotles takes a good barbecue sauce to a whole new level of flavor.
This sauce is sticky-sweet with a touch of heat from the chipotles. The addition of a few other spices gives it a pleasing complexity that makes you wonder why you would buy barbecue sauce in the future.
The homemade bbq sauce recipe is easy to bring together without any complex steps. It also stores well so that you can bottle up any remainder for your next bbq session.
Next time youre thinking about tossing some chicken on the grill, whip up a batch of this amazingly delicious sauce. Your family and friends will thank you!
What Kind Of Bourbon Should I Use
The best kind of bourbon is the one you have in your liquor cabinet already. In my opinion, anyway. I generally have Bulleit, which is what Ive used for this recipe. That being said, I would recommend using something cost effective. You dont want to use your best bourbon for this recipe, since its mixed with so many additional flavors.
Recommended Reading: What’s The Best Way To Drink Tequila
How To Make Bourbon Bbq Sauce
The full quantities and directions are in the recipe card, but it really doesnt get any easier than this.
Why This Recipe Works
- No chopping and sauteeing: If I can just open a bottle and have something that tastes amazing, I dont want to spend a ton of time and effort to make it myself. So lets take out those extra steps.
- No bits and pieces: This kind of goes along with the last one, but I dont want chunks of onions and peppers in my bbq sauce. It should be smooth, and honestly, Ive made some with green peppers in it, and they just make it taste bitter and strange.
- No ketchup: I want to control the sweetness and spices myself. Starting with tomato paste means I do have to add a couple of extra ingredients to get the right flavor and texture, but I think it is worth it. Plus, I prefer getting a little flavor with my sweetness in the form of brown sugar, molasses, honey, or maple syrup versus the blandness of plain sugar or *gasp* corn syrup.
As I experimented, I found that I could start with my own homemade ketchup recipe. By adding a few more ingredients and simmering it till it becomes thick, I could totally customize my own, dare I say, gourmet barbeque sauces. I started with Balsamic BBQ Sauce, and then created this one.
You May Like: Where Is Scotch Whiskey Made