Homemade Bourbon Barbecue Sauce is smoky, spicy, tangy and cooked with a splash of Jim Bean. The outrageously good bbq sauce is easy to make in just one pot for all of your grilling needs.
To add to the smokiness and the spice of the bourbon bbq sauce we add a bit of our homemade Chipotles Adobo Sauce.
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❤️ Why you'll love it . . .
- a tart, sweet, salty, rich, spicy combination that's characteristic of the best bbq sauce.
- the Kentucky bourbon flavors the sauce with a complex and lively spirit that compliments meats.
- easy to make.
- tastes amazing with no artificial additives.
- you can make it as spicy as you like.
This is an excellent sauce to use on ribs, chicken, brisket, burgers, and pork chops. It's amazing on pulled pork and even wins over those mustard sauce fans!
🛒 Ingredients
These are all the ingredients you’ll need for this delicious homemade bourbon bbq sauce. The exact amounts are listed in the recipe card below.
- onion -- used for seasoning the sauce.
- garlic -- seasons and balanced the flavor.
- bourbon whiskey (we used Jim Bean) -- intensifies the flavor and taste of the barbecue sauce.
- ketchup -- for the tomato flavor of the sauce.
- molasses -- sweetens and deepens the flavor of the sauce.
- apple cider vinegar -- gives the sauce a tangy flavor that helps to balance it perfectly.
- Worcestershire sauce -- balances the sweetness with savory flavor.
- tomato paste -- deepens the tomato flavor.
- liquid smoke -- gives the sauce the important smoky notes.
- adobo sauce from chipotle peppers -- adds to the smoky notes and the heat.
- red pepper flakes -- gives the sauce a bit more spicy heat.
- salt -- balances the flavor.
- black pepper -- adds to the balance of flavor.
🔪Equipment
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- Deep non-stick Saucepan with lid -- you want the pan deep enough so that as the sauce simmers it doesn't splatter. We like this one because it has a pour spout.
- A wooden spoon for stirring -- you're using a non-stick pan and wood doesn't conduct heat nor does it scratch the pan. This is a nice set with an assortment of spoons.
- Measuring spoons -- for the spices. Wish I had these. They are double sided with different shape spoons. Very convenient for fitting into jars.
- Liquid measuring cup -- for accurate liquid measure. This is a 3-piece set that is plastic instead of glass but I LOVE the pour spout. The glass ones just dribble as you try to pour.
- Dry measuring cups for the dry ingredients. This set also has the ⅔ and ¾ cup measure which I like. Saves time.
- Rubber spatula for getting the sauce out of the pan. I'm always looking for flexible spatulas to get every drop out of the pans and containers.
- Glass jar/bottle with lid for storing the bourbon barbecue sauce. These bottles will make pouring the sauce easy.
🗒 Instructions
This is a simple recipe that takes just a little bit of patience to reduce the Jim Bean Bourbon tomato mixture to a thick delicious bbq sauce.
- Combine onion, garlic, and bourbon in a deep saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Be careful the bourbon does not ignite.
- Mix in the rest of the ingredients.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes. If you want a smooth sauce, strain through a fine mesh strainer or use an immersion blender.
🥫 Storage
The bbq sauce will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.
We like to keep acidic sauces like the Bourbon Barbecue sauce in glass bottles or jars. The acid can eat at a plastic container. We believe plastic is not the best storage method.
💭 Tips
The great part about this recipe is that you can make it as spicy or as mild as you like it.
We love our things spicy, so much so, we even make our own chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
To get that smooth consistency mix the cooled sauce in a food processor, blender or use an immersion blender.
Expert Tip: When using sauces like a BBQ sauce put some in a glass saucer to use with a brush. You don't want to use the brush on uncooked or partially cooked meats then put it back into the sauce. That is a recipe for spoiling the sauce.
👩🍳 FAQs
It's a barbecue sauce that uses bourbon as part of the flavor.
Some, but most of the alcohol evaporates as the sauce boils.
We like Jim Beam Bourbon. The smoky undertones of this bourbon are an excellent addition to sauces and meats.
📚 Related recipes
Here are more delicious recipes that will enhance your grilling adventures:
Grilled Lime Adobo Rubbed Pork Chops has a delicious dry rub that gives your meats some Mexican heat.
Maple Chipotle Butter Sauce is sweet, spicy, and so good you'll want to slather it on your pork, chicken, and grilled corn on the cob. So good!
Lemon Butter Sauce will season your meats and veggies with a spicy tang. The citrus is such a fantastic compliment to grilled and even roasted dishes.
Lime marinade for your seafood will season the meat with a subtle citrus tang.
📞 Chiacchierata
I have a confession to make come a little closer I have to whisper I think that I may have been someone no I mean something else in a previous life.
I know that sounds so absurd but how else can I explain that I am like a hound dog always searching trying to find whatever is missing trying to find information trying to find what I misplaced?
Recipe lost
Take for instance this bourbon barbecue sauce recipe. I put the original in a special place but then couldn't find that special place.
I knew I had the recipe and what the magazine looked like. But for the life of me I couldn't locate it. It was so frustrating as long as the recipe was missing I couldn't get anything done.
Have you ever been that way?
Found it
This is pretty standard for me. One good thing came out of the search, I not only found the recipe but I found some others that were even better.
So in the end, we took the ingredients that appealed to us, experimented with the taste and texture, then made the bourbon barbecue sauce All Our Way.
If you're wanting a bit of a change, try our mustardy North Carolina BBQ Sauce Recipe. It tastes amazing on pulled pork and chicken, and grilled chicken and pork.
📝 Recipe
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Smoky Spicy Bourbon Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 small onion
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- ¾ cup bourbon
- 2 cups ketchup
- 2 Tablespoons molasses
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 ½ Tablespoons liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from the chipotle peppers
- 1 teaspoon salt or to your taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper or to your taste
- ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes or to your taste
Instructions
- Combine onion, garlic, and bourbon in a deep saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Be careful the bourbon does not ignite!
- Mix in the rest of the ingredients.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes. If you want a smooth sauce, strain through a fine mesh strainer or use an immersion blender.
- It will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.
Notes
- If you want to make the sauce milder -- eliminate the red pepper flakes and add just ½ teaspoon adobo sauce.
Nutrition
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