Looking for an authentic Kentucky Bourbon BBQ sauce for your grilled meats? This Knob Creek Kentucky bourbon bbq sauce is perfect for slathering on grilled meats, adding to burgers, or just serving as a dipping sauce!
Why you will love this recipe
If you are a bourbon barbecue sauce lover, than you will really appreciate this Knob Creek Smoked Maple bourbon version. It is amazing on salmon, pork and chicken.
If your budget rebels and says Knob Creek bourbon is only for drinking, lol, I will understand completely. Any descent bourbon is absolutely fine for making this sauce.
This barbecue sauce is nice and thick, and heavily bourbon flavored. It takes about 35 to 40 minutes to make from start to finish. You can store the leftovers in a freezer, refrigerator, or can it.
Best of all, it's easy to make and takes only a few minutes! Keep reading to learn how to make this fantastic sauce yourself. It's the perfect addition to any summer cookout!
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Ingredients
- Onion, minced fine.
- Water
- Garlic, minced or grated.
- Fresh ginger, grated.
- Soy sauce
- Cider vinegar
- Vanilla bean, scraped of caviar.
- Tomato paste
- Knob Creek Maple Bourbon, or any bourbon.
- Salt
- Chili powder
- Cardamom
- Cinnamon
- Mustard seed
- Maple syrup
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to make a Kentucky Bourbon BBQ sauce
I used Knob Creek smoked maple bourbon, but any bourbon will work. Gather the ingredients and measure them all out ahead of time, as it speeds up the process when you are cooking.
Scrape the vanilla bean
When you buy the vanilla bean, purchase one that is still soft and pliable. If you have stored yours for a long period of time, and it has hardened don't worry, we can save the vanilla bean.
Put the dried up or hardened vanilla bean in a small zip lock bag. Add a tablespoon of water into the bag and seal it. Set the baggie on a sunny window sill for a day or two. The vanilla bean will rehydrate and plump back up.
Now that you have a plump or softer vanilla bean, slice down the length with a sharp knife, careful to not cut yourself. Open the split vanilla bean up like a book and flatten it out.
- Using the blade of the knife, or the tip of a spoon, gently scrape the mealy black vanilla bean caviar off the vanilla bean rind. Set the mealy black caviar aside in a small bowl to use with your barbecue sauce recipe.
- Don't throw the vanilla bean casing aside. Every last bit of the vanilla bean can be used. Let the casing dry out crisp and grind it up with your coffee beans.
Or save the dried ground up casing for your next batch of vanilla bean ice cream. Another use of the casing is to just simply pop it in a canister of sugar and let it flavor the sugar. It will last for years this way.
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 (immersion 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.
Serving suggestions
This is the perfect barbeque sauce for our Country Style Boneless Pork Ribs, but is equally delicious on any barbecued chicken or beef!
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
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Substitutions
You can use a less expensive bourbon for this barbecue sauce. Knob Creek is aged 9 years, 120 proof, but is smooth as silk. However, it is also expensive since it is a top shelf bourbon. Feel free to use whatever bourbon you feel is worthy.
Variations
We used maple syrup in this recipe, but you can use brown sugar or molasses instead.
Equipment
- 3 - 4 8 oz Ball Canning jars or
- bail jars
You can store your left over barbecue sauce in a Ball canning jar. The 8 oz size will let you keep an open jar in the refrigerator and store the rest for later.
Top Tips
- Can, or 'put up' your excess barbecue sauce. It stores well using either the hot water bath process canning method, or frozen in small tubs.
- Prepare this bourbon barbecue sauce a day or two ahead of time so that the flavors mingle and bloom.
Frequently asked questions
If storing in your refrigerator, than about 3 months, just like most commercial bbq sauces. If you store it in a ball canning jar and hot water process it, than it should last 18 months. You can get the hot water bath instructions on the Ball canning website.
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📖 Recipe
Kentucky Bourbon BBQ Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ onion, chopped finely
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 vanilla bean , scraped
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 1 cup Knob Creek Maple Bourbon (or any bourbon you like)
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cardamom, ground
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ground
- ¼ teaspoon Coleman's mustard powder
- ¼ cup maple syrup
Instructions
- Chop the onion and garlic up very fine. Place in a saucepan with the water and salt. Cook on medium heat until onion is soft and translucent.½ onion, chopped finely, 1 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon garlic, minced, 1 teaspoon salt
- Using a sharp knife, slice down the length of the vanilla bean. Spread it open, and using the knife or a spoon tip, scrape out the mealy vanilla caviar. Add the vanilla caviar to the onions. Save the scraped vanilla pod for your sugar canister or dry and grind with your coffee beans.1 vanilla bean
- Add the tomato paste, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and bourbon. Bring to a boil stirring constantly, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer 20 minutes to reduce sauce.1 tablespoon soy sauce, â…“ cup apple cider vinegar, 6 oz tomato paste, 1 cup Knob Creek Maple Bourbon
- Stir in the ginger, chili powder, cardamom, cinnamon, and mustard powder and simmer for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the maple syrup.1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated, ½ teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon cardamom, ground, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ground, ¼ teaspoon Coleman's mustard powder, ¼ cup maple syrup
- Let cool, then pour into Ball canning jars. Freeze or hot water process what you will not be using in the next week. See Notes for link for Hot Water Canning Process Method.
Notes
- Can, or 'put up' your excess barbecue sauce. It stores well using either the hot water bath process canning method, or frozen in small tubs.
- Prepare this bourbon barbecue sauce a day or two ahead of time so that the flavors mingle and bloom.
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