Our homemade Kentucky Bourbon BBQ Sauce is rich, smoky, and slightly sweet, with a touch of real bourbon for a uniquely bold flavor. Made from scratch with simple ingredients, it adds the final touch to your barbecue.
Why You'll Love This Kentucky Bourbon BBQ Sauce Recipe
Looking for an authentic Bourbon BBQ Sauce for your grilled meats? This regional BBQ sauce is perfect for slathering on grilled meats, adding to burgers, or just serving as a dipping sauce!
If you are a bourbon barbecue sauce lover, than you will really appreciate smoked maple bourbon flavors. It is amazing on salmon, pork and chicken.
- Easy to make: This bourbon BBQ sauce is easy to make and takes only a few minutes!
- Budget friendly: Any descent bourbon is absolutely fine for making this sauce.
- Thick and Rich: This barbecue sauce is nice and thick, and heavily bourbon flavored.
Ingredients Overview
To make this BBQ sauce, you'll typically start with a base of tomato ketchup, brown sugar, maple syrup, or molasses. Then, you'll add spices like mustard powder, allspice, and garlic powder.
Finally, the finishing touch is the addition of a few tablespoons of bourbon, which imparts its unique flavor and aroma.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Bourbon BBQ Sauce
Bourbon BBQ Sauce is a classic Southern recipe that combines the smoky flavor of barbecue sauce with the rich, sweet notes of bourbon. You'll blend the sauce ingredients and simmer over a low heat until smooth. The simmering will cook off any alcohol from the bourbon, leaving only it's barrel aged flavor.
Step 1: 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.
Step 2: 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.
Stir in the ginger, chili powder, allspice, cinnamon, and mustard powder and simmer for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the maple syrup.
Step 3: When reduced to the thickness you like, you can let it cool and then use it to baste on meats while grilling.
Step 4: If you have leftovers, pour into Ball canning jars. Freeze or hot water process what you will not be using in the next week. To store in a pantry, use the hot water bath process canning method.
Serving Suggestions
Bourbon BBQ Sauce is a versatile condiment that can be used in a variety of ways. It's perfect for grilling or smoking meats like Instant Pot Pork Butt, Barbecued Traeger Pork Ribs, Barbecue Meatballs, or adding to Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans. You can also use it to baste burgers, sandwiches, or hot dogs.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few delicious variations or substitutions when making this recipe. The beauty of homemade barbecue sauce is the ability to customize it to your liking.
- If you don't have bourbon, or prefer a different flavor, you can substitute it with whiskey, rum, or even maple syrup.
- You can also omit the bourbon completely and used bourbon flavored maple syrup.
- For a spicier sauce, add more chili powder, cayenne pepper, or a dash of hot sauce.
- For a more tangy taste, increase the amount of vinegar or lemon juice.
- If the sauce is too thin, simmer it uncovered until it thickens or stir in a tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with a tablespoon of water.
Storage Options
The sauce may thicken slightly after freezing and thawing. If it's too thick, you can add a splash of water or broth to thin it out.
- For short-term storage, store the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should keep for 1-2 weeks.
- For longer storage, pour the sauce into freezer-safe containers or bags and freeze. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Tips for Success
Here are a few tips for making this recipe:
- 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 barbecue sauce a day or two ahead of time so that the flavors mingle and bloom.
Related Recipes
Frequently Asked Questions
If storing in your refrigerator, than about 3 months, just like most commercial BBQ sauces.
No, you don't. There isn't a lot of bourbon, and the alcohol will evaporate out during the slow simmering process. But, you can use bourbon flavoring, rum flavoring, or simply omit it altogether.
Grilling and BBQ Recipes
Get The Recipe!
Kentucky Bourbon BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup onion chopped fine
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 vanilla bean scraped, or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon molasses any kind
- 3 tablespoon bourbon or bourbon flavor if preferred
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke optional
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon allspice, ground
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ground
- ¼ teaspoon Coleman's mustard powder
- ½ 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 cup onion, ½ cup 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, molasses, and bourbon. Bring to a boil stirring constantly, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer 20 minutes to reduce sauce.1 tablespoon soy sauce, ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar, 6 oz tomato paste, 3 tablespoon bourbon, ½ teaspoon liquid smoke, 2 tablespoon molasses
- Stir in the ginger, chili powder, allspice, 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 allspice, ground, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ground, ¼ teaspoon Coleman's mustard powder, ½ 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.
Nutrition
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