This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
This bourbon whiskey BBQ sauce recipe is a new favorite! With hints of brown sugar and a bit of spice, this homemade BBQ sauce is perfect on grilled chicken, pork chops, ribs, and more!
Barbecue sauce is one of the easiest things to make from scratch, and a homemade sauce is often much better than store-bought. So when we were grilling up some classic barbecue chicken recently, we decided to make our own bbq sauce recipe.
And since my wife and I couldn’t stop eating this perfectly balanced, sweet and spicy sauce – we were literally trying to find foods in the fridge that we could dip just to get more sauce – then I would say that we nailed it!
We prefer more of a vinegar-based barbecue sauce because we don’t like our sauce to be too sweet. And this bourbon whiskey bbq sauce recipe is nicely balanced with just the right amount of sweetness and tang, and a slight punch of bourbon flavor!
This is truly our new favorite barbecue sauce, and we’ll be making this recipe again the next time we need a fantastic sauce for smoked meatloaf, bbq beef sandwiches, or grilled chicken!
Ingredients
- ketchup and tomato paste – We used a combination of both tomato ketchup and tomato paste. By adding extra tomato paste instead of ketchup, you can better control the sweetness and consistency of the sauce.
- apple cider vinegar – Feel free to add a bit more for more of a tangy sauce.
- Worcestershire sauce
- yellow mustard
- dark brown sugar and molasses – These two ingredients are the sweeteners for the homemade bbq sauce. Feel free to add more or less depending on your preference.
- spices – Smoked paprika, granulated garlic (or sub garlic powder), onion powder, and crushed red pepper for a little spice. You can also leave out or reduce the amount of red pepper for a more mild sauce.
- bourbon whiskey – Use your favorite, or you can also leave it out altogether and the sauce will still be fantastic!
- salt and pepper
Making Your Own Bourbon Whiskey BBQ Sauce
To make this easy homemade bourbon BBQ sauce, simply add all of the ingredients to a medium saucepan and mix together well. Then, you simply heat the sauce just until it’s boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and simmer the bbq sauce for about 10 minutes, and then it’s done!
It really doesn’t get easier than that!
We used our sauce immediately to baste grilled chicken as it cooked on the charcoal grill, but you can also allow the bourbon barbecue sauce to cool and transfer it to a food storage container to save for later.
The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 10 days to use as a dip for chicken tenders, to slather on some pulled pork sandwiches, or any time you need a fantastic barbecue sauce!
Bourbon Whiskey BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup tomato ketchup
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- ¼ cup bourbon whiskey
- ¼ cup molasses
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ tablespoons crushed red pepper, (optional)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Allow to cool, then transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Or serve warm and use to baste grilled chicken, meatloaf, etc.
Pinterest User? Do me a favor and PIN this recipe to your board for sauce recipes. This is a GREAT way to support us:
