When you make this easy Whiskey BBQ Sauce, the end product is a tangy dance of flavors that give your summer barbecued meats a mouthwatering finish.
The first time I made homemade barbecue sauce was 13 years ago. That’s kind of a weird fact for someone to remember precisely, don’t you think? I remember all the details like it was yesterday. I was living in a third story apartment with my mom (this is well after I had a college degree and a good paying job, mind you… but I loved living with my mom) and my sweet puppy Kodi who is now geriatric old but still making me smile. The reason I remember making homemade BBQ sauce for the first time was because it was so incredibly delicious and not that difficult. It was like I had a revelation. Why had I always bought bottled barbecue sauces at the store that were either gross and filled with corn syrup and preservatives or they were pretty good but very expensive. I was so young and naive and had no idea one could make their own sauce. Since that day, I’ve been making my own BBQ sauce. I particularly like making whiskey BBQ sauce because it adds that extra zing that makes your mouth sing. I prefer this sauce as a finishing sauce used during the last phase of your barbecue cooking as opposed to a marinade, but do with it as you will. Just make it!
Watch the recipe video below of me making my Whiskey BBQ Sauce!
Whiskey BBQ Sauce
RECIPE VIDEO
Ingredients
- 1/2 small yellow onion minced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3/4 cup bourbon whiskey I used Jack Daniels
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons liquid smoke
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- Dash of hot pepper sauce
Instructions
- Over medium heat in heavy bottom sauce pan, cook onion and garlic in whiskey until tender and translucent, about 10 minutes. Mix in remaining ingredients and stir.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour.
- This recipe can be doubled, tripled or quadrupled, if desired, and canned in a water bath for future use.
How long do you process it in a water bath?
I think we did like 45min. The seals popped just fine and I’ve used sealed bottles since and we’re all still fine. Perhaps we were just lucky. 🙂
You’re very lucky. Tomato based products generally requiIre pressure canning, not water bath. You can submit your recipe to the FDA for best practices as to the method and time.
How much does this recipe yield?
about 3 cups
With this recipe how many bbq sauce will have?
about 4 cups
Made a 5 batch today and used my kitchen aide hand mixer to blend in onion pieces after all cooked…. have to say this is one of the best …. canned 16 pints if canning make sure to bring all to a boil at 180 for at least 5 minutes then hot clean stearlized jars and water bath 15 minutes …. thanks for the great recipie
The recipe sounds very good and I will be giving it a try thanks for posting. One suggestion I would make is changing the wording in your recipe, Jack Daniels is Tennessee Whiskey not bourbon whiskey there are very distinct differences in the distilling process which make them taste very different, if the whiskey adds a certain flavor to the recipe i’d be more specific, I will try it both ways to see which i prefer.
Thanks, Dennis!!! I definitely have some learning to do when it comes to the world of whiskey! Let me know what you think!
The sauce is simmering on my stove as I am writing this and it smells delicious. I’ve cheated and taken a couple of tastes along the way and can’t believe how great it tastes. I had to mix a couple of different bourbons because I only had half a cup of Beam left in a bottle and about a quarter cup of Black Feather bourbon in another bottle. I also substituted minced dehydrated onions for fresh, but I very happy with how the recipe is turning out. Tomorrow I’m going to smoke some boneless pork country ribs on my pellet smoker. I’m thinking this is going to be my go to barbecue sauce in the future. Thanks for the great recipe.
I want to make this a few days in advance of company coming. How long will it last refrigerated?
I’ve made it and kept it in the fridge at least a week (I think) with no issues.