Bourbon Barbecue Sauce

This Bourbon Barbecue Sauce recipe is sweet, tangy, and a full of flavor. Plus, it’s incredibly easy to make and only requires one pot!

Looking for more homemade pantry staples? Try my Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing and my Super Easy Salsa Verde!

Homemade Bourbon Barbecue Sauce

It’s not even summer yet, and I’m already in BBQ mode! I’ve been thinking of a million and one ways to use this barbecue sauce. I guess that’s what a freezing cold winter will do to a person.

Full disclosure that I am a major condiment lover. I love to dunk and dip everything in sauces. But I have never tried making a homemade version of one of my favorite condiments — barbecue sauce.

Making your own barbecue sauce at home is super easy! It doesn’t require much effort, only needs one pot, calls for less than 20 minutes of cooking time, and you can customize it to your liking. Just throw all of the ingredients into a saucepan and let it simmer. This barbecue sauce is sweeter than it is spicy however you can always spice it up by adding some cayenne pepper and paprika.

Best of all, you should have all of the ingredients for this sauce already in your pantry.

Ingredients

• Olive Oil: Can also substitute a light-tasting oil like avocado or sunflower. Avoid butter.
• Minced Onion and Garlic: I prefer fresh to the dried variety for this barbecue sauce because they brighten up the dish and add some texture, but you can use either.
• Ketchup: This is the base of the homemade barbecue sauce. Use any kind you like, but if possible avoid ones with tons of sugar, as we’ll be adding some brown sugar to the sauce.
• Worcestershire Sauce: This offers a smokey, umami flavor that makes this a true barbecue sauce.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: You could also use white distilled vinegar, red wine vinegar, or lemon juice.
• Bourbon: You can use your favorite bourbon in this barbecue sauce. I used Barterhouse Kentucky Bourbon. This bourbon is smooth and buttery with hints of brown sugar. It pairs perfectly with the sauce.
• Brown Sugar: To sweeten the homemade barbecue sauce and offer molasses-y undertones. Light or dark will work.
• Salt and Pepper: Just an eighth of a teaspoon of each.
• Chili Powder: I like adding this for some heat, but you could leave it out, if preferred. Red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and paprika would also work

How To Make Bourbon Barbecue Sauce

The easy homemade bourbon barbecue sauce starts with onion and garlic sautéed in a bit of oil. Then, the remaining ingredients — ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, salt, pepper, chili powder, and, of course, bourbon — are added. That’s it! Just stir or whisk well so everything is combined, and let it simmer for 15 minutes.

Make a large batch, and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 weeks or freeze any leftovers.

Serve this sauce on wings, sandwiches, fries, or chicken tenders. Enjoy!

What To Make with Bourbon Barbecue Sauce