Homemade Bourbon BBQ Sauce
Tired of store-bought bbq sauce that’s laden with sugar and preservatives? This Bourbon BBQ Sauce is sweet and smoky with no refined sugar and ingredients you can pronounce. It’s so easy to make and it comes together in about 15 minutes!
I started making homemade bbq sauce a few years ago because store bought brands contain so much sugar and a laundry list of ingredients that I can’t pronounce.
I love that I can customize this maple bourbon bbq sauce to suit my taste, and it’s incredibly easy to make.
It’s perfect for grilling season, and I’ve listed a number of other ways to utilize it in the “Serving Suggestions” section towards the bottom of this post.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Bourbon bbq sauce is sweet and smoky with no refined sugar.
- It takes about 5 minutes of prep time and 10 minutes to make.
- It keeps for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or it can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- It can be customized a number of ways based on what you have on hand.
Recipe ingredients
The ingredients list may seem a bit long for this recipe, but they’re necessary to develop the depth of flavor that all great bbq sauces have.
Most of the ingredients are probably already in your pantry or fridge, but just in case they aren’t I’ve included plenty of substitutions in the ingredient notes below.
- Ketchup. For the best quality, use a natural ketchup with minimal ingredients and sugar. I love Primal Kitchen, but use your favorite.
- Bourbon. I don’t drink bourbon whiskey, but I love the flavor that it adds.
- Vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is my go-to for this recipe, but it may be substituted with white vinegar or even balsamic in a pinch.
- Orange juice. Fresh orange juice brightens the flavors and adds another dimension of sweetness. If you don’t have any on hand, consider using pineapple juice or more maple syrup or honey.
- Maple syrup. Substitute with honey.
- Spices. Onion powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika have been added for flavor and smokiness, but you can use your favorite spices.
- Worcestershire sauce. Adds great savory depth of flavor. It can be substituted with soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos.
- Dijon mustard. Dijon adds savory flavor. Substitute with yellow mustard if you don’t have any on hand.
- Tomato paste. Adds umami flavor and thickens the sauce.
- Liquid smoke. This is optional, but it makes the bbq sauce nice and smoky.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to make bourbon bbq sauce
This recipe is so easy! It takes about 5 minutes to gather your ingredients and another 10 minutes to cook the sauce.
Pro tip: Make the maple bourbon bbq sauce up to a few days in advance to have on hand for busy weeknights. This recipe is easily doubled as well.
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
- Combine the ingredients. Place all of the ingredients in a medium sauce pan and stir.
- Simmer until thickened. First bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the temperature and simmer for about 10 minutes. (The sauce will thicken more as it cools.)
Recipe FAQs
Use your favorite bourbon! If you like it in your cocktails, you’ll like it the sauce. I always have Maker’s Mark on hand, so I use that.
The bourbon is added for depth of flavor. The alcohol in the bourbon cooks off as the sauce simmers.
No bourbon? Substitute it with the same amount of your favorite alcohol (sherry or brandy would be great) or fresh fruit juice. Or, add a tablespoon or two of jam or fruit purée.
This bourbon bbq sauce will keep in the fridge in an air tight container for up to two weeks, or you can freeze it for up to 3 months.
Serving suggestions
This sweet and smoky bourbon bbq sauce is the way to make your next meal next level.
- Baste grilled bbq chicken, air fryer bbq chicken, or Instant Pot ribs with plenty of sauce to make it finger licking good.
- This bbq pulled chicken is a great way to use this sauce. Simply dump in the slow cooker with chicken breasts and cook for a few hours, shred the chicken and stir with the sauce!
- Toss my tender Instant Pot pulled pork with bbq sauce and serve as a sandwich, over baked sweet potatoes or even a salad.
- Pour over turkey meatloaf for a meal that the entire family will love!
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: If using regular (full sugar) ketchup, consider reducing the amount of maple syrup to prevent the bbq sauce from tasting too sweet.
- Use gluten-free Worcestershire sauce or tamari to make this bbq sauce gluten-free.
- Consider doubling this recipe and freezing any leftovers for future meals. Bbq sauce freezes well and will last up to 3 months without issue.
More summer condiments you’ll love
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
Homemade Bourbon BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup natural ketchup preferably organic and low in sugar
- 1/3 cup bourbon see notes for substitutions
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup sub with honey
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice sub with your favorite fruit juice or more maple syrup
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar sub with white vinegar or balsamic in a pinch
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce substitute with soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos.
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard sub with yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke optional but adds smoky flavor
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 10 minute until the sauce has thickened.1 cup natural ketchup, 1/3 cup bourbon, 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, 1/4 cup fresh orange juice, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- Remove from heat and cool completely. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
Notes
- Pro tip: Make the sauce up to a few days in advance to have on hand for busy weeknights!  This recipe is easily doubled as well.
- No bourbon? Replace with your favorite alcohol or fruit juice, or a tablespoon or two of jam or fruit purée.
- Use gluten-free Worcestershire sauce or tamari to make this bbq sauce gluten-free.
- Store bourbon bbq sauce sauce in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
**This recipe was originally posted in July 2019. The photos have been updated to include step by step instructions, and the text has been modified to include more recipe information.
10 Comments on “Homemade Bourbon BBQ Sauce”
My hubby eats a lot of BBQ sauce so I should definitely start making some homemade versions for him. He would definitely enjoy this one with the bourbon flavour!
Homemade is better for my digestion — the store bought varieties have so many ingredients that don’t agree with me! Thanks Leanne!
River rafting looks so cool but I’m such a chicken! haha Glad you had a blast!! And this homemade BBQ sauce looks AWESOME. You’re right – the homemade stuff blows the store-bought kind out of the water!
Seriously — the guide made this easy! We just did what we were told. 🙂 Thanks Ashley!
Marcie, this bbq sauce looks so flavorful! I love a sweet and smoky barbeque! Class 4 white water rafting sounds so fun but so scary!
Thanks Kelly! The bourbon adds so much flavor to this. 🙂 Believe it or not, rafting wasn’t too scary at all. Our guide was awesome!
This bbq sauce looks so good marcie.. ahhhh weather is calling bbq kinda reicpes these days here in india.
Thank you Priya! Our weather is calling for bbq recipes too!
River rafting sounds so fun! I haven’t done that since I was a kid, and would love to go with my husband.
On the topic of BBQ sauce – I’m usually not a fan, but all of a sudden during pregnancy, I’m into BBQ chips & this sauce sounds so good to me right now!
It was very fun — I can’t wait to do it again! And aren’t the pregnancy cravings interesting? I craved Kripy Kreme donuts with my second son and I normally hate them! 🙂