This easy bourbon peach BBQ sauce gives you some sweet and slightly smoky flavor in just 20 minutes. Made with peach preserves and a hint of bourbon, this flavorful sauce works with chicken, pork, salmon, or shrimp. Whether you’re grilling or smoking, it’s a must-have for summer cookouts or weeknight dinners.
A little fruity, a little smoky, a lot flavorful – that sums up this bourbon peach bbq sauce.
If you like bbq sauce but don’t have a ton of time to make them, I’m your girl. From my maple barbecue sauce to my chipotle barbecue sauce to my honey bbq sauce, I love bbq sauces that are fast and easy and won’t have to sit on the stove all day.
And that’s one of the great things about this bourbon whiskey peach bbq sauce – it only takes 20 minutes to make.
And honestly it could take less than 20 minutes if you want a stronger bourbon flavor. When I was recipe testing it I started out boiling it for only 5 or 6 minutes and the bourbon flavor was much more prominent. If you like it that way, feel free to stop there. If you want the bourbon flavor to mellow a bit more, keep cooking.
Regardless of what you do, I’m betting your family will love this bbq sauce. Mine sure did when I used it to grill up boneless skinless chicken thighs.
So scroll down to see the step by step pictures and instructions, as well as helpful tips, to get the most out of this homemade peach bbq sauce.
You’ll need these ingredients
(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.)
- Peach preserves: for this recipe I used a brand that has slightly less sugar than most other peach preserves (7 grams of added sugar per tablespoon vs other brands which were between 11 and 12 grams of added sugar per tablespoon). You’ll need to cut the amount of jam accordingly if you don’t want the bbq sauce to turn out too sweet. I would start with 6 tablespoons and then taste it to see how much more you’d like to add.
- Bourbon: any bourbon will do here. I used Jim Beam, but Maker’s Mark, Wild Turkey, or any other brand will also work.
- Ketchup: be sure and get unsweetened ketchup, otherwise the sauce will come out too sweet. I like to use Primal Kitchen unsweetened ketchup.
- Molasses: the same things goes here as for the peach preserves. I used Wholesome organic molasses, which has 10 grams of sugar naturally in it (not added). Most other jars of molasses I saw at 14 grams of sugar, so you may want to add slightly less in the recipe. This shouldn’t have as big of an impact as the jam, since there’s much less of it.
- Apple cider vinegar: you can substitute white wine vinegar if you don’t have apple cider vinegar.
- Spices: the homemade seasoning blend I use consists of mustard powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, ground black pepper, and Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
The difference between bourbon and whiskey
Bourbon is a type of whiskey that has three main requirements:
- it’s made mostly from corn;
- it’s aged in new charred oak barrels; and
- it’s has to hit a certain proof, or alcohol content, at different points in the distilling process, ending at no less than 80 proof.
For more information, check out this article from Food & Wine about bourbon versus whiskey.
How to make peach bourbon barbecue sauce
(Note: please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the complete written instructions.)
Does the alcohol burn off?
The short answer is no, not entirely.
While some of the alcohol will burn off, according to a study done by the USDA and summarized by Idaho State University, it’s likely nearly half of it will remain. However unless you eat all the sauce in one go it’s unlikely to be enough to make you intoxicated.
If you’re completely avoiding alcohol, then you can either omit it from the sauce (and cut the cooking time down to 7 or 8 minutes) or you can make a different bbq sauce! Try this apricot bbq sauce for a similar flavor and texture.
What to use peach bourbon bbq sauce on
Of course there are lots of ways to use bbq sauce, though since this one is on the fruity side in general I would recommend it with pork, chicken, and even on salmon. But you can use it for anything you’d like! Here are some recipe ideas:
- on smoked pork tenderloin;
- over pulled pork or pork ribs;
- as a glaze for basic grilled chicken thighs; or
- to dip grilled potato wedges in.
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Easy Bourbon Peach BBQ Sauce with Peach Preserves
Equipment
- A small saucepan
Ingredients
- ½ c ketchup unsweetened
- 4 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 8 tbsp peach jam
- 3 tbsp bourbon can sub whiskey
- 2 tsp molasses
- ½ tsp mustard powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Place a small saucepan over low heat on a stovetop burner. Use measuring spoons and cups to measure out the ingredients and add them all into the saucepan, letting them warm up as you add them.
- Use the whisk again to combine it all and increase the heat to medium high to bring the mixture to a boil. Once at a low boil, decrease the heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently to keep the sauce from burning.
- When the 15 minutes are up, remove the pan from the heat and either use the bbq sauce right away or let it cool then pour it in a glass jar or other container. If not using right away, make sure the sauce cools completely before placing a lid on it and storing in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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