Outdoor Cooking & Charcoal Oven Recipes / No cook

Bourbon BBQ sauce for charcoal-cooked meat

Cooked in the Charlie Charcoal Oven

Bourbon BBQ Sauce

Bourbon, sriracha and smoked paprika give this BBQ sauce sweetness, warmth and a smoky edge. Make it ahead of the cook for brushing over ribs, pork or chicken, or keep a bowl for dipping. It takes well to a charred crust.

Tara QuickCo-founder, Charlie Oven
No cook
Prep5 minutes
CookNo cooking needed
Serves12
DifficultyEasy
Oven temperatureNo cooking needed
RackNot needed, mix in a bowl
CharcoalNot needed, the sauce is mixed in a bowl

Charlie Oven — https://charlieoven.com/en-au/blogs/charcoal-recipes/bbq-sauce-with-bourbon

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Ingredients

About 1 litre

For the sauce

Equipment

Method

Setting up Charlie

This is a sauce recipe, so no oven setup is needed. Use the sauce as a marinade or glaze when cooking meat in the Charlie Oven.

Make the sauce

  1. Mix the wet ingredients

    Put the sriracha, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, bourbon, apple cider vinegar and soy sauce into a large bowl and mix together.

  2. Add the dry ingredients

    Add the brown sugar, garlic powder, sweet smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and smoked salt. Mix well until everything is combined and the sugar has dissolved into the sauce.

  3. Bottle it up

    Pour the sauce into squeezy bottles or a clean jar with a lid, and keep it in the fridge until you need it.

Marinate

  1. Marinate the meat

    Use the sauce as a marinade for pork ribs, pork shoulder, pork butt, a whole chicken or chicken wings. Coat the meat and leave it to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours.
    30 min timer

  2. Wipe off the excess

    Wipe the excess sauce off the meat before it goes into Charlie.
    Why this mattersThe sauce is high in sugar, which burns quickly. Wiping off the excess leaves the flavour in the meat without a thick coating that would scorch.

Cook with it

  1. Glaze for high-heat cooking

    If the meat will be cooked at a high heat, skip the marinating step, as the sugar would burn the outside before the inside has a chance to cook. Instead, brush the sauce on as a glaze every 30 minutes during cooking.
    Why this mattersGlazing as you go lets each layer of sauce caramelise gradually, rather than one thick coat blackening before the meat is cooked through.

  2. Add it after smoking

    If you are smoking the meat in Charlie, smoke it for one to two hours before adding the sauce. Then brush it on in thin layers as a glaze, or pour the sauce all over the meat and leave it to cook.
    Why this mattersBare meat takes on smoke best. Adding the sauce after the first hour or two gives the smoke time to work in before the surface is sealed with a sticky glaze.

Tips

  • This sauce can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
  • Adjust the sriracha and cayenne to your preferred heat level. Reduce for a milder sauce or add more for extra kick.
  • The sugar in this sauce will burn at high temperatures. Always wipe off excess marinade or use as a glaze in the final stages of cooking.
  • For a non-alcoholic version, substitute the bourbon with extra apple cider vinegar and a splash of liquid smoke.
  • This sauce pairs brilliantly with slow-cooked meats in the Charlie Oven. Try it with pulled pork or smoked chicken wings.

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The cook

Tara Quick

Co-founder, Charlie Oven

Tara Quick is co-founder of Charlie Oven, a lifelong foodie who loves to cook and bring people together around the table. Her approach is simple: start with great ingredients, let the oven do the hard work and cook with love. Food made with love just tastes better.

More recipes by Tara Quick

Frequently asked questions

  • Do I need to cook the sauce?

    No. Everything is simply mixed together in a bowl. The sauce cooks onto the meat in Charlie when you use it as a marinade or glaze.

  • How long does the sauce keep?

    Stored in a sealed jar or squeezy bottles in the fridge, it keeps for up to 2 weeks. You can also freeze it in portions for up to 3 months. Never put sauce that has touched raw meat back into the jar.

  • How can I make it milder?

    Reduce or leave out the cayenne and use less sriracha. The bourbon, sugar and smoked paprika will still give it plenty of flavour.

  • When should I add the sauce if I am smoking the meat?

    Smoke the meat for one to two hours first, then brush the sauce on in thin layers as a glaze, or pour it over and leave it to cook.