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This sweet and spicy bourbon glaze adds a unique umami component to grilled meats, fish, and shellfish that will wow you into adding it to your recipe collection.
You’ll definitely want to try this sauce on everything grilled–whether it’s on these oven baked ribs or these smoked pulled pork sandwiches!
Why This Recipe Works
- Quick and Easy: The glaze comes together in just 15 minutes!
- Make-Ahead Friendly: This keeps in the fridge for up to a week, and is ready to use anytime.
- Versatile Flavor Bomb: This glaze goes beyond chicken and fish. It adds a unique sweet, salty, and savory umami punch to any meat or grilled veggie.
- One Pan Wonder: This recipe requires minimal cookware, making it a breeze to prepare and clean up.
Ingredients
This sweet and spicy bourbon sauce delivers a unique blend of sweet, savory, and spicy notes with mostly basic pantry ingredients. Here’s a few of the ingredients you need to get cooking!
- Bourbon Whiskey: Spicy, oaky with notes of vanilla, caramel, and sometimes fruit – depending on the type. As the sauce reduces on the stove, the whiskey in it takes on the olfactory nuances of whatever wood it was casked in, which makes the flavors very interesting!
- Whole Grain Dijon Mustard: This type of mustard is similar to regular Dijon mustard, but with a coarser texture and milder heat due to the mustard seeds. Both types of Dijon add a great tang and flavor.
- Worcestershire Sauce: This savory, umami-rich sauce with hints of soy sauce, vinegar, anchovies, and tamarind brings a great undertone to the sauce.
- Honey: This sweetener pairs perfectly with the other ingredients and is easy to dissolve.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Tweak the amount of red pepper flakes to your taste. Add more for more spice!
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Deeper richer flavor: Swap the honey for molasses or real maple syrup for a more intense sweetness.
- Smoky infusion: Add smoked red chilies while the sauce simmers for a touch of smoke.
- Boozy variations: Experiment with rum, cognac, or even a dark beer instead of bourbon for a unique glaze.
How to Make Sticky Bourbon Sauce
Gather the ingredients for the sticky bourbon sauce.
- Add all ingredients to a small saucepan and set it over medium heat. Bring it to a medium simmer, whisking frequently until the sugar has dissolved (about 3-5 minutes). (images 1-2)
- Gently simmer the glaze until it has reduced by half, about 12 to 15 minutes. Whisk is occasionally and watch it closely so it doesn’t burn. (images 3-4)
- Cool for at least 15 minutes before using to let it thicken into a glorious, sticky glaze that coats the back of a spoon, but it still pourable. Enjoy it on your favorite barbecued meats or even grilled veggies! (images 5-6)
Recipe FAQs
This sauce is made from a simple medley of bourbon, honey, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, and spices. It’s simmered gently and allowed to cool briefly for it to thicken, and then it’s ready to use and enjoy!
You don’t necessarily need a top-shelf bourbon, but a mid-range option offers more complex flavors. Whatever cask the bourbon was aged in will bring unique flavors to the sauce as it simmers.
The ideal consistency is thick and syrupy, allowing it to coat the food well.
This sauce is versatile and can be used on tofu, vegetables, or even spiral-baked ham. It’s KILLER as a dipping sauce for chicken fingers!
Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to a week – perfect for whipping up a quick and flavorful weeknight dinner.
Serving Spicy Bourbon Sauce
This glaze is a total chameleon! Brush it on grilled shrimp, chicken, salmon, sausages, or pork tenderloin, or try it on grilled veggies like asparagus or onions. You can use it for basting or dipping sauce, or as a substitute for jams or barbecue sauce in other recipes. I love it on Grilled Chicken Drumsticks, Oven-Baked Ribs, and for dipping this Baked Chicken Sandwich!
Looking for drink pairings? This sauce goes down easy with a variety of drinks, such as beer (crisp pilsner or a smoky porter) or wine (juicy Zinfandel or bold Malbec). An Apricot Bourbon Fizz is always a classic choice.
Expert Tips
- Mustard Magic: The combination of Dijon and whole-grain mustard adds depth and a touch of heat. Feel free to adjust the ratio for a stronger or milder mustard flavor.
- Spice Control: Start with a small amount of red pepper flakes and taste as you go. You can always add more heat, but you can’t take it away!
- Glaze Consistency: Aim for a thick, syrupy consistency for optimal coating on your protein. If the glaze seems too thin, simmer it for a few additional minutes.
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Sweet & Spicy Bourbon Glaze
Ingredients
- ¾ cup bourbon whiskey
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or 1/2 teaspoon if more heat is desired
Instructions
- Pour all the sauce ingredients into a small saucepan set over medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer, whisking frequently until the brown sugar and honey is dissolved.
- Continue to gently simmer the glaze, without whisking, until it has reduced by half; about 12 to 15 minutes.
- Cool for at least 15 minutes before using to allow it to thicken. Serve with your favorite grilled meats and veggies.
Notes
- Any bourbon works in this recipe. As it reduces on the stove, it takes on the olfactory nuances of whatever wood it was casked in, which could include woody, smoky, buttery, or fruity.
- Pour leftover sauce into a jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate up to 7 days. Use a water bath canning method to preserve it for longer storage.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is a nice sauce. I made it a bit spicier than the recipe, very tasty. I think I got a buzz stirring the sauce… get back to me on that…
Vic, it’s what I love about this recipe – it’s ‘tailorable’ if you want more or less heat. I crank it up when I do brisket on my smoker because for whatever reason, this glaze mopped on at the end of an 18-hour smoke takes on an entirely different personality, one that does better with additional heat. Glad you liked it! Jenny
Is it possible to make a big batch and can this recipe? I was thinking like a jam…
Rachel, absolutely YES. Have I done it so far? No. IF YOU KNOW HOW TO CAN, I would first begin by small-batching this recipe using a few different varieties of bourbon to make sure you like the way it tastes in the sauce. Mini bottles work great for testing. Keep in mind this sauce is great when it’s reheated the next day, so taste it a couple of times. Only then would I use the ‘SERVINGS’ calculator I provide in the recipe card to adjust the ingredient measurements. The only reader to share with me her results used a full bottle of Bourbon. She based measurements of all other ingredients on the amount of liquor in the size bottle she decided to go with. I think she told me she yielded 14 full-sized Mason jars of canned sauce. It seems like a lot, but she gifted some of it, sent me a jar ( 😉 ), and her family smoked and grilled with the rest. The jar she sent to me was even better than I’d imagined!
If you try this Rachel, I would love to learn the specifics of your method, what Bourbon you select and why, and how many jars you yield. x – Jenny
Awesome recipe. Tastes great. Not too sweet either. Thx.
Karen, this is so kind of you to take the time to let me know how you enjoyed this glaze. Thank you! We are using tonight in fact on wings on the grill. 😉 Jenny
I made this with chicken wings and it was amazing. The family loved it. Cant wait to try it on pork chops, and ribs and also shrimp!
Meg, I just ordered a wing thing-ma-jiggy for my barrel smoker. I cannot wait for it to arrive so I can prepare wings with this glaze as they smoke. Happy you enjoyed, Meg 🙂 Jenny
Used it as a bourbon glaze for our chicken and it turned out really really good. It is sweet, a little salty and mildly spicy, I’m totally obsessed! Can’t wait to try it with other dishes!
Alyssa, thank you! It is my favorite both basted onto chicken on the grill AND as a dipping sauce for breaded chicken tenders out of my air fryer 😉 Jenny