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This is just…
words just can’t describe how amazing…
Trust me on this one. Make this Bacon BBQ Sauce…
This sauce is sweet, spicy, tangy, zippy, bacon-y, it’s full bodied and robust.
It’s thick and rich and did I mention BACON-Y????
In some upcoming recipes, you’ll see just how I used this sauce… other than eating it straight off the spoon!
Look at these GORGEOUS BBQ Boneless Beef Short Rib Sliders!!! Tell me these don’t scream SHOVE ME IN YOUR FACE RIGHT NOW?!!!
And this!
THIS!!!
Grilled Pizza (either on the bbq or indoors) with Shredded Beef Short Ribs and Bacon BBQ Sauce!
Like literally, I ate an entire one myself!
A word on canning
Do NOT use a water bath method on this. Per the National Center for Home Food Preservation, all meats must be pressure canned however they do not condone canning cured meats. Others have done it and I as well however with this recipe. I would advise doing your own research on this and contacting them directly for any updated instructions.
PrintBacon BBQ Sauce
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 45
- Category: Sauce
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: bbq, sauce
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Ingredients
Sauce
- 1/2 lb bacon, chopped into 1” pieces
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 4 plum tomatoes, chopped
- 1/3 cup whiskey (Jack) or beef broth
- 4 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder or 1/2 cup strong coffee
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon Spice Rub *See Note
Spice Rub
- 2 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon celery salt
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon fresh black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoon mustard powder
- 4 tablespoon dark brown sugar
Instructions
Make the Spice Rub
- Add the spice rub ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine. Cover tightly and set aside.
- You will have extra so store in an air-tight container.
Make the Bacon BBQ Sauce
- Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottom pot over medium heat, and add the bacon. Cook, stirring, until the bacon is browned and crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease from the pot and discard.
- To the pan, add the onion, garlic, tomatoes, and 2 tablespoon spice rub mix. Stir and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until the onion begins to soften.
- Add remaining sauce ingredients (whiskey/broth, Worcestershire, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, dark brown sugar, espresso powder, honey and maple syrup) and bring to a low simmer. Add the cooked bacon; stir. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the stove and allow to cool if leaving chunky. If you want it smooth, use an immersion blender to smooth. Transfer to a covered container (I prefer glass) and store it in the fridge.
Notes
The Spice Rub recipe makes more than what is called for in this recipe. I would recommend making a batch of it, measuring out what you need for the recipe, and then putting the rest in a jar with a lid for later.
Keywords: bacon bbq sauce, sticky bbq sauce, tangy bacon sauce
Amazing ! Best BBQ sauce I have ever had. Used it on boneless beef ribs, it was really good. Had leftovers two days later. Shredded the meat and blended with the rest of the sauce put on a toasted hamburger bun. The flavors in the sauce really melded together and it was very notably better than day one. Next time I’m going to double or triple the recipe and not use the sauce for a couple of days to let the flavors intensify. A little time consuming but definitely worth it.
★★★★★
Thank you so much Randy!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Absolutely LOVE this recipe. Have made it countless times, always to rave reviews!
So the beginning of your recipe states it can be pressure canned, but there are no pc instructions on headspace or time
That’s because the recipe is on how to make the Bacon BBQ sauce, not how to can or process it for long-term storage
Any meat product must be pressure canned. That being said the NCHFP (National Center for Home Food Preservation) states that no cured meat should be canned. Have I pressure-canned this? Yes but again it was a “can I do it?” test. That being said, there are websites that will walk you through pressure-canning bacon items. However, canning my recipe would meet the requirement for canning meat but it would not be backed by NCHFP.
Best Kitchen Wishes
Absolutely love this recipe for the sauce and the rub! I have made them several times and found the recipes and all instructions to be clear and concise! Not to mention everything was delicious! I’ve used these on short-ribs, Country style ribs, steaks, etc. Wonderful! Came back here to jog my memory of all ingredients and decided to subscribe. Thanks.
So happy you love this as much as I do! Thank you SO MUCH!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
How many cups does this make.
It amazes me when you get a recipe that calls for a rub such as this one and then it doesn’t give you the ingredients for the rub
I’m guessing you didn’t scroll down to the actual recipe card as the recipe for the Spice Rub is listed in full.
2 Tbl Spice Rub *See Note
Spice Rub
2 Tbl sea salt
1 Tbl celery salt
1 Tbl smoked paprika
2 tsp ground cumin…
So next time I highly suggest reading the actual recipe card in full first.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
The instructions for this recipe are incomplete. They never say to add the whiskey or to add the crisp bacon. Do you blend this to make it smooth or leave it lumpy? Please be more specific. NOTE: I added the bacon then I used my immersion blender to make it smooth then I canned it.
Hey Pat,
That’s odd as I just checked and it’s all there in the instructions. Maybe your browser pulled up an old cached page.
Refresh your browser and check again.
When you canned it, I’m assuming you used a pressure canner and not a water bath, correct?
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Should I drain the bacon fat, or keep it in there on step 1? Thanks!
Hi Tara!
I didn’t because there wasn’t a lot of fat however if you feel that there’s too much you can drain all but a Tbl (as you’ll need some fat for the onions to saute in). I’ll upadte the recipe instructionsn for more clarity!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
This recipe sounds delicious and I love anything with bacon. What would you suggest as a substitute for the whiskey?
Hi Ellen,
Beef Broth instead of Whiskey.
Best Kitchen Wishes!