The big, bold flavors of Texas-style barbecue sauce is perfect drizzled over sliced brisket, basted on ribs, or dolloped onto a heaping pile of pulled pork!
This Texas barbecue sauce has a deep, rich flavor that goes well with beef. The best part about this sauce is that it isn’t overly sweet, and there are options to make it completely sugar-free! Try this robust Texas-style barbecue sauce next time you make a Texas-style brisket. You’ll be glad you did!
How do I use this Texas-Style Barbecue Sauce?
Use it as a table sauce. Transfer this sauce to a condiment bottle and drizzle on your desired amount. It’s a delicious topping for brisket and pulled pork sandwiches. You can also chop up some brisket and mix it with the sauce. Makes a delicious snack!
You can add brisket drippings to this sauce. All the deep, beefy smokiness added to the sauce will give it depth and incredible flavor. The next time you cook a brisket, save some of the drippings. Keep reading to find out more.
Texas-Style Barbecue Sauce – The Ingredients:
- Ketchup
- Cider vinegar
- Beef broth OR brisket drippings (see below)
- Dark brown sugar: contains more molasses than light brown sugar and is darker in color.
- Soy sauce
- Freshly brewed coffee
- Unsalted butter (optional)
- Worcestershire sauce
- Onion powder
- Granulated garlic: you can substitute with garlic powder if needed
- Salt and black pepper
How to make it:
- Combine ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, and granulated garlic in a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Add broth (or brisket drippings) to the pot, and stir through.
- If you prefer a thinner, beefier sauce, I recommend adding more broth or drippings.
- Simmer sauce for an additional 2-3 minutes, then add the freshly brewed coffee.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the unsalted butter to create a silky sauce: taste sauce, and season with salt and pepper.
- Cool for 10-15 minutes before using.
- Store sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up 10 days.
How do you make BBQ sauce low-carb or sugar-free?
Yes! Replace the ketchup with a sugar-free or keto-friendly brand. You can use a brown sugar substitute to add sweetness to the sauce. Most sweeteners can be too sweet, so start with 1-2 tablespoons of sugar substitute and work your way up from there. Please note that we have not recipe-tested these substitutions, so please proceed with an open mind and do your due diligence. We’d love to hear from you if you try this sugar-free version. Leave a comment and let us know how it went.
Can I use brisket drippings in BBQ sauce?
For this Texas-style barbecue sauce, we recommend using the brisket drippings. It adds an incredibly deep, rich, beefy flavor to the sauce. Make the sauce toward the end of the brisket resting time to access the drippings. If there is not enough, combine it with beef broth. If using beef broth, we recommend using a beef base for added flavor.
Do I use fresh brewed or instant coffee for Texas BBQ?
Use coffee brewed from coffee grounds (including decaf) or instant coffee. For robust flavor, use brewed espresso.
Texas-Style Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups ketchup
- 1/2 cup cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup beef broth or brisket drippings (see notes section)
- 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons freshly brewed coffee
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, and granulated garlic in a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
- Add broth or brisket drippings to the pot, and stir through. If you’d like a thinner, beefier sauce, I recommend adding more drippings. Broth is great, but doesn’t have the intense flavors you’d get from smoked brisket.
- Simmer sauce for 2-3 more minutes, then add in the freshly brewed coffee.
- Remove pot from heat and stir in the unsalted butter to silk the sauce. You don’t have to add butter, this is just a preference on my part. Taste sauce, and season with salt and pepper if needed.
- Let the sauce cool for 10-15 minutes, before using. If making a batch ahead of time, then store sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
