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Texas-Style Barbecue Sauce

February 13, 2021March 20, 2022 Sabrina Baksh 0 Comments texas barbecue

The big, bold flavors of Texas-style barbecue sauce is perfect drizzled on sliced brisket, basted onto ribs, or dolloped onto a heaping pile of pulled pork!

This Texas barbecue sauce has a deep, rich flavor that goes oh so 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! I recommend giving this robust Texas-style barbecue sauce a try next time you smoke a brisket. You’ll be glad you did!

Did you know that you can add brisket dripping to this sauce? All that deep, beefy, smokiness added to the sauce gives it depth and incredible flavor. The next time you cook a brisket, sauce some of the drippings. Keep reading to find out how!

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.

Texas-Style Barbecue Sauce – FAQs:

Can I make this sauce low-carb or sugar-free? Yes! Simply replace the ketchup with a sugar-free or keto-friendly brand. You can use a brown sugar substitute to add a little 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. If you try this version, we’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment and let us know how it turned out!
Are brisket drippings better to use than broth? For this Texas-style barbecue sauce, I recommend using the brisket drippings. It will add such an incredibly deep, rich, beefy flavor to the sauce. Make the sauce toward the end of brisket resting time so that you can access the drippings. If there is not enough, combine it with broth. If you choose to use beef broth, I recommend using a beef base for added flavor.
What type of coffee should I use? Use coffee brewed from coffee grounds or instant coffee. For a more robust flavor, use espresso.
Can I use decaf coffee? Sure. We are just trying to utilize the natural flavor of the coffee and nothing more.
How do I use this Texas-Style Barbecue Sauce? Use it as a table sauce. Transfer this sauce to a condiment bottle and squirt how much you want onto your plate. It’s a delicious topping for brisket sandwiches. You can also chop up some brisket and mix it with the sauce. Make a delicious snack!

Texas-Style Barbecue Sauce

Here is another Texas style barbecue sauce that is well worth the effort. This one has a deep, rich flavor that goes really well with beef. The best part about this sauce is that it isn’t overly sweet. I recommend giving this Texas barbecue sauce a try next time you smoke up a brisket. You’ll be glad you did.

Photo by: serezniy

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Sauces

Cuisine: American BBQ

Keyword: barbecue sauce, BBQ sauce, brisket sauce, Texas Barbecue Sauce

Servings: cups

Calories: 418kcal

Author: Sabrina Baksh

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.

Notes

Things to consider with this recipe:

Alternatives: Want a sugar free or low carb version of this recipe? Simply replace the ketchup with a sugar free, or keto friendly brand. You can use a brown sugar substitute to add a little sweet to the sauce. Most sweeteners can be too sweet, so start off at 1-2 tablespoons of sugar substitute, and work your way up from there. We have not recipe-tested with these substitutions. So proceed with an open mind and do your due diligence. If you try this version, we’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment and let us know how it turned out!

Drippings or Broth? Always, always, always, opt for the brisket drippings. It will add such an incredibly deep, rich, beefy flavor to the sauce. If you don’t have drippings on hand, then use a broth made of a good quality beef base. The sauce won’t be as intense, but it will work in a pinch.

Coffee: So, what type of coffee should you use? You can use coffee brewed from grounds or instant coffee. However, if you’d like the sauce to be a touch deeper and edgier, use espresso. Can you use decaf coffee? Sure. We are just trying to utilize the natural medium to full bodied flavor of the coffee and nothing more.