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 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!
Did you know that you can add brisket drippings 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.
How do you make BBQ 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!
Can I use brisket drippings in BBQ sauce?
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 beef broth. If you choose to use beef broth, I 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 or instant coffee. For a more robust flavor, use espresso. You can also use decaf coffee.
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.
