Easy Espresso Barbecue Sauce
Put down that supermarket bottle: It takes only 10 minutes to make a better breed of barbecue sauce. Every barbecue needs some tasty barbecue sauce. We started by sautéing grated onion so it would easily incorporate into the sauce. We then added some fragrant spices and briefly cooked them to bring out their flavors. Instant espresso powder, which we bloomed in hot water, along with Worcestershire sauce and ketchup added rich, savory flavor, and a combination of chili powder, cayenne pepper, and hot sauce provided just enough heat.
Servings: 2.5 cups
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
- 1 tablespoon hot water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ cup grated onion
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 ½ cups ketchup
- ¼ cup molasses
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
Instructions
Bloom the Aromatics:
- Combine espresso powder and hot water in small bowl; let sit for 3 minutes.
- Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering.
- Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in garlic powder, chili powder, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Cook the Sauce:
- Stir in ketchup, molasses, Worcestershire, vinegar, mustard, hot sauce, and espresso mixture and bring to simmer.
- Reduce heat to low and cook until flavors meld, about 5 minutes.
- Let cool completely before serving. (Cooled sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)
Notes
This recipe was developed using Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce. Grate the onion on the large holes of a box grater.