Coffee BBQ Sauce
On August 22, 2023 (Updated December 01, 2024)
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This coffee BBQ sauce is the perfect blend of tangy, sweet, and bold. It’s particularly delicious on beef, but it will bring a rich and flavorful punch to any and all of your smoked and grilled meats.
Homemade Coffee BBQ Sauce
After making dozens of recipes for homemade BBQ sauce, I fully believe homemade sauce is the ultimate way to kick your BBQ-ing skills into high gear. By making the sauce yourself, you’re guaranteed to have the freshest ingredients and taste without any additional high fructose corn syrup or other additives.
Plus, after you’ve dedicated all the time and effort to getting that perfect grilled or smoked meat, it’s best complimented with a BBQ sauce made from scratch. Lovingly smoked meat + flavor-packed homemade sauce = BBQ perfection!
This coffee BBQ sauce comes together in a breeze and adds the perfect, unique sauce to your grilling arsenal. I recommend trying it on my Smoked Beef Chuck Ribs. It’ll likely be one you come back to time and time again.
How to Make Homemade BBQ Sauce
I love the way adding coffee to recipes gives them an earthy, bold kick of flavor, and this coffee BBQ sauce recipe is no exception! (If you haven’t already checked out my recipe for my Homemade Coffee Rub, you’ve got to try it out!). I guess you could say I’m on a bit of a coffee kick right now. Pun fully intended.
It is ridiculously easy to make your own BBQ sauce at home. First combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until boiling, then reduce heat to a simmer. Allow the sauce to simmer for 25 minutes. Transfer to a jar (I like these Wide Mouth Mason Jars) and enjoy.
That’s it!
It’s fast, easy, and basically foolproof. Making your own homemade BBQ sauce does not have to be intimidating. After you make your first successful batch, you’ll find yourself frequently making your own sauce instead of buying it at the store.
Once made, you’ll have a bold and delectable sauce that your friends and family with love. This sauce keeps in your refrigerator for up to 2 weeks if stored in an airtight container.
Tips for the Best Coffee BBQ Sauce
Even though this recipe is extremely easy to make, I’ve included some tips and notes to help you get the perfect coffee BBQ sauce the first time:
- Play around with the strength of the coffee you use. The stronger your brew, the more robust the coffee flavor will be in this sauce. For those of you who don’t want the coffee flavor too strong, go with a light roast. Want a rich kick? A dark roast will give you tons of flavor.
- This BBQ sauce is a thinner sauce. Don’t expect it to be really thick like many of the other sauces you’re used to. Be prepared to use it more like a glaze. If you like a thicker sauce, you can simmer it longer to thicken it up a bit.
- Go bold! If you want a really bold coffee experience with your meat, pair it with my Homemade Coffee Rub. Try this combo on brisket, burgers, beef ribs, steak, and more.
More BBQ Sauce Recipes
Are you loving this recipe but need more tasty, finger-licking BBQ sauce recipes? Check out some of my post popular ones below:
Don’t have the time to make all these amazing BBQ sauces? Hey Grill Hey has you covered! Head on over to the Hey Grill Hey Store to get your own delicious signature sauces today:
Coffee BBQ Sauce Recipe
Watch the video below the recipe card, and I’ll show you step-by-step how I make this Coffee BBQ Sauce at home. You can find more of my smoking and grilling recipe videos on YouTube, Instagram, or our Facebook Page. Follow along and let’s make awesome food together!
Coffee BBQ Sauce
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup tomato puree
- 1 cup brewed coffee
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons molasses
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Make the sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients and whisk to combine. Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Use or store. Transfer to a lidded jar and chill in the refrigerator. I recommend letting the sauce sit in the fridge overnight before using to really marry the flavors together. This sauce will last 2 weeks in the fridge if stored in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is one of the best BBQ sauces Ive ever had. Great recipe. THANKS for sharing. Can this be canned?Would like to make a bunch and keep it in the pantry for later.Thanks
HelloWhat kind of coffee do you recommend?
How do u brew the coffee if u not have a coffee machine
Run to your nearest coffee place and bring the coffee home
Could try using instant coffee maybe? Usually instant coffee can be found in most grocery stores in the coffee section. Or perhaps some cold brew coffee? Pre-made cold brew coffee can also be found in a lot of stores in the beverage aisle or cold drink section.
The coffee with Dr Pepper would be amazing…I would also suggest adding a bit of tomato paste if you prefer a thicker sauce.
Every rub/sauce I use for bbq is coffee based…& I use dark roast or espresso, and cut back a bit on the amt of coffee. It’s a matter of personal preference. I don’t even drink coffee, but it is an absolute staple for all bbq in my world!
I absolutely love this sauce. I just made it this week and it was the first time I ever made my own bbq sauce. I am a coffe nut and I roast coffee as a hobby so when I saw this recipe I had to make it. Have you ever made this sauce with espresso? I was thinking of trying it but was a little worried it would be overwhelming if I used a full cuo of espresso. I can’t wait to make so more sauces from this site!
I can’t wait to try this. Would it work if instead of onion powder and garlic powder you used granulated onion and garlic?
It may not taste exactly the same, but I think it’s worth a shot!
We made this last night and my wife flipped! It is different but it is very good. Deep flavor with a kick on the backside. Can’t wait to see what our friends think.
Heck yeah! That’s what I like to hear! I’m glad you guys like it!
This sounds so good but…
Per Serving:
Sodium 4965mg
Total Carbohydrates 224g
Sugars 205g
Those numbers seems extremely high to me so I’m just checking to see ihey are correct.
They weren’t correct but we’ve fixed them now!