Bourbon Glaze is sweet and savory and can be used on anything. Packed with smoky flavor, this glaze goes great with meat, seafood, grilled vegetables, and even cakes.
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Why this Bourbon Glaze Recipe is a Keeper
This bourbon maple glaze gives a deep umami flavor to holiday dinners and is the perfect finishing sauce for a crispy baked ham or grilled salmon. It’s perfect for homemade smoked meats, baby back ribs, and all your favorites for special occasions. Here are a few reasons why you’ll love this recipe and will want to use this glaze every time:
- Simple Ingredients: All of the ingredients can be found in your kitchen or local grocery store.
- Party Pleaser: This recipe for bourbon glaze is sure to upgrade all your favorite party snacks with its deep bourbon flavor. Bourbon glazed ham, for instance, is a great addition to any gathering.
- Adaptable: Easily adjust the ingredients to your tastes and dietary preferences. Most of our guests cant wait to try this sauce.
If you’re looking for more sauce recipes, try these: In N Out Sauce, Best Burger Sauce, and Boom Boom Sauce.
What is the Best Bourbon to Use for this Sauce?
Some of the best varieties of bourbon for BBQ sauces are known for having deep, rich flavor profiles. Elijah Craig, Woodford Reserve, and Maker’s Mark are high-quality brands all recommended for their complex flavors, but if you want something cheaper, use any bottle of bourbon from your local Trader Joe’s or other grocery store, like Jim Beam.
Ingredient Notes for Bourbon Sauce
- Pineapple Juice: Pineapple juice will give the sauce a sweet and tangy flavor.
- Teriyaki Sauce: Teriyaki sauce will give the glaze its texture.
- Soy Sauce: Use just a teaspoon of soy sauce to make the bourbon glaze.
- Bourbon: You only need a teaspoon of bourbon as well, as it has a strong flavor.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Variations and Substitutions for the Best Recipe for Bourbon Steak Sauce
- Maple Syrup: Add in some maple syrup for extra sweetness, or Worcestershire sauce to make it more savory.
- Dijon Mustard: You can thicken this sauce with Dijon mustard.
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce: To reduce the sodium content, you can use a low sodium soy sauce.
Pro Tip to Love this Recipe
When cooking the bourbon with other ingredients, use medium heat to let the alcohol evaporate gently. High heat will make it burn off too quickly.
How to Make Bourbon Glaze for Ham
Upgrade your spiral cut ham with this bourbon sauce. You don’t need many fancy tools to make it- just a saucepan and a spoon. Follow the steps below to learn how to make this sauce.
These are the basic steps for making bourbon sauce. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions and nutrition information. Please leave us a comment, we love reader interactions.
1. Combine Sauce Ingredients
Combine pineapple juice, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, and water into the bottom of a saucepan over medium high heat.
2. Stir Sauce Mixture
Stir occasionally for 3 to 4 minutes or until mixture boils, then reduce heat to simmer. Combine the bourbon with the remaining ingredients; add to pan and whisk.
3. Simmer the Glaze
Bring to a simmer for a cooking time of 35-45 minutes to thicken the maple bourbon glaze, or until sauce has reduced by half. When the cooking process is done, it should caramelize and have a syrupy consistency.
Sweet Bourbon Glaze Recipe FAQs
Store leftover glaze in an airtight container or bag in the fridge. It should be good for up to 3 months. Reheat bourbon glaze in a small saucepan over medium heat.
This glaze is great for ham, grilled steak and chicken, fish and shrimp, or drizzle it on roasted vegetables. You can also use it to baste poultry, or to top cakes or donuts. Additionally, it makes a great dipping sauce.
If you’re using this glaze for grilling, make sure you add it onto the meat in the last few minutes of cooking. Once it’s fully cooked, remove from the heat and allow the glazed meat to rest for a few more minutes afterwards. It’s also possible to use it on pre-cooked meats.
If you’re making a glaze or sauce for ham, it’s best to add the glaze after you cook the ham to an internal temperature of 140 degrees. After you remove the ham from the oven, add the glaze, then loosely cover the ham in aluminum foil.
This recipe works well with spiral-cut ham, boneless ham, or bone-in ham. Place the ham on a serving tray afterwards, then cut ham when ready to serve.
Expert Tips for Making Brown Sugar Bourbon Glaze
- Make Lots: This is a great recipe to make and present as a gift. You can also make the glaze ahead of time to use whenever you want.
- Whiskey: You can follow the recipe as written, or make this recipe using whiskey instead of bourbon.
- Marinade: This sauce or glaze also works as a marinade for meats or roasted carrots.
- Honey: Feel free to add a little honey or maple to the mix.
- Bacon: Add some crumbled bacon to the glaze for some texture. Habanero peppers will also add a kick too.
What to Serve with this Bourbon Sauce Recipe
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Bourbon Glaze
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Ingredients
- ⅔ cup Water
- 1 cup Pineapple Juice
- ¼ cup Teriyaki Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Soy Sauce
- 1⅓ cups Dark Brown Sugar
- 3 teaspoons Lemon Juice
- 3 teaspoons White Onions, minced
- 1 teaspoon Bourbon
- 1 teaspoon Crushed Pineapple
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 2 teaspoons Roasted Garlic
Instructions
- Combine water, pineapple juice, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium high heat.
- Stir occasionally until mixture boils, then reduce heat to simmer.
- Add remaining ingredients to pan and stir.
- Let simmer for 35-45 minutes or until sauce has reduced by half and is thick and syrupy.
Christina’s Notes
- Make Lots: This is a great recipe to make and present as a gift.
- Whiskey: You can also make this recipe with whiskey instead of bourbon.
- Honey: Feel free to add a little honey or maple to the mix.
- Bacon: Add some crumbled bacon to the glaze for some texture.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
i love the glaze
“Bourbon” sauce? With only 1 teaspoon of bourbon??
I love this bourbon glaze with the pineapple flavor showing through. Yum!
Absolutely delicious! It added just the right flavorful and elegant touch. Highly recommend.