Guinness Barbecue Sauce

Step up your grilling game with this stand out recipe for Guinness Barbecue Sauce.  This delectable homemade condiment combines the deep, malty flavour of Guinness beer with the smoky, sweet and tangy flavours of traditional barbeque sauce.  Slather it on chicken, ribs or burgers to add a unique twist to your barbecue routine.  With its distinctive and addictive flavour, this rich sauce is the perfect way to bring home the taste of Ireland, on St Patrick’s Day or any other day of the year!

Why have we been burying bottled barbecue sauce all this time?  This simple recipe is a lesson in balanced flavours, with sweet, sour, salty, smokey and bitter all mixing and mingling into a rich and complex condiment you’ll want to eat again and again.  The addition of Guinness to the recipe makes this sauce deliciously distinctive and so much more flavourful and complex than the bottled stuff, all the while still delivering all the sweet, tangy and smokey flavours we love in a BBQ sauce.

What goes in Guinness Barbecue Sauce?

• Tomato Paste: This paste made from concentrated tomatoes forms the base of this sauce, adding sweet and tangy flavour, colour and thickness to the sauce.  Tomato paste is sold at the grocery store in cans, or can be bought in tubes.  The advantage of tubes is you can use just the amount you need, while storing the rest in the fridge for later.
• Molasses: Dark brown fancy molasses adds a rich, sweet flavour that perfectly compliments the Guinness in this recipe.  The molasses also adds natural colour to the BBQ sauce, enhancing its visual appeal.
• Brown Sugar: The toffee flavour of brown sugar adds sweetness to balance the bitterness of the Guinness and acidity of the tomato paste and vinegar.
• Apple Cider Vinegar:  With its complex fruity flavour and bright acidity, apple cider vinegar adds a delicious tang to this barbecue sauce.  When this sauce is added to a protein the vinegar helps to tenderize the meat and balance the richness of a fatty cut of meat such as ribs.
• Mustard: Mustard adds a zesty note and a hint of spice to the sauce.  Dijon mustard is readily available and provides a nice flavour, but a smooth Irish mustard would work as well.  Be sure to use a smooth, ground mustard (instead of a grainy mustard) for a silky texture.  .
• Guinness: This dark stout style beer is the star ingredient of this barbecue sauce!  With its sweet and bitter flavours, and notes of coffee and chocolate, Guinness adds a rich and complex flavour to this condiment.
• Garlic Powder and Onion Powder: These seasonings add a savoury, umami kick to the sauce.
• Smoked Paprika: The addition of smoked paprika adds a sweet and most importantly, a smokey flavour to this sauce.
• Kosher salt: I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt in my recipes, which is less salty per volume than Windsor or Morton’s Kosher salts.  If you use a brand other than Diamond Crystal, add half the amount of salt called for in the recipe and add more to taste if needed.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

This versatile barbeque sauce is about to make your grilling season even better!  Baste it onto grilled chicken, beef skewers and ribs, or toss it with pulled pork.  Use it as a dipping sauce for wings, chicken tenders or even French fries.

RECIPE NOTES

• Store this homemade Guinness Barbecue Sauce in a covered container or jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.  Like many recipes, allowing the flavours to mingle for a day or two before serving makes this BBQ sauce taste even better.
• Pro Tip:  Most types of BBQ sauce contain a fair bit of sugar, and sugar burns quickly.  When you’re grilling something that you want to brush with BBQ sauce, wait until the meat is almost cooked through to add the sauce.  To avoid drips and flares, brush the meat with a thin layer of the sauce in the last 5 minutes of cooking time. Add additional layers of the BBQ sauce and turn the meat frequently to avoid burning. .