Cola Barbecue Sauce
Submitted by sassything1020
Sticky homemade barbecue sauce simmered with cola, ketchup, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. The cola caramelizes into a sweet, tangy glaze that’s built for grilled chicken.
YIELD
1 1/2 cupPREP
5 minCOOK
65 minREADY
70 minCola in barbecue sauce isn’t a gimmick. The sugar and acid in the soda caramelize during the hour-long simmer, creating a glossy, sticky sauce with a sweetness that’s more complex than straight sugar could ever deliver.
The base is straightforward: butter-softened onions and garlic, ketchup, Worcestershire, Dijon, and a bay leaf. The cola ties it all together and thickens everything into a brush-on sauce with serious grip.
Paint it on chicken during the last 10 to 15 minutes of grilling and you’ll get charred, lacquered edges that snap when you bite through them.
Pro Tips
- Don’t brown the onions and garlic. You want them softened, not caramelized. Browning adds a bitter note that fights with the cola’s sweetness.
- Simmer uncovered for the full hour. Reducing the sauce concentrates the flavors and thickens it. Cutting the time short leaves you with a thin, watery glaze.
- Only brush it on at the end of grilling. The sugar content means it burns fast over direct heat. Ten to fifteen minutes is enough to set a gorgeous glaze without charring.
Ingredients
Directions
Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
Add onions and cook 1 minute.
Add garlic and cook 4 minutes longer.
Do not brown.
Stir in remaining ingredients.
Heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 1 hour.
Brush on chicken during final 10 to 15 minutes of grilling.
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