The Boozy Ingredient We Found Hiding In Texas Roadhouse BBQ Sauce

Texas Roadhouse has built its reputation on quality hand-cut steaks, buckets of peanuts, hot rolls smothered in cinnamon butter, and its fan favorite cactus blossom appetizer. But one of the most memorable components of every meal is its rich, smoky barbecue sauce. Created by Texas Roadhouse founder, Kent Taylor, and the chain's original chef, Jim Broyles, this sauce is so good that there are countless copycats, but none like the real thing. While the exact recipe is top secret, take a peek at the ingredients used to create this signature barbecue sauce, and you might be surprised to find a bold, boozy Texas staple: bourbon.

Bourbon is a whiskey made from corn and aged for at least two years in white oak barrels that have been charred on the inside. The flavors that develop are rich, boasting hints of caramel and vanilla. These sweet notes mellow and balance the acidic ingredients in a barbecue sauce, making bourbon a perfect pairing for smoky foods. That splash of alcohol and its beautiful tasting characteristics amplify the smoky char synonymous with grilled ribs, steaks, chicken, and the like. While you can find Texas Roadhouse steak sauce and its Roadhouse Gold at grocery stores like Target, you will not find its barbecue sauce, so don't look too hard. 

Still, that doesn't mean you can't join the copycats and make your own; however, the type of bourbon you add depends on the style of barbecue sauce. Texas Roadhouse's barbecue style is surprisingly less Texan and more St. Louis. Texas Roadhouse's Megan Pence discussed this bourbon flavor booster, but only told Mashed, "Our barbecue [sauce] could be classified as a St. Louis-style sauce: sweet, smoky, and some zesty spices on the finish."

A bourbon like Maker's Mark, Four Roses, or Knob Creek is perfect for this type of easy homemade barbecue sauce that contains a sweet, sticky element like molasses and brown sugar, maple syrup, or corn syrup.  A bourbon with a high rye mash is better suited for a vinegar-rich Carolina barbecue sauce. Choose your favorite brand from the grocery store if you don't want to make your own sauce. It will help you achieve a complex flavor that tastes similar. If you add bourbon to your barbecue sauce, remember that if you plan to use it as a dipping sauce or for your pulled pork sandwiches, you may want to label it for adults only because not all the alcohol will burn off.