It’s grilling season! If you haven’t already got a go-to BBQ sauce recipe, you’re in luck because I have the perfect one to share with you!
Our recent trip to Austin presented the opportunity to have some real Texas BBQ. and we made the most of it!
If you travel to Austin, Texas, take a detour out to The Salt Lick BBQ in nearby Driftwood for a classic Texan culinary yahoo-let’s-dig-in, down home feast experience. Cradled in the rural Hill Country, this renowned barbecue joint embraces you in a welcoming atmosphere, greeting you with enticing aromas of slow-cooked meats as soon as you step out of your car. Just try walking to the front door without salivating, I dare y’all!
The Salt Lick BBQ
18300 Ranch to Market Rd 1826, Driftwood, TX 78619
(512) 858-4959
The Salt Lick smokes lots of chicken, sausage, ribs on this huge wood fire pit. For those of you that can’t come to Driftwood you can still get a taste of Texas by making this copycat BBQ sauce
This sauce took me right back to the rustic tables beneath the majestic oak trees at the Salt Lick, savoring the rich, smoky flavors of brisket, ribs, and sausage, accompanied by traditional sides of coleslaw, potato salad and beans.
The meat was smoky and tender, but for me, the sauce was the star. I took the photo above before giving it my special treatment: drenching the meat with extra sauce from the bottle on the table. I am more of a “sides” girl, (my favorite thing to put BBQ sauce on is Mac and Cheese) but when in Rome. . .
Always on the hunt for recipes that replicate delicious meals we’ve had on our travels, I searched for a BBQ sauce recipe that would resemble Salt Lick’s.
BBQ sauces can stir heated debate. Do you like yours tomatoey? Mustardy? Vinegary?
Or with some sweet molasses-ity? Texas? Kansas City? Carolina?
Far be it from me to say which is the best, but you might change your mind once you’ve tried this recipe from:
Salt Lick BBQ Sauce (copycat) Recipe
Ingredients
- Barbecue Sauce
- 1 cup Finished Sweet and Sour Dressing (see recipe below)
- 1/3 cup Prepared Mustard
- 1/3 cup Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tbsp Hot Sauce (carrot based preferred) – adjust to taste We used Marie Sharp's Garlic Pepper Sauce
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice
- 2 tbsp Honey
- 1 - 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1 - 2 tbsp White Sugar
Instructions
- Place sweet and sour dressing, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and all spices in a large pot.
- Bring to a boil.
- Simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes.
- Take off heat and add honey, brown and white sugars and hot sauce. Stir until well incorporated.
- Bring to room temperature before use, or pour hot when canning.
Sweet n' Sour Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/3 cup Pineapple Juice
- 1 tsp Ginger
- 1 clove Fresh Garlic, crushed (I used 3, but that’s how I roll)
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 tbsp Water
- 1/4 cup Vegetable oil
Instructions
- Place all ingredients (except cornstarch, water and oil) into a pan over medium heat.
- Allow mixture to simmer for 10 minutes.
- While simmering, mix cornstarch and water in small bowl, until cornstarch has dissolved.
- Add cornstarch mix to simmering pot. Stir.
- Remove from heat and let sit until room temperature.
- Blend dressing while adding drizzle of oil until dressing thickens.
Reading this recipe, it appears that the special twist to this BBQ sauce is actually another sauce – a carrot-based hot sauce, to be exact. I found this one here:
Even though it employs fiery habanero peppers as an ingredient, the sweetness of the carrot tempers the heat nicely.
The recipe is a two-part process, but once you taste the sauce, you will forget all about that. First, you make the Sweet and Sour Dressing – it looks like this when it is done.
This sweet and sour dressing stands delicious on its own – you can use it for salads, crudité, etc. Add this to the rest of the ingredients, and you have a delicious, thick, sticky, tart and spicy BBQ sauce.
It’s perfect for topping Mac and Cheese!
Oh yeah, and meat too.
Enjoy!
This sauce is really good. A little sweet, a little heat, and enough tang to tie it all together. It is very nicely balanced, and I LOVE the extra garlic! I used this sauce on my bbq steaks this past weekend, and the comments were: ‘What sauce is this, and where’d I get it?”
With my next batch, I’m planning to set aside some of the sweet and sour dressing for my salads and veggies, and make more of the bbq sauce. This recipe will definitely become one of my regulars. It really is delicious!
Thanks for sharing, and thanks for the inspiration, Salt Lick, your spread looks amazing!
Thank you so much for being our “taste-testers” and I am so happy you like the sauce! Salt Lick WAS amazing – definitely a highlight of our trip to Texas!
TTD