Copycat TGI Friday’s Jack Daniel’s Sauce – an easy, from scratch sauce that is great on chicken, fish, veggies – the possibilities are endless!
Jack Daniels BBQ Sauce
I love Jack Daniels BBQ sauce from Friday’s & this recipe tastes just like it.
It’s a super flavorful sauce that always gets rave reviews. Making it yourself gives it that extra special touch (and no high fructose corn syrup!) and it has become a staple at our annual summer bbqs.
What does Jack Daniel’s taste like?
Jack Daniel’s tastes similar to a bourbon. It’s a Tennessee whiskey, which is the same as bourbon except its been charcoal filtered so it’s a little less harsh and more charcoal flavors, which makes it great in a sauce (especially paired with grilled foods).
Today we paired this Jack Daniel’s with this boneless wings recipe & it tasted just like the Sesame Jack Strips appetizer from TGI Friday’s.
The second day (since there was a lot left), I made grilled chicken breasts & brushed the sauce over them. Delicious.
How to make Jack Daniels BBQ Sauce
Equipment you’ll need
- Whisk – I actually need a new one and this one is calling my name.
- Medium Saucepan – I really like when pans are dishwasher safe.
- Container – for storing the extra sauce.
- Silicone brush – for brushing this sauce onto chicken, veggies, etc.
TGI Fridays Jack Daniel’s Sauce Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card.
- Minced Garlic – I give instructions on how to roast a head of garlic below. If you want a short cut, you can buy the minced garlic in oil from the grocery store that I always keep on hand.
- Olive Oil
- Water
- Pineapple Juice – you can use the juice from the crushed pineapple can you’ll need.
- Teriyaki Sauce
- Soy Sauce – you can use low sodium if that’s what you prefer.
- Dark Brown Sugar – dark brown sugar has more molasses and a more complex flavor.
- Lemon Juice – fresh is best!
- White Onion – white onions are sweeter & cleaner in flavor than yellow onions with a milder flavor
- Jack Daniels Whiskey – you can either buy a bottle of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey but a shot of jack daniel is all you really need so you can save money and just buy a shooter.
- Crushed Pineapple – you’ll use both the juice and the crushed pineapple in the sauce.
- Cayenne Pepper – gives the sauce a medium heat that is perfect on so many foods.
How do you make JD BBQ Sauce?
Making Jack Daniels Sauce is probably easier than you think. You take everyday ingredients (listed below) and bring them to a boil. Once they’re boiling, you let it simmer until it thickens. Easy!
- STEP ONE: To a medium saucepan, add water, pineapple juice, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a slow boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat so it is simmering, stirring occasionally.
- STEP TWO: Once it is simmering, add the minced (or roasted) garlic and whisk to combine. Add the remaining ingredients to the pan and stir.
- STEP THREE: Finally, you’ll let the jack daniel’s bbq sauce simmer for 40-50 minutes over low heat, or until the sauce has thickened and reduced by about half. It should be thick and syrupy.
What to serve with Jack Daniel’s BBQ Sauce
- Grilled chicken breast
- Chicken wings
- Grilled fish or shrimp
- Onion rings
- Copycat Chick-Fil-A Nuggets
- Roasted zucchini
- Roasted potatoes
- Garlic Mashed potatoes
- Pork roasts
- Steak bites
How long does this sauce keep?
You can keep this Jack Daniel’s sauce safely up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Longer than that, I’d freeze it. (it’s probably fine longer because it has some natural preservatives in it, but I always am leery). I have not tried to can it.
Is Jack Daniel’s Sauce vegetarian?
Jack Daniels Sauce is vegetarian – even better, it’s vegan! You can use it as a dipping sauce, a glaze, or a marinade so meat eaters and vegetarians alike can enjoy it.
How to roast garlic
If you have time (and inclination), you can roast your own garlic for this recipe. Here’s how:
- First, preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Next, cut about 1/2″ off of the top of the garlic. Cut the roots so that the garlic will sit flat. Remove the papery skin from the garlic, but leave enough so that the cloves stay together. Put garlic into a small casserole dish or baking pan, drizzle olive oil over it, and cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour.
- Finally, remove garlic and let it cool until you can handle it.
Need more sauce recipes? Try these different sauces:
Yum Yum Sauce
Spicy BBQ Sauce
KFC Copycat Honey BBQ Sauce
Click here to view my entire collection of sauces and seasonings.
TGI Friday’s Jack Daniels Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic OR 1 head of garlic – see instructions above
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ⅔ cup water
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup teriyaki sauce
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 ⅓ cups dark brown sugar
- 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 Tablespoons minced white onion
- 1 Tablespoon Jack Daniels Whiskey
- 1 Tablespoon crushed pineapple
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, add the water, pineapple juice, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar over medium/high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce the heat until mixture is just simmering.
- Add the minced garlic (OR if you’re roasting your own garlic, over the saucepan, squeeze the sides of the head of garlic until the pasty roasted garlic comes out). Whisk to combine.
- Add remaining ingredients to the pan and stir.
- Let the mixture simmer for 40-50 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by about half and is thick and syrupy. Don’t let it boil over.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Photos updated May 25, 2017
if you were to can it what method would you use? Would just a water bath work?
I’m sorry, I don’t know anything about canning.
It smells good. Tastes good. But it’s been simmering for over an hour and it’s still liquid.
Do you keep it refrigerated and if so. How long does it last??
Answered above – it has natural preservatives but I use it within 5 days.
I made this tonight and it came out great. I may add some red pepper flakes to change up the flavor a bit but it doesn’t need anything. It made more than I need so I’ll try to freeze and use on shrimp or chicken. We used it on Alaskan Cod which was decent. The recipe doesn’t give directions how to use it so I just glazed the fish after it cooked but for heartier cuts like chicken I think I’ll cost it then cook it to deepen the caramelization.