Irn Bru BBQ Sauce
This Irn Bru BBQ sauce is sweet & tangy and goes perfectly with smoked & grilled meats. We’re making it with original recipe Irn Bru for the best flavour!
Irn Bru is sweet & tangy so it works really well in barbecue sauce! This is where this homemade barbecue sauce really stands out. It’s extra tangy, perfectly sweet and has a little bit of a kick, thanks to a pinch of cayenne pepper.
If you’ve never had Irn Bru before, you’re missing out, it’s a Scottish delicacy! Now no one really knows the exact flavour of Irn Bru but it tastes sort of like an orangey cream soda. Anyway, it’s delicious & makes our bbq sauce extra flavourful. Just make sure to use original recipe Irn Bru as it has the best flavour! This stuff’s great with pulled pork & other grilled & smoked meats, like brisket, burgers, sausages & ribs.
For more side dishes & sauces, take a look at our collection of sides! There’s lots to choose from here, from homemade chips, to cornbread, slaws, pickles & loads more.
What You’ll Need
- Irn Bru – Make sure to use 1901 Irn Bru (the original stuff!) as it has the highest amount of sugar & will reduce properly. Regular Irn Bru will also work but you may need to add in extra sugar, to taste.
- Ketchup – Any brand of tomato ketchup will work but I like to use Heinz.
- Sugar/Syrups – We’re adding dark brown sugar, honey & black treacle to our bbq sauce, for sweetness & flavour. If you haven’t got any treacle, molasses will work as well.
- Soy Sauce – A splash of dark soy sauce helps season our bbq sauce.
- Mustard – I like to use French’s mustard for my bbq sauces but Dijon will work as well.
- Vinegar – Apple cider vinegar works best for this recipe as it’s sweeter than white wine vinegar.
- Dried Herbs & Spices – We’re adding cumin, cayenne & smoked paprika to this sauce. Feel free to add in more cayenne or some dried chilli if you’d prefer your bbq sauce to be a bit hotter. Or add in a splash of hot sauce!
How To Make Irn Bru BBQ Sauce
This bbq sauce is super easy to make! Simply reduce the Irn Bru by half, to thicken it up slightly then add in the remaining ingredients & cook into a thick, glossy sauce. Here’s a quick step by step guide to how we make it…
- Reduce Irn Bru
First, we add Irn Bru into a large saucepan, set it over a high heat then reduce by half. This will take around 5 minutes & thickens the Irn Bru up slightly, as well as concentrating the flavour. - Add Ketchup, Sugar & Spices
Once the Irn Bru has reduced, we take the pan off the heat then add in ketchup, tomato paste, brown sugar, honey, black treacle, mustard, soy sauce, vinegar & spices. - Cook Out
Next, we cook the bbq sauce over a medium-low heat until the sugars & spices have all dissolved & the sauce is thick. This will take 5-10 minutes. Make sure to stir/whisk the sauce frequently to stop it catching in the pan. - Season
Now that our bbq sauce is cooked, we can give it a taste to check the seasoning then add in salt & pepper if needed. Then it can be left to cool before being served or stored in the fridge.
Serving Suggestions
Our Irn Bru barbecue sauce can be served like any other barbecue sauce! It goes great with smoked meats like brisket & pulled pork and can also be used to glaze ribs and chicken. It also works really well in burgers & with fried chicken!
Frequently Asked Questions
Original recipe Irn Bru (1901 Irn Bru) is best for bbq sauce as it contains the most amount of sugar & has the most authentic Irn Bru flavour!
Irn Bru bbq sauce will keep for up to 2 weeks when stored in the fridge.
I’ve found that Heinz ketchup works best for homemade bbq sauce but pretty much any good tomato ketchup will work. You could even use a homemade tomato ketchup.
To cook Irn Bru bbq sauce on an Aga, reduce the Irn Bru on the boiling plate then cook the sauce on the simmering plate.
More Sides & Sauces To Try!
- Cherry Cola Whiskey BBQ Sauce
- Tangy Apple Slaw
- Cheesy Buttermilk Skillet Cornbread
- Beer Battered Onion Rings With Buttermilk Ranch
- Sweet Pickled Red Cabbage
- Tahini Garlic Sauce (Kebab Shop Style)
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Irn Bru BBQ Sauce
Equipment
- Large Saucepan
Ingredients
- 330 ml 1901 Irn Bru (See Notes)
- 350 g Ketchup (See Notes)
- 100 g Dark Brown Sugar
- 75 g Black Treacle
- 75 g Honey
- 30 g Apple Cider Vinegar
- 20 g Dark Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1 tbsp French's Mustard
- 1½ tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- ½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
Instructions
- Pour the Irn Bru into a large saucepan then set it over a medium-high heat. Bring to the boil then reduce by half. This will take around 5 minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat, add all of the remaining ingredients into the reduced Irn Bru then whisk to combine.
- Place the pan back on the stove, over a medium heat then cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently until the sugars & spices have dissolved & the sauce is thick.
- Once cooked, let the sauce cool then transfer to a container & store in the fridge until needed.
