Coffee-Ginger Barbecue Sauce Recipe

By
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Editorial Director

Daniel is the editorial director of Serious Eats, where he leads the site's editorial strategy and oversees everything from recipe development to articles on food science, cooking techniques, and more. He's a former food editor at Food & Wine and has cooked in New York City restaurants.

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Updated March 26, 2025
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Photograph: Daniel Gritzer

For this easy barbecue sauce, a ketchup base is spiked with a half cup of strong coffee, freshly grated ginger, a little dark chocolate, and molasses. Just a hint of smoked paprika builds an extra layer of aromatic mystery. It would be great on all sorts of things, but works particularly well with smoky pork shoulder and beef brisket.

Recipe Details

Coffee-Ginger Barbecue Sauce Recipe

Cook 15 mins
Active 20 mins
Total 15 mins
Makes 2 cups
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup ketchup

  • 1/2 cup strong coffee or espresso (see note)

  • 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

  • 1 tablespoon molasses

  • 1 (2-inch) knob peeled fresh ginger, grated on a microplane

  • 1/2 ounce dark (70%) chocolate

  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. In a medium saucepan, combine ketchup, coffee, Worcestershire sauce, molasses, and ginger and bring to a low simmer, stirring occasionally, over medium heat. Stir in chocolate and smoked paprika until chocolate is melted, then let simmer over very low heat, stirring occasionally, until flavors have mellowed and melded, 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Notes

I used a lighter coffee roast, which adds more acidity and therefore found that this sauce didn't need any extra tartness from vinegar; depending on the profile of the coffee you use, you may find a splash of vinegar (such as cider vinegar) will help. Taste and adjust accordingly.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
415 Calories
5g Fat
98g Carbs
4g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 415
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 6%
Saturated Fat 3g 14%
Cholesterol 3mg 1%
Sodium 2677mg 116%
Total Carbohydrate 98g 36%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 76g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 13mg 65%
Calcium 131mg 10%
Iron 3mg 19%
Potassium 1375mg 29%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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