Formerly known as TGI Fridays Jack Daniel’s Sauce, it is commonly confused with Jack Daniel’s BBQ Sauce. The class Whiskey Glaze has been discontinued from commercial sales, but is still available at the restaurant… and now at your home!
Many copycat recipes require roasting a whole head of garlic and while I loved this for flavor, it didn’t provide the right consistency as the restaurant, so I opted for using granulated garlic and onion.
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Is Jack Daniel’s Sauce the same as Jack Daniel’s BBQ Sauce?
No, they are two different things. Jack Daniels BBQ sauce is a tomato-based sauce with a sweet and tangy profile. Jack Daniels sauce, now just known as TGI Fridays Whiskey Glaze, is the original sauce that made this line famous.
Spiked with relatively small amounts of Jack Daniels bourbon, both sauces are cooked long enough for all alcohol to be burned off and not leave an overpowering whiskey flavor. They are also fairly sweet, which makes them both appealing to a wide variety of diners.
Ingredients
- Dark brown sugar– this ingredient adds the majority of the sweetness and also acts as a thickener.
- Pineapple juice– slightly tart and plenty sweet, pineapple juice adds a tropical note.
- Water– don’t sleep on using just the right amount of water to keep this concoction the perfect temperature.
- Jack Daniel’s whiskey– the star ingredient, this will lend the subtle flavors of whiskey to the sauce without the alcohol (which burns off during cooking).
- Soy sauce– add some umami to your whiskey glaze with this simple ingredient.
- Lemon juice– lemon always adds just a touch of brightness to any sauce or soup.
- Garlic powder– easier than mincing the cloves, garlic powder makes it easy to add the ingredient and contributes to a silky smooth finish (as opposed to one dotted with garlic).
- Onion powder– same as the garlic, this keeps the glaze from being encumbered by bits and pieces. It also prevents those onion-cutting tears.
- Cayenne pepper– bring on the heat with this peppery powder.
- Cornstarch– not only does it thicken this glaze, it makes it super silky and shiny.
How to use TGI Friday’s Whiskey Glaze
- Meats and seafood- this is perfect to brush on your beef, chicken, shrimp, or fish before grilling or roasting.
- Sandwiches- use this glaze to up your sandwich game. It’s great for deli meats (turkey, roast beef, chicken…) or for a cooked sandwich. Spread it on the bun before making your fried fish or grilled chicken sammy.
- Grilled foods- grilling up some hamburgers, hot dogs, and bratwurst? Slather this sauce all over those bad boys when you plop them in their buns.
- Dipping- once your proteins are plated, be it meat or seafood, if you chose to not baste them, use this as a side dipping sauce.
- Topping- drizzle this glaze over anything from tacos to pizza as well as nachos and chicken dip.
Whiskey Glaze Variations
This sauce is a perfect base that is great for making it your own. Some suggestions:
- Smoked paprika- add smoky undertones with just a few dashes of smoked paprika.
- Arrowroot- if you don’t have cornstarch handy, you can use arrowroot in a 2:1 ratio. Arrowroot also freezes better than cornstarch, so it may be better to use if you are intending to freeze leftovers.
- Peppers- if you want to add some heat, peppers are an obvious choice. To keep the glaze somewhat smooth, either puree the peppers before adding them, or use an immersion blender at the end of the cooking process.
- Honey- if this rendition isn’t sweet enough for you, try drizzling a bit of honey into the recipe.
- Seasonality- make your sauce slightly seasonal by adding just a bit of juice that imparts flavors of the season… apple cider for fall, cranberry in winter, peach in the spring, and anything tropical in the summer.
- Soda- some swear by soda in sauce and if you want to add some sweetness it’s definitely experiment-worthy.
Storage and Freezing
Any sauce of this type will store well in an airtight container for about a week in the refrigerator. Need it longer? No problem.
Freeze the whiskey glaze sauce for up to 3 months in storage containers or freezer bags. You could even put it in an ice cube tray so that you can pop out just how much you want to use when you want to use it.
More Homemade Sauce Recipes
TGI Friday’s Whiskey Glaze
Ingredients
- 2 cups dark brown sugar
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 2/3 cup water
- 1/4 cup Jack Daniel’s whiskey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, pineapple juice, water, whiskey, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic and onion powder and cayenne pepper.
- Heat and whisk over medium heat until the mixture is reduced by a third and coats the back of a spoon, approximately 20 minutes.
- Whisk together the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water and then whisk into the glaze mixture. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. The mixture will continue to thicken.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings!
This glaze was so flavorful and delicious!! I actually used it on tofu and it turned out great!
Loved loved loved this glaze recipe! I am using it with so many dishes! Thank you!
Such a great recipe! This can be used in many recipes. Thanks for sharing this great recipe.
This is better than TGIF’s Big YUM!
Drizzled this whiskey glaze on shrimp with rice as the side. This glaze made everything taste 100x better! Will definitely use this recipe again. Thanks!