The first time I tasted TGI Friday’s Jack Daniel’s sauce, I sat in a corner booth celebrating a friend’s birthday. When our server brought out the appetizer platter with that tiny cup of dark, glossy sauce, I had no idea I was about to discover a flavor that would haunt my culinary dreams for years. After one taste, I found myself doing what we’ve all done—strategically rationing that small portion and secretly wishing for more without wanting to pay the extra charge.
That experience launched my mission to recreate this uniquely complex sauce at home, where portion sizes are dictated only by the size of your serving bowl. After numerous attempts and refinements, this copycat recipe captures that perfect balance of savory, sweet, and whiskey notes that makes the original so irresistible.
Why This Homemade Version Beats the Restaurant Experience
- Customizable: Adjust the heat, sweetness, or whiskey flavor to your preference
- Generous Portions: Make a whole batch and enjoy as much as you want without paying extra
- Better Value: Costs a fraction of what you’d spend at the restaurant
- Flavor Development: The sauce actually improves after a day or two in the refrigerator
- Versatility: Works as both a glaze and a dipping sauce
Jack Daniels Dipping Sauce Recipe Ingredients
Here’s a list of what you need:
- Red onion – Provides a robust aromatic base and slight sweetness when cooked down
- Garlic – Adds essential savory depth and complexity to the sauce
- Water – Helps create the proper consistency and allows flavors to meld during reduction
- Brown sugar – It delivers rich caramel notes and balances the savory components
- Teriyaki sauce – Contributes umami, sweetness, and subtle fermented flavor
- Soy sauce – Provides deep umami foundation and essential saltiness
- White grape juice – Adds natural sweetness and fruity acidity without overwhelming the other flavors
- Jack Daniel’s Black Label Whiskey – Gives the signature oak, vanilla, and caramel notes that define the sauce
- Tabasco sauce – Brings a touch of heat and vinegar brightness to cut through the richness.
How to Make TGI Friday’s Jack Daniels Dipping Sauce
- Place the ingredients in a saucepan.
- Stir to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
- Reduce heat to low for a slow simmer.
- Cook for 35 to 45 minutes, until the sauce has reduced by a third or fourth.
- Strain the sauce before serving.
Copycat TGI Friday’s Jack Daniel’s Whiskey Sauce Recipe (Better Than the Restaurant!)
This copycat version of TGI Friday's famous Jack Daniel's sauce balances savory, sweet, and whiskey flavors in a versatile sauce perfect for dipping appetizers or glazing grilled meats. Make a full batch and never pay for extra sauce again!
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Servings: 4
Calories: 226kcal
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup diced red onion
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup white grape juice
- 1/2 cup Jack Daniel’s Black Label Whiskey
- 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
Instructions
- Place the ingredients in a saucepan in the order listed. Stir after adding each ingredient.
- Place on medium heat and stir until it reaches a boil.
- Turn the heat down to low until the sauce is on a slow simmer.
- Cook for 35 to 45 minutes. The sauce will have reduced in volume by one-fourth to one-third.
- Strain the sauce before serving.
Notes
- Grilling Guide: When using as a glaze, apply the sauce during the last 2-3 minutes of grilling to prevent burning. The high sugar content can quickly caramelize and burn if exposed to high heat for too long.
- Flavor Development: For the best flavor, make this sauce 1-2 days before you plan to use it. The flavors meld and deepen significantly after resting in the refrigerator.
- Whiskey Selection: While Jack Daniel’s is authentic to the original, you can experiment with different whiskeys for subtle flavor variations.
- Consistency Control: For a thicker sauce, simmer longer; for a thinner consistency, reduce cooking time slightly.
- Heat Level: Adjust the Tabasco sauce to your preference—start with less if you’re sensitive to heat.
Nutrition
Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 1754mg | Potassium: 162mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin C: 1.3mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg
Storage and Make-Ahead Instructions
- Make-Ahead Advantage: The flavor improves after 24-48 hours of refrigeration, making this perfect for meal prep
- Refrigeration: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week
- Freezing Option: Freeze portions in ice cube trays, then transfer to freezer bags for up to 3 months
- Reheating: Gently warm in a saucepan over low heat or microwave in short bursts
Love TGI Fridays? Be sure to check out these recipes
- B52 Drink
- Sex on the Beach Drink
- Beer Cheese Pretzel Dip
- Fridays Mozzarella Sticks
- TGI Fridays Potato Skins
Favorite Sauce Recipes
- Big Mac Sauce Recipe
- Cocktail Sauce
- Coconut Shrimp Dipping Sauce
- Lemon Pepper Wing Sauce
- Mexican Hot Sauce
- Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Taco Sauce Recipe
- Terry Ho’s Yum Yum Sauce
Check out more of my easy sauce recipes and the best copycat recipes for casual dining restaurants here on CopyKat!
How much molasses will I need because I feel that will make it thicker?
No, you boil this down until it’s half or 2/3 gone, it will thicken as it cools, I alway double it, because you end up with so little.
Thank you!!! I have been looking for this recipe for a while now! I used to work in a restaurant that had been a TGI Fridays (before I started there) and this was the exact recipe we had, except on a larger scale. I lost the recipe a few years ago and have been hunting for it ever since. I kept coming across the other ones with pineapple and molasses, which we never used, and none of them called for Tabasco and I knew it had that as well.
Again thank you, you have just made my Christmas. Christmas tradition is grilling steak with Jack sauce, and it hasn’t been the same without it.
I am glad you liked this recipe.
Just made this sauce and it is almost exactly like the restaurant. Little less brown sugar next time and it will be spot on. And it is onions in the original people.
You can buy this in the UK and other European countries. It’s called Jack Daniel’s Smokey Sweet Barbecue Glaze. Here are the ingredients: Sugar, Water, Soy Sauce (contains Water,Soyabean, Salt, Wheatflour, Sugar, Colour: Caramel,Preservative: Potassium Sorbate), Concentrated PineappleJuice, Dextrose, Cider Vinegar, Molasses, ConcentratedOrange Juice, Modified Cornflour, Jack Daniels Whisky ®(1%), Colour: Ammonia Caramel, Garlic Purée, OnionPurée, Whisky Flavour, Concentrated Onions, Stabiliser:Xanthan Gum, Smoke Flavour, Chilli Powder. Contains:Soya, Wheat, Gluten.
I work at Fridays. It’s not pineapple or onion. It’s PEOPLE!!!
Lmao, rude costumers right..
I love this sauce! I’m not sure how it’s really suppose to taste. I put this on almost everything! I use it as a gravy and poor it onto my mashed potatoes!
Hey,
I finally tried this sauce at home tonight, bought a bottle of Jack and all the other ingredients… Used it on a contre fillet with basil and parmesan cheese mashed potatoes As a huge fan of this sauce, I have some important comments, so here we go:
– First of all, the density of the sauce is incredible. While cooking I was afraid it will be too liquid, but in the end of 35th minute, it ended up pretty amazing:) I am actually curious, what ingredient makes it more solid by cooking?
– About the taste, I think the sauce is TOO sweet. And it is not chilly enough. Also missing a little bit of sourness.
– From my experiences in Friday’s restaurants, I think the sauce has something like apricot, peach or pineapple. And maybe a pinch of lemon juice. Also I think something like ginger gives it a more chilly flavour.
I’m gonna attach a picture of my art, thanks anyway, the sauce made my night:) But please consider this a feedback and do something about it 😀
Hugs from Turkey;)
I made some of this tonight to dip turkey in for thanksgiving and mine came out identical… except I have no idea how to replicate what I did. I tripled the recipe and didn’t have any teriyaki sauce on hand so I looked up a recipe for teriyaki sauce and just free hand dump the ingredients in I used quite a bit of red cooking wine and worchestershire sauce only a tsp of tabasco sauce. only a large splash of soy sauce but no where near a cup. i’d say maybe 4 or 5 tbsp. I added about a table spoon of ginger and a little less garlic salt plus about 4 tbsp. of sesame seed oil. I also used half a bottle of dehydrated onion because I was pressed on time and didn’t want to chop. and last but not least I did use a whole bag of dark brown sugar with at least 2 cups water plus a half cup jack daniels maybe a little more but not a full cup or even 3/4… all in all how I don’t know, but it came out identical… except because I slopped everything together, doubt I can do it again. I just got lucky. p.s I made 3- 8 oz jars for 5 dollars… I called Fridays you can buy it in the back for a dollar an oz.. it comes in a 30 oz bag. the cashier told me 30 plus tax.
Friday’s doesn’t use pineapple it just seems that way as they use pineapple to garnish a jack dish with
I gotta try this. It’s yum.
The only bit that makes no sense to me is the use of both soy and teriyaki.
Teriyaki is 3 parts soy, 2 parts mirrin 1 part sake.
Is it made this way to avoid having to cook off the sake?
Just any kind of white grape juice? and the 1/2 cup of jack daniels is that the whiskey?
I specifically taste molasses in their bbq sauce.
I know I also taste the molasses in the sauce
Brown sugar is made by mixing molasses with granulated sugar. So, yes, you could possibly taste some molasses if you used dark brown sugar (not specified in recipe here) and it thickens up enough reducing the water content.
I made it easier by mixing 1 bottle of Bullseye Old West Hickory bbq sauce, 1/2 c molasses, 1/2 oz Jack Daniel’s, add in the diced onion, simmer for 1/2 hr & voila!!
i work at tgi as well and its definitely onion in our sauce not pineapple
I’ve been looking for this recipe.
I work at TGI Friday’s and it is pineapple in the sauce, not onions!
No it’s not…..
Read many variations of the Sauce and or glaze, but a identical match is difficult.
Try this, it comes close and is a time saver.
3/4 c KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce
1 tbsp Honey
1 oz Jack (or to taste)
Adjustments:
Add a little hot water for thinner sauce
Heat to enhance flavor
I just get a bottle of Stubbs, throw some butter and Jack in it, and go from there. May not taste like TGI, but my buttery bourbon bbq sauce is pretty good.
how long does the sauce keep for?
A week is the longest I would keep the sauce.
There was an older Copy Cat recipe that used Pineapple juice rather than the grape juice. TGIF makes it that way. Much better.
This is a great copycat. My husband said its better than TGI’s even. The secret is to let it simmer about twice as long as recommended and it’s even better if it cools in your fridge for a couple of days. A definite yes. I love this sauce and so does company!
Cools in your fridge? Never put hot food items in the fridge and expect to eat them without getting sick. That’s Cooking 101.
Has anyone tried this? I really love this sauce at TGI’S & would love to be able to make the real thing at home!
I have tried this recipe 😉 We thought it was good enough to put online. I love finally being able to have “enough” of this sauce to really enjoy.