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close view of whiskey glaze on basting brush
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5 from 14 votes

Copycat Whiskey Glaze Recipe

This Copycat TGI Fridays Whiskey Glaze (also previously called Jack Daniels Sauce), is the perfect blend of sweet and savory. It's amazing on chicken, beef, pork, seafood, veggies and more!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 25 minutes
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
Course: Condiment, Sauce
Cuisine: American
Keyword: copycat tgi fridays
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 89kcal
Author: The Chunky Chef

Ingredients

Roasted garlic

  • 1 head garlic
  • drizzle of olive oil
  • pinch of salt and pepper

Rest of whiskey glaze

  • 1 cup pineapple juice
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce reduced sodium is preferred
  • 1 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 3 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 Tbsp finely minced white onion
  • 1 Tbsp whiskey Jack Daniels is the original whiskey used
  • 1 Tbsp canned crushed pineapple
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper amount can be adjusted based on your tolerance for heat

Instructions

Roast garlic

  • Heat oven to 400°F.  Peel loose paper off the garlic, keeping the whole head together.  
  • Slice off the top 1/2” of the whole head, exposing the tops of the cloves. Place garlic on a sheet of foil and drizzle the exposed cloves liberally with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  • Wrap the foil up around the garlic, then place in baking dish and roast for 40-50 minutes.  Set aside until cool enough to handle.

Make the glaze

  • Add pineapple juice, water, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar to a medium saucepan and heat over MED HIGH heat.  Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking occasionally, then once lightly boiling, reduce heat to LOW so the mixture is simmering.
  • Squeeze roasted garlic cloves out into a small bowl and mash the cloves until smooth. Alternately, you can add the cloves to the saucepan and use a whisk to mash them, but I've found it's difficult to get the garlic as smooth this way.
  • Add lemon juice, white onion, whiskey, crushed pineapple and cayenne pepper.  Whisk to combine, then adjust heat if needed to keep the sauce simmering steadily.
  • Let sauce simmer for 45-50 minutes, until sauce has reduced by about half and is syrupy in texture.  Keep an eye on it so that it doesn’t boil over. Keep in mind the sauce will thicken a bit more as it cools.
  • Set aside to cool a bit, then use immediately, or cool completely and store.

Notes

  • Recipe makes between 1 and 1 1/2 cups once reduced down.  For serving size I estimate about 1-2 Tbsp per person, but feel free to serve this how you'd like.

Storage

Leftover glaze should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and used within 1 week.
Before storing, make sure the glaze is cooled to room temperature.

Freezing

For longer storage, whiskey glaze can be frozen!
Make sure the glaze has cooled to room temperature, then transfer to freezer-safe container, label it with the date, and freeze for up to 3 months.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 89kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 242mg | Potassium: 72mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 15IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg