Browning Sauce is a 3-ingredient Jamaican sauce that provides a game-changer for your usual stews, soups, barbecues, and even cakes. The complexity, with its lovely combination of sweet and salty, also creates a beautiful color. This homemade sauce is sure to be your new favorite condiment alongside Worcestershire and oyster sauce.
I used to buy jars of Grace browning sauce until a friend taught me how to make it from scratch. How simple this famous Caribbean seasoning is to make will surprise you. I bet you’ll never buy another jar after you see how. 😉
Content…What Is It? |
What Is Browning Sauce?
Caribbeans use this condiment in many recipes. Simple water, sugar, and salt create an exceptional color when added to main dishes. The sugar’s caramelization produces a richer, deeper color than just plain sugar. And while the flavor it adds isn’t noticeable, it does act as an enhancer.
Homemade Jamaican Browning Sauce
While burnt sugar might mean disaster for most recipes, it gives this sauce its robust, smoky goodness. A teaspoon or two of homemade browning sauce in savory dishes like soups and stews is enough to boost the flavor. However, a little goes a long way. Too much will make your finished dish a little bitter.
Store-bought browning sauce is available on Amazon, but honestly, the list of ingredients can be rather scary. Grace and Gravy Master have the best rating if you have to buy it. However, they all have additives. So, if you’re avoiding sodium benzoate and caramel coloring, making your own is the way to go.
Ingredient List
All you need are three pantry staples and about 15 minutes for a cheaper sauce with no unnecessary additives.
- Brown Sugar – Caramelizing sugar is so fun. Just a touch balances flavors while adding exciting flavor. White sugar will work, but the color and taste won’t be as intense.
- Boiling Water works best because it keeps the melting sugar from seizing up.
- Salt – A pinch will balance the sweetness and reduce bitterness.
How to Make Browning Sauce
- Caramelize Sugar – Heat a small pot over low heat. Add brown sugar and stir until it melts. (Photos 1-3)
- Boiling Water – When the sugar starts to become frothy and turns from light brown to dark brown, carefully add boiling water a little at a time while stirring. Please don’t let the sugar turn too black, as it will become bitter. Note: Please be very careful when adding the hot water, as the sugar may sputter and burn you. (Photos 4)
- Cook – Keep stirring for about 5 minutes, add salt, and cook until your sauce is ready. (Photos 5-6)
- Cool – Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Use immediately or bottle it and store it in the fridge.
Recipe Notes
- Keep the heat low while caramelizing the browning sauce to avoid burning the sugar quickly.
- Please leave the window open and keep the fan on to reduce the smoke filling up your kitchen and the house.
- Add the hot water carefully to prevent the sugar from splattering. Melted sugar on your skin is excruciating (I know from experience). You could do it in the kitchen sink to avoid messy spills and accidents.
- If it begins to smoke as it melts before it gets dark enough, lower the heat or remove it from the heat for a bit.
- If possible, use a nonstick saucepan for easy cleanup.
Storage Instructions
Having a jar of browning sauce on hand makes it super easy to add a little to stewed meat. And surprisingly, this slightly sweet sauce adds deliciousness to cakes, too.
And since sugar and salt are natural preservatives, the sauce will last 6 months in the refrigerator.
How to Use Browning Sauce
Many mouthwatering Jamaican recipes enjoy a bit of browning sauce. The key is to add it toward the end of the cooking time for a rich, dark color.
- Jamaican Brown Beef Short Ribs Stew
- Slow Cooker Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken
- Jamaican Oxtail Stew
- Caribbean Black Cake
- Jamaican Easter Spiced Bun
More Time-Saving Sauce Recipes to Try
Watch How to Make It
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This blog post was originally published in March 2022 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
Browning Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200g) brown sugar
- ¾ cup (6oz) boiling water
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt (optional)
Instructions
- Heat a small pot over low heat.
- Add the brown sugar and stir until the sugar melts.
- When the sugar becomes frothy and turns from light brown to dark brown, carefully add boiling water a little at a time while stirring. Do not let the sugar turn too black, as you will end up with bitter-tasting browning sauce. Note: Be very careful when adding the hot water as the sugar may sputter and rise up.
- Keep stirring for about 5 minutes until your sauce is ready.
- Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
- Use immediately or bottle and store in the fridge.
Tips & Notes:
- Keep the heat on low while cooking our browning sauce to avoid burning the sugar quickly.
- Please leave the window open and keep the fan on to reduce the accumulation of smoke throughout the house.
- Add the hot water carefully as the sugar mix may rise and splatter. You may do this in the kitchen sink to avoid messy spills and accidents.
- If it begins to smoke as it melts before it gets dark enough, lower the heat or remove it from the heat for a bit.
- If possible, use a nonstick saucepan for easy clean-up.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Mikey says
It’s pretty difficult to find much in the way of anything Caribbean in my nape of the woods, down in New Zealand, so trying to find browning sauce would be an arduous task in and of itself. Hence, finding this recipe and making it from scratch was a great joy – there is something about knowing what goes in that appeals to the cook in me.
This sauce was almost like a toffee, and one of my nieces mentioned how good it would be frozen and mixed with ice cream. Whether or not I will be cooking the Brown Stew Chicken is irrelevant, because this is good enough to experiment with other meals (hello barbecue baste).
There is something under-rated and wholesome about the cuisine of the islands. I kind of know just on the cusp of my frontal lobes the reason, but still can’t exactly formulate the words.
Best yet, this sauce is super easy (barely and inconvenience) and can be whipped up without a hitch.
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Mikey!
It’s fantastic that you’ve discovered the joy of making browning sauce from scratch and are exploring Caribbean cuisine, especially in a place like New Zealand where these flavors might not be as commonly found. Browning sauce, with its rich, deep flavor reminiscent of toffee, is indeed a versatile ingredient that can enhance a variety of dishes.
Your niece’s idea of combining it with ice cream sounds delightful and innovative. The sauce’s rich caramel-like quality could pair wonderfully with the creamy sweetness of ice cream, creating a unique dessert experience. Additionally, using it as a barbecue baste is a brilliant idea. Its depth of flavor would complement grilled meats or vegetables beautifully.
Caribbean cuisine indeed has a wholesome, comforting quality, often featuring fresh ingredients, vibrant spices, and a blend of various culinary traditions. It’s a cuisine that tells a story of history, culture, and community, which might be why it resonates so deeply even when you’re just on the edge of understanding why.
It’s great to hear that you’ve found the sauce easy to make and are inspired to experiment with it in different culinary contexts. If you’re interested in exploring more Caribbean dishes or want tips on how to incorporate browning sauce into other recipes, feel free to ask. Happy cooking and experimenting!
debbie chovanetz says
should you use light or dark brown sugar?
Imma says
It doesn’t matter. Whatever you have on hand.
Jackie says
Should the salt be added with the brown sugar prior to carmalizing or after adding the boiling water? Does it make a difference when you add the salt?
Imma says
You can add it with the sugar or after. It doesn’t matter. Let me know how it goes.
linda callahan says
I made this recipe, it’s delicious,actually easy to make..I had my burner or eye on very low and stirred constantly with a wooden spoon. So happy to have found this recipe.
Imma says
Good to hear that, thank you for sharing your experience:) Stay tuned to have more amazing recipes:)
Crystal says
Just like Kitchen Bouquet.
I will have to try your homemade version. I like that it’s only 3 ingredients. Thank you for sharing