Browning Sauce – Immaculate Bites

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.

1. 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.
2. Boiling Water works best because it keeps the melting sugar from seizing up.
3. 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

1. Keep the heat low while caramelizing the browning sauce to avoid burning the sugar quickly.
2. Please leave the window open and keep the fan on to reduce the smoke filling up your kitchen and the house.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.

1. Jamaican Brown Beef Short Ribs Stew
2. Slow Cooker Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken
3. Jamaican Oxtail Stew
4. Caribbean Black Cake
5. Jamaican Easter Spiced Bun

More Time-Saving Sauce Recipes to Try

1. Peruvian Green Sauce
2. Enchilada Sauce
3. Peri-Peri Sauce
4. White Pizza Sauce
5. Mustard BBQ Sauce

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