Homemade Copycat St-Hubert Sauce Recipe: 15-Minute Authentic Quebec BBQ Dipping Sauce

Most home cooks attempting to recreate St-Hubert sauce fail because they treat it like American barbecue sauce or brown beef gravy. St-Hubert sauce is fundamentally an aromatic poultry velouté with a French-Canadian spice heritage.

The magic lies in two warm baking spices: ground cloves (clou de girofle) and ground cinnamon (cannelle). These aromatics are balanced against the fruity acidity of apple cider vinegar, the umami depth of Worcestershire sauce, and the sweetness of brown sugar or maple syrup.

Without ground cloves, you have ordinary barbecue sauce. With ground cloves in the precise 1/4 teaspoon ratio, your kitchen instantly smells like a bustling St-Hubert dining room on Sunday night.

This recipe yields approximately 2 cups (500 ml) of sauce—enough for 4 generous dinner servings of rotisserie chicken, fries, and bun dipping:

• 2 cups (500 ml) Good Quality Chicken Broth (low-sodium recommended)

• 1/3 cup (80 ml) Tomato Ketchup (or 2 tbsp tomato paste + 2 tbsp water)

• 2 tbsp (30 ml) Brown Sugar (packed, or pure Quebec maple syrup)

• 2 tbsp (30 ml) Worcestershire Sauce

• 1 tbsp (15 ml) Apple Cider Vinegar (or white distilled vinegar)

• 1/4 tsp Ground Cloves (essential signature note)

• 1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp Onion Powder

• 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

• 1/4 tsp Celery Salt (or pinch of fine sea salt)

• 1/4 tsp Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

• Thickening Slurry: 2.5 tbsp (25 g) Cornstarch dissolved in 3 tbsp (45 ml) cold water

Follow these simple steps for a velvety, lump-free sauce with maximum shine:

Step 1: Whisk Aromatics & Base: In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together the chicken broth, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, ground cloves, cinnamon, onion powder, garlic powder, celery salt, and black pepper.

Step 2: Bring to a Gentle Simmer: Place the saucepan over medium heat. Bring the liquid to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally. Let it simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes so the sugars dissolve completely and the dried spices infuse into the poultry broth.

Step 3: Prepare the Slurry: In a small ramekin, whisk the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of cold tap water until completely smooth and milk-like.

Step 4: Thicken to Velvety Perfection: Reduce heat to medium-low. Slowly pour the cornstarch slurry into the simmering saucepan in a steady stream while whisking continuously. Continue whisking as the sauce bubbles gently for 2 minutes. You will watch it transform from a translucent broth into a rich, glossy, mahogany-brown sauce that clings to the back of a spoon.

Step 5: Taste and Adjust: Dip a spoon and taste. If you like it tangier, add 1/2 teaspoon of cider vinegar. For extra gloss, stir in 1 teaspoon of cold butter right before serving.

One of the biggest advantages of cooking from scratch is total control over your ingredients:

• St-Hubert Piri-Piri Spicy Version: Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of crushed red piri-piri chili flakes or hot cayenne pepper, plus a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

• Authentic Quebec Maple Twist: Substitute the brown sugar with 2 tablespoons of dark Amber Quebec pure maple syrup for an earthy, caramelized note.

• Heart-Healthy Low-Sodium Version: Commercial canned St-Hubert sauce packs nearly 580mg of sodium per 60ml. By using sodium-free chicken bone broth and low-sodium Worcestershire, you can lower sodium by up to 60% without sacrificing flavor.

• Certified Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free Worcestershire (Lea & Perrins Canada) and pure cornstarch. It tastes 100% identical to the restaurant version.

How does this 15-minute DIY recipe compare against grocery store alternatives?

• Refrigerator Storage: Allow the sauce to cool completely, then transfer it into a clean glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. It keeps fresh in the fridge for up to 7 days.

• How to Reheat: Pour the desired portion into a small pot over low heat. As cornstarch-thickened sauces sit in the cold, they form a firm gel. Simply add 1 tablespoon of water or broth and whisk gently as it heats; it will immediately regain its silky, pouring consistency.

• Freezing: You can freeze this sauce for up to 3 months. For easy portioning, pour cooled sauce into silicone ice cube trays. Once frozen, pop the cubes into a freezer ziplock bag and thaw 3-4 cubes whenever you need a quick fry dip.

Making your own copycat St-Hubert sauce at home is fast, remarkably economical, and shockingly close to what you get in the yellow dining rooms of Montreal and Quebec City. With a 15-minute cook time and basic pantry spices, there is no need to settle for generic gravy or expensive mail-order cans when rotisserie chicken is on your dinner table.