Cherry BBQ Sauce
This cherry BBQ sauce is sweet, smoky, tangy, and packed with rich cherry flavor. The sauce cooks down into a thick, glossy barbecue sauce that works beautifully on grilled chicken, burgers, ribs, pulled pork, and roasted vegetables.
Equipment
- Medium saucepan
- Blender or immersion blender
- Wooden spoon
- Cutting board and knife
- Fine mesh strainer (optional)
- Glass jar or bottle
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh cherries pitted
- ½ small red onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Remove the pits from the cherries and roughly chop them if large.
- Add the cherries, onion, garlic, ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, honey, smoked paprika, paprika, ground ginger, black pepper, and salt to a medium saucepan. Stir well.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
- Cook uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cherries fully soften and the sauce thickens slightly.
- Remove from heat and blend until smooth using an immersion blender or regular blender.
- For a smoother BBQ sauce, strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove skins and any remaining bits.
- Return the sauce to the saucepan and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes if needed until thick, glossy, and rich.
- Let cool slightly before transferring to a jar or squeeze bottle. The sauce thickens more as it cools.
Notes
- Sweet cherries give a rounder, richer sauce; tart cherries push the acidity forward and work especially well with ribs or pulled pork.
- This cherry BBQ sauce pairs beautifully with grilled chicken, ribs, pulled pork, burgers, meatballs, and roasted vegetables.
- Use tart cherries for a sharper sauce or sweet cherries for a richer, rounder flavor.
- Store refrigerated for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
