Homemade barbecue sauce doesn't have to be complicated. You'll find this Cherry BBQ Sauce is the perfect sweet and savory addition to beef, pork, and chicken.
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Summer is right around the corner and that means that we will get out of the kitchen and cook on the grill more often. I prefer it because it means we aren't heating up the kitchen and we get outside as a family.
It also gives me the opportunity to whip up a delicious homemade BBQ sauce recipe.
I know that making your own condiments and sauces can seem intimidating, but they really are easy to make. They're so much better than store-bought sauces too. I like making my own sauces because often store-bought varieties are crammed with extra sugar and "natural flavors" (what are natural flavors anyway?).
That's why I wanted to share my recipe for Cherry BBQ sauce with you today. It's simple to make, so flavorful, and once you have the basic recipe down you can play with your own flavor profiles!
🧂 Ingredients
- Onion
- Salted butter
- Fresh Garlic Cloves
- Fresh or frozen dark, sweet cherries
- Ketchup
- Brown Sugar
- Apple cider vinegar
- Worcestershire sauce
- Ground mustard (dry mustard)
- Black Pepper
🔪Instructions
This is meant to be a brief overview of how to make BBQ sauce from scratch. For step-by-step instructions and a full printable recipe card with ingredients, please scroll down to the teal box below or Jump to Recipe.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and then sauté the onion in it until tender.
- Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- Cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat for 20 minutes or until cherries are tender and sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally.
Equipment
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- Cherry Pitter - optional but this makes pitting cherries so much easier.
- Liquid Measuring Cup
- Measuring Spoons
- Cutting Board
- Santoku Knife
- Sauce Pan
- Whisk
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💭 Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions - and answers - about making cherry BBQ sauce at home:
You can use white sugar, but then you'll miss out on the molasses flavor that the brown sugar adds.
This sauce is delicious on beef, chicken, and pork. Remember the sugar in the sauce will caramelize on the meat but take care not to burn it.
Instead of 1 cup of ketchup, use the following mixture:
* ¼ cup tomato paste
* 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
* ½ teaspoon of honey or maple syrup
* ½ teaspoon kosher salt
* ¼ teaspoon of sweet paprika or smoked paprika
* ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
* ¼ teaspoon onion powder
⭐ Tips
✔️If fresh cherries are in season, grab a cherry pitter and get to work! The flavor will be brighter and fuller.
✔️You can use a food processor or potato masher which will help break the cherries down quicker so you can make the sauce faster.
✔️For a super smooth sauce (my preference), use an immersion blender to puree the cherry barbecue sauce.
📖 Variations
- Instead of butter, you can use olive oil to cook the onions.
- This is a mild BBQ sauce, if you would like it hot and spicy consider adding chili powder or adobo sauce.
- For a smokier version, use a tiny bit of liquid smoke. A little goes a long way so season and taste, then you can always add more.
- Add a little bit of orange juice or apple juice to the mixture for extra sweetness if you have particularly tart cherries.
Cherry Chipotle BBQ Sauce
Add 1 chopped chipotle pepper into the pan with the cherries along with 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce (from the can of chipotle peppers). Follow the rest of the instructions as written on the recipe card.
🍴 Serving Suggestions
This homemade sauce is totally finger-licking amazing! You're going to want to put it on everything from pork spareribs to steak tips. It also makes a great dipping sauce for chicken tenders!
One of my favorite ways to serve cherry barbecue sauce is when Grilling Sirloin Steak Tips. It's good on all sorts of proteins including top sirloin, chicken, and grilled pork. You could even brush this onto grilled bacon!
⏲️ Storage
Store your leftover Cherry BBQ Sauce in a mason jar with a lid tightly secured. It will keep in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
😋 Similar Recipes
If you love making your Homemade Condiments and Sauces, you have to check out these other tasty recipes:
- Montreal Seasoning Mix
- Strawberry Peach BBQ Sauce
- Cowboy Steak Rub
- Homemade Pineapple Bourbon BBQ Sauce
- Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
You'll also like our spicy ketchup, lime mayo, and honey mustard sauce!
Not ready to make your own BBQ sauce yet?
Don’t forget to pin this tasty homemade cherry BBQ sauce recipe for later!
When you do make it, please be sure to tag me on Instagram @jugglingactmama or #jugglingactmama – I’d love to see your pictures! And finally, if you get a chance, please comment and leave me a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below!
Cherry BBQ Sauce
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Ingredients
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups fresh or frozen dark sweet cherries pitted and coarsely chopped
- 1 cup ketchup
- ⅔ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and then sauté the onion in it until tender.2 tablespoons salted butter, 1 medium onion
- Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute more.2 garlic cloves
- Add in the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.2 cups fresh or frozen dark sweet cherries, 1 cup ketchup, ⅔ cup packed brown sugar, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons ground mustard, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat for 20 minutes or until cherries are tender and sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally.
- Optional: for a super smooth sauce, use an immersion blender to puree the cherry barbecue sauce.
Notes
¼ cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon of honey or maple syrup
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon of sweet paprika or smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder ⭐ Tips
- If fresh cherries are in season, grab a cherry pitter and get to work! The flavor will be brighter and fuller.
- You can use a food processor or potato masher which will help break the cherries down quicker so you can make the sauce faster.
- For a super smooth sauce (my preference), use an immersion blender to puree the cherry barbecue sauce.
- Instead of butter, you can use olive oil to cook the onions.
- This is a mild BBQ sauce, if you would like it hot and spicy consider adding chipotle powder or adobo sauce.
- For a smokier version, use a tiny bit of liquid smoke. A little goes a long way so season and taste, then you can always add more.
Nikki from Tikkido says
Oooh, I can't tell you how excited I am to try this recipe! I absolutely LOVE American Spoon Foods' cherry BBQ sauce, but since we moved to the UK, I haven't been able to get it. I think you've saved summer grilling season!
Ang Paris says
YAY I'm so glad! I hope you just love it!
SHELLY KANE says
Could I use canned dark sweet cherries?
Ang Paris says
I have not tried it with canned cherries, but if you do, please let me know how it comes out 🙂
Dawn says
I only made a half batch to try it and boy am I sorry I did that! It's delicious! I didn't have my blender so I left it as is and the cherries were so good! I did add a bit of cayenne powder to give it a little kick and it was perfect!
Ang Paris says
Thanks so much for your message, Dawn! I love your idea to add a little cayenne pepper, too. If you're feeling adventurous you can add a bit of apricot, nectarine, or peach to go with your cherries. Sage also goes well with cherries.
Dawn says
Wonderful thanks!!
Mette says
Looks interesting. Do you know if this feeze well?
Ang Paris says
I have never tried to freeze it, but I imagine you could in a freezer safe jar or container.
Mette Thunbo says
Alright, thanks 😊
Tracy says
What a great base bbq sauce recipe! I used our cherries that looked less than prime, and then found some blueberries in the fridge. So, I threw those in too! Now I’m excited to try it with any stone fruits looking a little sad! We like it spicy so I used our liquid from our cowboy candy in place of the vinegar, added red pepper flakes, and decreased the sugar since cowboy candy liquid is sweet. I can’t wait to try it on our bbq!