If you’re looking for a sweet, smoky and fruity barbecue sauce, this Apple BBQ Sauce is just the answer. It’s made with both apple juice and a fresh apple along with a touch of ketchup and vinegar for tang. It’s the perfect pairing for pork chops, tenderloin or pulled pork and pairs well with chicken and fish.
Homemade Apple BBQ Sauce
No bottled BBQ sauce can compare to a batch of homemade sauce. And this one fruity, tangy, savory and smoky all at once. When it comes to sauces, versatility is key in my opinion.
Use this recipe as a guide but don’t be afraid to stray from the amounts a bit. If you prefer a sweeter BBQ sauce, go a little heavier with the brown sugar. Like it tangier? Add more vinegar. And for something heavier on the smoke, start with 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika.
This recipe is forgiving! So give it a try then make it your own. Pair this sauce with pork, chicken, seafood or even tempeh in my BBQ Tempeh Sandwiches (which features a tangy Carolina Sauce).
Ingredients Needed
- Pantry: olive Oil, kosher salt and black pepper.
- Apple: use an apple that’s more sweet than tart. I like Braeburn, Honeycrisp, Cosmic Crisp or Fuji.
- Shallot: you’ll need one small shallot.
- Ketchup: use whatever ketchup you like best. You’ll need ⅓ cup.
- Apple juice: if it’s fall and you can find apple cider, use that! Otherwise 100% apple juice will work great.
- Apple cider vinegar: every great barbecue sauce has a bit of tang! Apple cider works best here, though in a pinch white vinegar will do.
- Brown sugar: you’ll need a couple tablespoons of packed brown sugar. You can also substitute with honey.
- Molasses: a spoonful of molasses adds a nice depth of flavor.
- Worcestershire: this, along with the molasses, is key for developing depth of flavor. Don’t skip it.
- Smoked paprika: I think this adds a necessary smokiness to the sauce. If you don’t want the sauce to be smoky, you can skip it or use regular paprika.
How to Make
- Cook the apple and the shallot until they start to brown and soften. This will take about 15 minutes.
- Add the remaining sauce ingredients and simmer until the apple is very soft—another 15 minutes for this.
- Puree the mixture in a high-powered blender until smooth. You can serve it as is, or you can cook it down a bit to make the sauce thicker and shinier.
Storage
Store the apple BBQ sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, freeze the sauce for up to 3 months.
Apple BBQ Sauce
Description
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 sweet apple, such as braeburn, honeycrisp, cosmic crisp or fuji, peeled and chopped
- 1 small shallot chopped
- Black pepper and kosher salt
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup apple juice
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 2 teaspoons worcestershire
- ½ teaspoon Smoked paprika
Instructions
- Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot, apple, 1 teaspoon black pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook stirring occasionally until apples are softened and shallots are browned, about 15 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low and add ketchup, apple juice, vinegar, brown sugar, molasses, worcestershire, and smoked paprika; cook until apples are very soft, about 15 minutes.
- Transfer apple mixture to a blender and puree. You can serve it as is, or return sauce to pan and cook over low, stirring frequently, until mixture is shiny and thick, about 5 minutes.
