Fresh rhubarb is roasted, then pureed and cooked with traditional barbecue sauce ingredients in this unique and flavorful condiment.
If you’re looking for a creative and delicious way to use rhubarb, you’ve got to give this Roasted Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce recipe a try!
I love the bright red color of fresh rhubarb, and it’s always one of the first things to appear at our farmers’ market in the spring.
Of course, once I get it home, I’m never quite sure what to do with it–besides making strawberry rhubarb pie.
“This recipe is now one of my best summer sauces. There is always a batch done during my harvest of rhubarb. It is great for BBQ’s and is an awesome substitute for pizza sauce on a pizza.”
Carole
If you’re wondering the same thing, I highly recommend this sweet and tangy barbecue sauce.
Although it’s technically a vegetable, it’s most often found in pies and other desserts (usually paired with strawberries)–probably because it’s very bitter and usually needs a lot of sweetening up.
Tips for making this recipe
- Feel free to adjust or add spices and seasonings to suit your tastes. You may also have to adjust the sugar levels up or down depending on how sweet or bitter your rhubarb is.
- The thickness of your sauce will depend a lot on how long you simmer and reduce it. For a thicker sauce, you’ll want to cook it longer.
- Slow cooker your pork a day or two ahead of time so you can put the enchiladas together more quickly on the day you plan to serve them
- Try adding a bit of chocolate or espresso powder to add some depth, and a unique flavor to any homemade barbecue sauce.
When I brought some rhubarb home from the farmers’ market recently, I was determined to make something besides a dessert. I’d seen several sauces that utilized fresh rhubarb, which inspired me to try making a barbecue sauce. It was delicious!
When choosing rhubarb, look for stalks that are flat and firm, and avoid stalks that are limp or curled. Unwashed rhubarb, stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, will keep for about 3 days.
“Made some tonight, to put on country style ribs and LOVED it!!!! This is my new sauce……….I have three rhubarb plants and make tons of pies and cookies but this WOW!! Thank you for sharing.”
Nancy
The rhubarb in this sauce is roasted, which softens the rhubarb and makes it easy to puree–it’s a great thickener for the sauce.
Paired with some more typical barbecue sauce ingredients, the result is a tangy, slightly sweet sauce that’s perfect on grilled chicken or pork.
The recipe makes about 2 cups (depending on how much water you add) and this Roasted Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce should keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.
What should I serve with?
Obviously this sauce can replace your usual barbecue sauce on burgers, grilled chicken and ribs. It’s also great as a marinade, and amazing as a dip for French fries and wings.
These are some of our favorite ways to use this homemade rhubarb barbecue sauce
FAQS
Can I preserve/can this barbecue sauce?
Yes, you can sterilize and bottle this sauce using the water bath method. Make sure the jars are covered by at least 2 inches of water during the boiling process, and boil for 15 minutes.
Can I make this barbecue sauce more spicy?
Yes! Feel free to add some cayenne pepper or a splash or two of hot sauce.
What if my sauce doesn’t thicken in the time suggested?
Just keep simmering the sauce, uncovered, until it reaches your desired consistency. The cooking time may vary depending on the weather, the type of pan you are using, and how much moisture was in the rhubarb to start.
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what do I need to make this recipe?
- Rhubarb
- Garlic
- Balsamic vinegar — you can substitute apple cider vinegar if that’s what you have
- Brown sugar — light or dark
- Ketchup — can also use tomato sauce
- Worcestershire sauce
- Spices: chili powder, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper
Be sure to save this Roasted Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
What people are saying about this recipe
This is amazing. I cannot believe how fantastic it is. I made it after dinner, for tomorrow, and wish I had some chicken to BBQ to eat right now. I keep going back in the kitchen and licking the spoon. I plan on canning some as well. AMAZING! ~ Amanda
I made this last year & also canned it! It has held up great!! I have been hiding my stash so the kids won’t get into it. Thanks for the great recipe…my sister just dropped off about 30 pounds of rhubarb for me to make more. I have my work cut out for me!!! I added a tiny bit of liquid smoke to my recipe to give it that hickory smoke flavor we all love and I processed the pint jars for about 20 to 25 minutes in a water bath. ~ Trisha
I made this last night and it is delicious! We are invited to supper this weekend and I wanted to bring a gift for my hostess. So I’ll bottle this up nice and, with a bouquet made from flowers from my garden, I think she’ll be impressed! Thanks for the awesome recipe! ~ Lorna
Harvested some rhubarb today and tried this recipe. Absolutely mind blowing!! I couldn’t stop licking the spoon. Thank you so much for sharing. ~ Pennyann
I made this today and it was fabulous! So easy but so fancy at the same time! I had it over pork chops, but I’m also planning on using in place of marinara sauce on Portobello mushroom “pizzas” and as a topping on black bean “burgers”. Thanks so much for posting! ~ Katy
Roasted Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 cups coarsely chopped rhubarb
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 cup water plus more, as needed
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- Dash of cayenne pepper
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray generously with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place the 4 cups coarsely chopped rhubarb and 3 cloves garlic on the prepared pan. Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until rhubarb is soft.
- Transfer the rhubarb and garlic to a food processor or blender. Puree with 1 cup water until smooth.
- Pour the puree into a medium saucepan. Add 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup ketchup, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, Dash of cayenne pepper, and Salt and black pepper to taste. Mix well. Add additional water, as needed, until sauce is desired consistency.
- Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Cool before pouring into storage containers. Keep refrigerated.
43 comments
Joy Macpherson
I’m new to canning, but would like to use the water-bath canning method for this recipe. Any comments???
Chip in Canada
I don’t roast the veggies. I enjoy chunks in my sauce. So when I cook everything together, I stop cooking before the chunks disappear. I also add in Achiote paste. It adds an interesting zing to the sauce, as well as a guajillo pepper.
My adult daughter keeps asking me “can I have a jar of your rhubarb bbq sauce ” all the time.
Danelle
That sounds amazing! Thank you!
Sarah
This was delicious! I made it with young shoots of Japanese knotweed, which is just like rhubarb but an edible invasive. (Make sure you harvest it from patches that haven’t been sprayed with herbicide, and that you boil any trimmed pieces for at least 5 minutes before discarding, as it will spread.) Surprisingly very very delicious and easy!