Roasted Cherry Barbecue Sauce

Sweet cherries are slow roasted before being turned into a rich barbecue sauce that is at once sweet and tangy. Slather it on grilled chicken or pork chops, toss it with pulled pork, or spread it onto burgers!

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 20

Total Time 1 40

Servings

Equipment

Ingredients

1 pound fresh sweet cherries pitted and halved
2 tablespoons salted butter
1/2 large white onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
2 (8-ounce cans) tomato sauce
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
1 teaspoon fine sea salt plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the halved cherries in a single layer on the baking sheet, cut sides up.
1 pound fresh sweet cherries
Roast the cherries for about 45 minutes. You want the cherries to be a bit wrinkled and the juices should be jammy. Set aside.
In a medium Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 7-10 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent and browned in spots. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
2 tablespoons salted butter, 1/2 large white onion, 2 cloves garlic
Add the roasted cherries and the remaining ingredients to the pot. Stir to combine, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened slightly.
2 (8-ounce cans) tomato sauce, 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/3 cup molasses, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup orange juice, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Remove from the heat. Puree until smooth using an immersion blender.
If the sauce is thinner than you’d like, you can return it to the heat and simmer uncovered for another 10-20 minutes, until it reaches your desired consistency. Keep in mind that the sauce will thicken as it cools.
Taste and adjust seasoning, adding additional salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes as needed.
Cool, then transfer to sterile airtight jars and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

Ingredients

If you would like to use frozen cherries, be sure to let them thaw before roasting them.
Yellow or red onion can be substituted for the white onion.

Blending

If using a standard blender, let the sauce cool slightly first and keep the lid vented, with a kitchen towel over it, while blending the hot mixture.

Storage

If you would like to can the barbecue sauce for longer-term storage, process pint jars in a water-bath canner for 20 minutes.

Yield

Makes about 1 quart of sauce.
If doubling, be sure to spread the cherries onto two sheet pans and rotate the pans in the oven halfway through roasting.

Nutrition