Rhubarb BBQ Sauce

This sweet and tangy BBQ sauce will go great with your favorite dishes giving you a unique twist no one will be expecting.

Why This Zesty Rhubarb BBQ Sauce Recipe Works

This Zesty Rhubarb BBQ Sauce is packed with flavor and cooks up like a dream – making it perfect for adding to your game day grilling menu. Try this to sauce up your grilled meat recipes or serve on the side for dipping appetizers.

This is easy to make and goes well with so many things.

What you need to make this Rhubarb BBQ sauce

• Rhubarb – Using deep red, pink, or green rhubarb will work with this recipe. They all taste the same so whatever you have on hand is perfect.
• Garlic – Fresh is best, but if you don’t have it, powder or granulated will work.
• Water – For the consistency you want.
• Red onion – Red onion has a nice subtle onion flavor and bite.
• Balsamic vinegar – I recommend using your favorite kind for this recipe. It will make a difference in the final sauce.
• Brown sugar – Light or dark brown sugar is totally fine. No brown sugar? Here’s how to easily make your own!
• Ketchup – Use storebought or easily make your own homemade ketchup!
• Worchester sauce
• Smoked paprika – I like to use smoked paprika in most recipes that will involve grilling. The smoked flavor really adds to the grilled taste in most dishes.
• Chili powder
• Ground cloves – this is just a dash here. Clove flavors go a long way so you just want to use a small amount.

How to make your own rhubarb BBQ sauce

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Chop up your rhubarb and onion, then place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Roast it in the oven to not only soften your rhubarb but to give the rhubarb a deeper, roasted flavor and to sweeten the onions. Cool it completely after removing it from the oven.

Place your cooled rhubarb and the rest of your ingredients into your food processor and blend until you have the smooth or minced consistency you are looking for.

Transfer the contents to a saucepan and bring to a low simmer for about half an hour or more. Be careful to not turn the heat up too much and cause the sugar in the sauce to burn, so stir occasionally to prevent the BBQ sauce from sticking to the bottom.

Taste and season as you see fit. Add hot chili flakes if you want more of a heated zip, but I find the zestiness is just perfect for adding a dash of flavor to your favorite dishes.

***The complete ingredient amounts with directions and notes are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Making This BBQ Sauce Your Own

This homemade BBQ sauce is great for making yourself and can easily be made your own with a few quick adjustments.

Try adding some crushed red pepper flakes to take the spice up a notch.

This barbeque sauce would go great with a dash of Jack Daniels or another favorite whisky. Or, another great option is to add some of your favorite craft beer. Keep in mind that the alcohol will cook out (evaporate), so even if you add it to this BBQ sauce, it will be safe for kids.

If you wanted to lean more into a sweeter sauce, try adding a few spoons of maple syrup, or, adding hot honey would not only add sweetness, but a very gentle bite from the heat.

Storing Leftover Rhubarb Sauce

This barbeque sauce will last in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks without any issues. Keep it in an air-tight container. (This is a great use for upcycling glass jars and condiment bottles!).

If you would like to store it longer than this you can opt to freeze your barbeque sauce. After thawing you will need to whisk it together again to fix any separation.

How to serve this BBQ sauce

This homemade barbeque sauce is a great option for serving with your favorite foods including making pulled pork, topping burgers, and flavoring chicken wings. You can even use this rhubarb sauce to help add flavor to neutral-tasting vegetables like grilled zucchini.

If using this BBQ sauce on your grill you will want to be careful because it can burn easily if the heat is too high because of how much sugar is in this recipe.