Tangy smoky rhubarb bbq sauce recipe

Published: Jun 7, 2015 · Modified: Mar 5, 2024 by Trish Bozeman · This post may contain affiliate links · 30 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Smoky rhubarb bbq sauce recipe! Tangy, sweet, and savory bbq sauce made with fresh rhubarb and chipotle peppers.

Tangy smoky rhubarb bbq sauce recipe - Rhubarbarians (1)

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Happy Sunday friends! Know what today is? The PERFECT day to get your bbq on. The sun is shining, the temps are high, the beer is being guzzled. Le sigh....... life is good. It's also rhubarb season, and even you newbie readers should know how much that rules my world (because, blog name!). So, let's make some smoky rhubarb barbecue sauce mmmmmkay?

I've been really wanting to unlock the savory side of rhubarb this year. Every year I go for the sweet approach, using WAY too much refined sugar to mask the extreme tartness of the rhubarb. Here's the thing though..... I love that tartness. It's bitter without being sour, bright without being acidic, and breaks down in a sauce so beautifully, you'll wonder why you aren't using it in ERRRRRYTHING. This vegetable, cut down into little comma (or apostrophe) shaped tart bombs, should be your next foodie obsession.

More sauce recipes to try:

Peanut butter chocolate sauce
Grapefruit vinaigrette recipe
Easy recipes with cranberry sauce
Whole berry cranberry sauce recipe

Did you make this recipe? Leave us a review and star rating in the comments below! We read every single review and appreciate your feedback.

Recipe

Rhubarb bbq sauce recipe

Trish Bozeman

Smoky rhubarb bbq sauce recipe! Tangy, sweet, and savory bbq sauce made with fresh rhubarb and chipotle peppers.

4.50 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Sauce

Cuisine American

Servings 3 cups

Calories 232 kcal

Ingredients

5 cups 1" pieces of rhubarb About 4 medium stalks
4 Tablespoons brown sugar
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
½ cup ketchup
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon vegan worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
2-3 medium chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped About 1- 1½ heaping Tablespoons, depending on how smoky you prefer
1 Tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 Tablespoon finely minced ginger
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Combine all of the ingredients except the salt in a large saucepan. Stir well to combine.
5 cups 1" pieces of rhubarb, 4 Tablespoons brown sugar, 3 Tablespoons maple syrup, ½ cup ketchup, 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 2 Tablespoons soy sauce, 1 Tablespoon vegan worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, 2-3 medium chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped, 1 Tablespoon finely minced garlic, 1 Tablespoon finely minced ginger
Heat the pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until bubbling.
Reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the rhubarb is broken down and very soft, stirring often, about 15 minutes.
Remove the sauce from the heat and puree the sauce with an immersion blender, or in a regular blender.
Stir the salt into the sauce. Taste and add more salt if desired. Let the sauce cool completely.
1 teaspoon salt
Once cooled, store the sauce in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to a month, or freeze or can.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 232kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 4gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 1918mgPotassium: 870mgFiber: 5gSugar: 41gVitamin A: 419IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 234mgIron: 2mg

Keyword barbecue sauce, vegan, vegetarian

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More 30 minutes or less

Fresh orange smoothie with yogurt
Belgian endive salad with apples and goat cheese
Cranberry manhattan: a holiday co*cktail
Cranberry pancakes with buttermilk and cinnamon

Reader Interactions

Comments

Comments and questions

Jan
December 05, 2022 at 9:28 am
Could you use frozen packaged rhubarb for this recipe instead of fresh?
Reply
- Trish Bozeman
  December 06, 2022 at 9:35 am
  Absolutely!
  Reply
Lamb
June 30, 2018 at 5:58 am
I just made this sauce, and I dig it:). I didn’t have chipotle in adobo, but rather, on hand I had dehydrated chipotles, which I soaked overnight (2), and chopped from there:). I also added a touch of fresh lemon juice, maybe half a lemon, to tone the heat a touch, not because it was too kicky for me, but I’m not the only human in the house;).
My only question - what should the consistency be? It seems a little jammy, but DELICIOUS, don’t get me wrong!:)
Thanks for this! (Also, I found a no-sugar version if you’re interested:))
Reply
- Patricia Bozeman
  July 02, 2018 at 1:22 pm
  Hey there! The consistency shouldn't really be jammy. It should be like normal bbq sauce, so should slowly pour from a spoon. Hmmm... did you use really large rhubarb stalks?
  Reply
Elli
June 20, 2018 at 2:00 pm
Do you use sweet cecily with your rhubarb? Really cuts the need for sugar down.
Reply
- Patricia Bozeman
  June 21, 2018 at 11:39 am
  I've never heard of sweet cecily! Is it a sugar substitute? A plant?
  Reply
  - Elli
    June 21, 2018 at 10:36 pm
    It is a herb. The leaves or seeds added to sharp fruit like rhubarb or cooking apples takes away the hard edge of the sharpness. I can half my sugar if i use a tablespoon or two of it. It smells slightly aniseedy but i don't notice that so much (and i am not an aniseed fan).
    Reply
    - Elli
      July 02, 2018 at 1:24 pm
      So i made it with half the sugar and 1 tbsp less syrup and a generous helping of sweet cecily. I also used passata not ketchup (because it was open) and smoked paprika as i didn't have the chilli (hard to find in the uk) all worked well except i would use chilli paste next time. The allotment bbq crowd are hard to please and it went down a treat!
      Reply
Sherry Brunette
June 18, 2018 at 10:03 pm
Hi! I finally made a double batch of this yesterday because I've been dyin to make this sauce! We grilled up some chicken tonight seasoned with only the juice of 1 lemon and a little herb de providence. Brushed this beautiful sauce on at the tail end and enjoyed..this sauce is AMAZING!! Perfect amount of tang, smokey chipotle flavor without it being over kill and definitely not to sweet! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe. We think it will go great on baby back ribs! Glad I gave a point to my brother, cant wsit to hear what he thinks!
Reply
See Also
Sweet and Savory Combine in These All-Star Brunch Recipes
- Patricia Bozeman
  June 21, 2018 at 11:39 am
  Oh, so glad you loved it! I need to to make myself a batch this year. Thanks for trying out the recipe!
  Reply
Holly
May 22, 2018 at 10:51 am
Hi!
I grow and sell rhubarb on my farm and am making your sauce right now. I stuck my finger in and it tastes delish, even though I was missing a few things lol.
Question: do you think I could make more and can this? I know there's all those weird things about following special recipes or risk dying ? And I've seen recipes for canning..but just from reading the ingredient list I think that yours sounds better.
Reply
- Patricia Bozeman
  May 24, 2018 at 9:35 am
  Hi Holly! Honestly, I'm not totally sure about the canning. I'm assuming that if you seal the jars, you should be fine. But, I'm not 100% sure! Let me know if you find out the right answer!
  Reply
  - Kendra N
    June 27, 2018 at 10:30 am
    I just made a double batch of this and I canned/jarred mine. I did a water bath, boiled jars for 15 minutes, remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove jars from water and leave undisturbed for 25 minutes. Refrigerate and use any jars that did not seal or reprocess/reseal jars/
    Reply
    - Patricia Bozeman
      July 02, 2018 at 1:18 pm
      Sounds awesome! So glad you liked it! I wish we had some jarred, so we could eat it all year. 🙂
      Reply
  - Quilter
    May 23, 2019 at 3:20 pm
    It is safe to water bath can this recipe because of the vinegar and tomato ketchup involved. I teach canning and am familiar with Ball canning safety standards.
    Reply
    - Patricia Bozeman
      May 30, 2019 at 10:20 am
      Hi! I honestly have never tried canning this, so I'd hate to give you advice about food safety. If you're concerned maybe use the boiling method just to be safe.
      Reply
- Christine
  May 25, 2018 at 8:30 am
  Barbeque sauce freezes really well!
  Reply
  - Patricia Bozeman
    June 14, 2018 at 10:51 am
    So good to know! Thank you!
    Reply
- Donna
  July 07, 2019 at 4:33 pm
  I canned mine in a water bath for 10 minutes and it turned out great.
  Reply
  - Patricia Bozeman
    July 08, 2019 at 8:01 am
    I'm so glad it worked!
    Reply
Brad
May 21, 2018 at 6:15 pm
Hi,
I don't think this is a vegan BBQ sauce due to the fact that anchovy is a key ingredient in Worcestershire sauce.
Reply
- Patricia Bozeman
  May 21, 2018 at 7:42 pm
  You are right! I used vegan worcestershire sauce. Do you have that at your grocery store?
  Reply
Danielle P
July 06, 2017 at 11:15 am
Excellent sauce! I didn't have enough ketchup so I used only 1/4 cup and added some extra chipotles. But, do they add a kick! I added maybe half a teaspoon of salt... It just needed a bit of salt to finish nicely.
Planning to grill chicken and baste them with the sauce tonight!
Reply
- Patricia Bozeman
  September 21, 2017 at 3:19 pm
  YUM! So glad it worked out for you! Yeah, you don't need much chipotle to get that kick. ?
  Reply
Brenda
June 06, 2017 at 8:48 am
want to make a big batch in my instant pot. Do you think it would work?
Reply
- Patricia Bozeman
  September 21, 2017 at 3:17 pm
  Hi Brenda! I haven't used the instant pot, but I don't see why not! Let me know if you try it and it works! 🙂
  Reply
Jenna@recipe-diaries.com
June 08, 2015 at 5:05 pm
I'm so trying this! Got plenty of rhubarb to use up.
Reply
- Patricia Bozeman
  June 09, 2015 at 9:28 am
  YES! Let me know what you think!
  Reply
Heather - Butter & Burlap
June 08, 2015 at 7:12 am
A rhubarb bbq sauce?? I'm intrigued!
Reply
- Patricia Bozeman
  June 08, 2015 at 8:51 am
  YES! Totally delicious stuff!
  Reply

Tangy smoky rhubarb bbq sauce recipe - Rhubarbarians (2024)

FAQs

What is tangy BBQ sauce made of? ›

Ingredients: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Tomato Paste, Red Wine Vinegar, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Contains 2% Or Less: Modified Food Starch, Spices, Soy Sauce (water, Soybeans, Wheat, Salt), Soybean Oil, Dextrose, Xanthan Gum, Natural Smoke Flavor, Garlic Powder, Cellulose Gum, Chili Peppers, Caramel Color, Sodium ...

View Details ›

What is smoky barbecue sauce made of? ›

INGREDIENTS: TOMATO SAUCE (WATER, TOMATO PASTE), BROWN SUGAR, APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, MUSTARD (DISTILLED VINEGAR, WATER, MUSTARD SEED, SALT, TURMERIC, PAPRIKA, SPICE, GARLIC POWDER), SUGAR, VINEGAR, NATURAL SMOKE FLAVOUR, SPICES, SALT, APPLE JUICE CONCENTRATE, LIME JUICE CONCENTRATE, GARLIC, ONION, NATURAL FLAVOUR.

Is it worth making your own BBQ sauce? ›

Skip the store-bought stuff! Homemade barbecue sauce is delicious, incredibly versatile, and oh-so easy to make with pantry staples. Trust us — you're going to want to bookmark this top-rated recipe for classic barbecue sauce.

Show Me More ›

What thickens BBQ sauce? ›

You can use either flour or cornstarch to thicken BBQ sauce. Just mix together 2 tbsp (16 g) of flour and ¼ cup (62.5 mL) of water, or combine 1 tbsp (9 g) of cornstarch with 1 tbsp (15 mL) of water. Continue mixing the thickener until there are no lumps of flour or cornstarch.

Keep Reading ›

What does tangy sauce taste like? ›

Tangy foods, like vinegar and lemon juice, have a sharp, acidic flavor. Your salad will taste better if you pour plenty of tangy salad dressing on it. If you like tangy flavors, you'll probably enjoy lemonade that's not too sweet, as well as foods like blue cheese, lime-flavored Thai dishes, and plain yogurt.

What does Carolina Tangy Gold BBQ sauce taste like? ›

Cattlemen's® Carolina Tangy Gold™ BBQ Sauce blends signature flavors like zesty, creamy mustard, sweet molasses and sugar and tangy apple cider vinegar with hickory smoke notes and a hint of perfectly aged cayenne peppers for a complex, unmatched flavor profile and a rich, distinctive golden color.

Read On ›

Is McDonald's tangy BBQ sauce vegan? ›

Without French fries or sandwiches, we're not quite sure what to put sauces on, but it's always good to know what's vegan. Along with the standard ketchup and mustard, the Tangy Barbeque and Sweet 'N Sour dipping sauces are free from animals.