Quick and Easy Rhubarb BBQ Sauce Without Ketchup

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Rhubarb season coincides perfectly with grilling season. Turning that fresh rhubarb from your garden or the farmer’s market into this delicious rhubarb bbq sauce is one of our family’s favorite ways to use this tangy springtime treat.

When we purchased our homestead in the spring, I was delighted to find a thriving patch of rhubarb. I set to work immediately trying a variety of rhubarb recipes, adding it to our meals and desserts as well as freezing it to have available all year.

What is Rhubarb?

Botanically, rhubarb is technically a vegetable with its stalks and leaves. However, in 1947 a New York court officially declared rhubarb to legally be considered a fruit. That being said, it is often used culinarily as a fruit cooked up in pies, jams, cakes, crisps, and cobblers.

Rhubarb is generally easy to grow in sunny areas and is a perennial meaning that it will continue to grow year after year. It is very tart and is usually paired with fruit and sugar in cooking to lessen its distinct sour flavor. This tartness of the rhubarb pairs perfectly in this sweet bbq sauce giving it an addicting sweet yet tangy flavor.

How to Store Rhubarb and For How Long?

Rhubarb should be stored in the fridge for short term use. Typically, rhubarb lasts a few days in the fridge but after that it becomes dried out and almost spongy in texture. It’s important to use it pretty quickly after harvesting or purchasing. Otherwise, a great option is to freeze for long term use.

For more, we have a whole post on how to freeze rhubarb and our favorite rhubarb recipes.

Quick and Easy Rhubarb BBQ Sauce

While rhubarb makes the perfect complement to so many delicious fruit-based summer desserts, sometimes it is nice to have a savory option as well! This sweet and tangy barbecue sauce has been a favorite of ours for adding to a variety of meats, or a topping for pizza.

When I first began experimenting with making a rhubarb barbecue sauce, most of the recipes I found included ketchup. After we canned over 80 quarts of tomato sauce last year, I knew I wanted to create our own barbecue sauce that was tomato sauce based without ketchup or too much sugar. 

With some taste testing and experimentation, we landed on this easy sauce that has been approved by our whole family.

Rhubarb BBQ Sauce Recipe

Yield: 1 Quart

Ingredients:

2 Cups Tomato Sauce*
1 Onion, diced
4 Stalks Rhubarb, chopped
¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
3 tbsp Maple Syrup
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
3 Tbsp Molasses
1 tsp Mustard
2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Paprika
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan.

2. Cook over medium heat until onions and rhubarb are softened and sauce thickens (approximately 10 minutes), stirring regularly.

3. Remove from heat and blend.**

Notes:

*I find that 2 cups of tomato sauce makes a nice thick bbq sauce. But if you prefer your sauce really thick, you can add 1 can of tomato paste to your sauce.
**An immersion blender is what I like to use but a regular blender or food processor would work as well.

How To Store Rhubarb BBQ Sauce and How long will it last?

This rhubarb bbq sauce recipe should be stored in the fridge. It will last in the fridge for 1-2 weeks in an air tight container. We store in quart jars. 

For longer storage, you could can this homemade barbecue sauce by water bath canning or pressure canning.

How Spicy Is it?

This bbq sauce is on the sweet side with a mild taste. However, if you prefer a bbq sauce with more of a kick, feel free to play with the spices. Adding some cayenne, chipotle peppers, or upping the paprika would turn up the heat.

What do you use Rhubarb BBQ Sauce on?

Anything! It pairs perfectly with any meat that we tried—chicken, pork chops, a rack of ribs, and beef short ribs. We also enjoy it as a sauce for pizza—barbecue chicken pizza or with ham and pineapple. Yum! 

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For More of our Favorite Homemade Sauces:

5-Minute Pesto in a Blender
Sugar Free Tomato Sauce (Easy, No Peel Recipe)
Quick and Easy No Peel Applesauce
Homemade Paleo Enchilada Sauce (So Addicting)

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