Easy Homemade Cherry Bourbon BBQ Sauce Recipe

This Homemade Cherry Bourbon BBQ Sauce is so delicious and easy to make for your next cookout in just 35 minutes!

The middle of the summer hits and I am on the lookout for cherries!! Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, they were plentiful and we used to sit on the porch with bowls of the fresh fruit! I am so excited this year as the price of cherries went down to $2.99/lb. How sad is that?

I remember growing up when we picked them for FREE! Since the price was reasonable this year, we made our Cherry Bourbon BBQ Sauce and served it over the top of chicken thighs, but you could serve this on a platter of chicken breasts or a basket of wings.

We love sauces that feel special that you can’t run to any specialty store and grab this off of the shelf. This is a seasonal recipe that you are going to make once or twice a year and it just feels special.

🍒 Ingredients

Cherries – Fresh cherries work great but if you don’t have them, use the frozen variety.

Bourbon – Don’t skimp on the bourbon here. It doesn’t need to be top shelf but let’s don’t get bottom of the barrel either. We used Bare Knuckles from the local micro-distillery, KO Distillery and love it.

🍽️ Instructions

Step One: Let’s start by pitting some cherries. A cherry pitter is only a couple bucks and well worth the money. It makes the job much easier! You will need 3-4 cups of pitted cherries.

Step Two: Heat oil in pan and sauté onions and garlic for three to four minutes. The onions should turn translucent.

Step Three: Add honey, brown sugar, and ketchup and heat to a boil. Continue to stir. Add bourbon slowly. Add cherries and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes.

Note: People often wonder why you need to boil sauces like this. Boiling will smooth out the sugars and will stop your sauce from being gritty. Trust me, I’m one to cut corners as much as I can, but spending the extra time to bring it to a boil is a must for this recipe.

Step Four: Once the sauce has boiled, pour it into a blender and allow it to cool. DO NOT PUT THE LID ON WHEN IT IS HOT! I waited about 15-30 minutes for it to cool before blending. A food processor will work as well.

Step Five: You can use the sauce immediately or store it in the fridge for up to one week. Allowing it to refrigerate will thicken the sauce.

🥃 Recipe Tips

We added just ¼ cup of KO Distillery Bar Knuckle bourbon as we boiled the sauce.  It will burn off most of the alcohol and add an additional sweet taste that complements the cherries.

Alternatively, this sauce is just as good (don’t tell my husband) without the bourbon! Taste it before you add the bourbon, and then see if you want to add it.

Serving Suggestions

This sauce is a blend of sweet, savory, tangy, and a bit boozy if you go for the Bourbon – a combo that’s not easy to forget. And it goes with pretty much any BBQ dish.

The first time we made it, Jason grilled up some cherry chicken thighs, so we slathered the sauce all over them and let them cook for a few more minutes before eating. The way this sauce caramelized on the chicken is to die for!

Smoked pork butt is another dish that requires a BBQ sauce, and the cherry bourbon one makes it a special experience. And when you want to make your crispy grilled chicken wings even more fun, this sauce is definitely a great option!

Obviously, you can enjoy this sauce with all kinds of grilled and smoked veggies, and more universal sides like this delicious smoked cornbread which is practically begging for a nice homemade dip or sauce.

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