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    Home » Kitchen Laughter Recipes Blog » Condiment, Marinade, Sauce

    Easy Homemade Cherry Bourbon BBQ Sauce Recipe

    Published: Mar 16, 2021 · Modified: Feb 2, 2023 by Jason C · This post may contain affiliate links ·

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

    top down view of a jar of bright red cherry BBQ sauce with a spoon in it.
    Homemade Cherry Bourbon BBQ is Easy and Fun!
    Contents hide
    1 🍽️ Why This Recipe Works
    2 🍒 Ingredients
    3 🍽️ Instructions
    4 🥃 Recipe Tips
    5 Recipe FAQ
    6 Easy Homemade Cherry Bourbon Barbecue Sauce Recipe

    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.

    🍽️ Why This Recipe Works

    Quick and Easy – We love these kind of recipes and know you do as well. This is is a snap to make and couldn’t be faster.

    Can’t Buy This – We also 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

    ingredient photo showing the pitted cherries and labels.
    Simple Ingredients for a Fun BBQ Sauce

    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

    three photos showing sautéing the onions, blending the cherries and serving in a jar.
    Simple 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 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.

    Recipe FAQ

    How much alcohol is left after cooking?

    Once the sauce comes to a boil, it starts to evaporate leaving just a trace left. You will notice that you can’t really feel any effects from the alcohol.

    Can I freeze the sauce?

    You can freeze this in a freezer safe container. Allow it to cool completely and then freeze it in a freezer-safe Ziploc Bag and lay it flat.

    Can I smoke this sauce?

    You could smoke the cherries and then the sauce would be smoky or you could use one teaspoon of Liquid Smoke to give the sauce that smoky punch you are looking for.

    What options are there to blend this sauce?

    Choose between a sturdy blender like a Vitamix or food processor. You can also use an immersion blender right on the stove.

    Related Recipes

    • Smoked Pumpkin Bourbon BBQ Sauce
    • Smoked Chicken Thighs
    • Sweet and Spicy BBQ Sauce Recipe for Grilled Chicken

    Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with me through social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!

    Cherry Bourbon BBQ Sauce

    Easy Homemade Cherry Bourbon Barbecue Sauce Recipe

    This is a super easy homemade BBQ sauce that is perfect for using fresh cherries and a bit of bourbon. This sauce is excellent on chicken!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 241kcal
    Author: Jason

    Equipment

    • Blender
    • Food Processor
    • Immersion Blender
    • Cherry Pitter

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup Onions diced
    • 2-3 tbsp Olive Oil
    • 3-4 Garlic cloves
    • 1 cup Ketchup
    • ½ cup Honey
    • ½ cup Brown Sugar
    • ¼ cup Bourbon
    • 3 cups Cherries pitted, sweet

    Instructions

    Prepare on the Stove

    • Heat oil in pan and sauté onions and garlic for three to four minutes. The onions should turn transluscent.
    • 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.

    Blend the BBQ Sauce

    • Remove from the heat and allow to fully cool. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
    • Add the sauce to a blender or food processor and mix well. Make sure to let it cool before attempting to blend.
    • Pour into jars to serve.

    Notes

    Boiling Sauce: 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.
    Blending: Make sure to NOT BLEND WHEN HOT as it could explode in your kitchen. If you want to blend while hot, use an IMMERSION BLENDER. 
    Freezer Friendly: You can freeze this in a freezer safe container. Allow it to cool completely and then freeze in freezer safe Ziploc Bags. 
    Meal Prep: Pit the cherries and cut up the onion early. 
    Storage: Store in the refrigerator for about a week. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1servings | Calories: 241kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 278mg | Potassium: 273mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 188IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @kitchenlaughter or tag #kitchenlaughter!
    Easy Homemade Cherry Bourbon BBQ Sauce Recipe
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