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    Home » Recipes » 30 minutes or less

    Rhubarb bbq sauce recipe

    Published: Mar 8, 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.

    A photo of rhubarb bbq sauce in a ramekin and on a wooden spoon.

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    Hiya, Rhubarbarians! It's rhubarb season! Let's try something new and unexpected with those rhubarb stalks and make some fresh rhubarb bbq sauce.

    I know that using rhubarb, mostly sweetened for pies and desserts, as the backbone for a chipotle bbq sauce is kind of out-of-the-box. But, the tartness of rhubarb is perfect for tangy bbq sauce. This sauce is sweet, tangy, smoky, and super flavorful.

    Why you'll love this

    If you're someone who loves incorporating seasonal produce into every meal like I am, you are going to love this! The blend of tart rhubarb with the rich, smoky flavor of chipotle is a game-changer.

    It's vegan and vegetarian-friendly, opening up a world where everyone, regardless of dietary preferences, can enjoy it at a gathering. What sets this sauce apart is how well it pairs with any dish you would add bbq sauce to - be it grilled vegetables, tofu, or a portobello burger.

    The ingredients are seasonal and simple, the preparation is a breeze, and the result is a vegan BBQ sauce that will impress everyone.

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    Ingredients and equipment

    Here is everything you need to make a batch of this rhubarb barbecue sauce at home. Full ingredient amounts with instructions are listed here in the recipe card at the bottom of this article.

    Ingredients:

    • produce: rhubarb
    • sweeteners: brown sugar and maple syrup
    • sauces: ketchup, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, vegan Worcestershire sauce, and dijon mustard
    • canned goods: chipotle chiles in adobo
    • aromatics: fresh garlic and ginger
    • seasonings: salt

    Equipment:

    • sharp knife and cutting board
    • measuring cups
    • measuring spoons
    • large sauce pan or pot
    • stove top or cook top
    • stirring utensil
    • blender or immersion blender
    • storage container

    Step by step instructions

    Here is a step by step guide to making rhubarb bbq sauce at home. Full instructions with ingredient amounts are listed here in the recipe card at the bottom of this article.

    • Chop your rhubarb and gather all of your ingredients.
    • Add the ingredients to a large sauce pan or pot on the stove top.
    • Stir well and heat over medium heat until bubbles start.
    • Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the rhubarb has broken down and softened.
    • Puree and then return to the pot.
    • Add the salt, taste, and add more if desired.

    Serving suggestions

    You can use this spring/summer bbq sauce any way that you love to use bbq sauce!

    I love drizzling it onto grilled vegetables. The unique tartness of the sauce perfectly complements the sweetness of the vegetables.

    Additionally, this vegetarian BBQ sauce works miracles on tofu. Marinating tofu slices in the sauce for a few hours before grilling them makes an amazing vegetarian bbq main course.

    Try making tofu or halloumi and vegetable bbq kabobs, spreading it onto a portobello burger, making bbq sauce pizza, using it as a dip for chickenless nuggets, or using it as the sauce for this bbq chickpea veggie bowl.

    cropped-rhubarbwebstory.jpg

    When is rhubarb season? Rhubarb is in peak season in the spring time from April to June. It grows well in cooler climates and grows through August here in the Pacific Northwest US.

    Recipe tips an substitutions

    I always love making sauces with the fresh ingredients of the season. This bbq sauce is very simple, but a few tips and tricks could make all the difference for you.

    • Feel free to use frozen rhubarb if that's what you have!
    • I find that an immersion blender works great, but a high speed blender will create an even smoother sauce.
    • If you're not vegan/vegetarian, by all means use regular worcestershire sauce.
    • The balsamic vinegar can be swapped for red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
    • If you don't want to use chipotle chiles, go ahead and add a teaspoon or two of smoked paprika for the smoky flavor.
    • Swap the maple syrup for honey or agave.

    Storing, freezing, and canning

    This recipe makes 3 cups of rhubarb bbq sauce, so it's quite a lot! Here's how to store it.

    Storing: store the sauce in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 4 weeks.

    Freezing: allow your sauce to cool completely, maybe even chill overnight in the refrigerator. Place it in freezer safe sealed containers in batch sizes that you will want to use in the future. The sauce will expand a bit as it freezes, so give it some room. Use within 3 months.

    You can check out this guide for freezing bbq sauce!

    Canning: Follow proper water bath canning guidelines for canning bbq sauce found here on the Ball Jar site.

    An overhead photo of rhubarb bbq sauce in a white ramekin.

    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

    A square photo of rhubarb bbq sauce in a ramekin.

    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
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    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. 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
    2. 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
    3. 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
    4. 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
      • 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
    5. 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
    6. 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
    7. 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
    8. 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
    9. 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
    10. 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

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