Smoky rhubarb bbq sauce recipe! Tangy, sweet, and savory bbq sauce made with fresh rhubarb and chipotle peppers.
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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.
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.
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.
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
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
If you make this recipe, please let us know on social media or in the comments below! Leave a star rating in your comment or tag us on Instagram with #Rhubarbarians
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Jan
Could you use frozen packaged rhubarb for this recipe instead of fresh?
Trish Bozeman
Absolutely!
Lamb
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:))
Patricia Bozeman
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?
Elli
Do you use sweet cecily with your rhubarb? Really cuts the need for sugar down.
Patricia Bozeman
I've never heard of sweet cecily! Is it a sugar substitute? A plant?
Elli
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).
Elli
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!
Sherry Brunette
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!
Patricia Bozeman
Oh, so glad you loved it! I need to to make myself a batch this year. Thanks for trying out the recipe!
Holly
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.
Patricia Bozeman
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!
Kendra N
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/
Patricia Bozeman
Sounds awesome! So glad you liked it! I wish we had some jarred, so we could eat it all year. 🙂
Quilter
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.
Patricia Bozeman
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.
Christine
Barbeque sauce freezes really well!
Patricia Bozeman
So good to know! Thank you!
Donna
I canned mine in a water bath for 10 minutes and it turned out great.
Patricia Bozeman
I'm so glad it worked!
Brad
Hi,
I don't think this is a vegan BBQ sauce due to the fact that anchovy is a key ingredient in Worcestershire sauce.
Patricia Bozeman
You are right! I used vegan worcestershire sauce. Do you have that at your grocery store?
Danielle P
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!
Patricia Bozeman
YUM! So glad it worked out for you! Yeah, you don't need much chipotle to get that kick. ?
Brenda
want to make a big batch in my instant pot. Do you think it would work?
Patricia Bozeman
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! 🙂
Jenna@recipe-diaries.com
I'm so trying this! Got plenty of rhubarb to use up.
Patricia Bozeman
YES! Let me know what you think!
Heather - Butter & Burlap
A rhubarb bbq sauce?? I'm intrigued!
Patricia Bozeman
YES! Totally delicious stuff!