Sweet & Tangy Rhubarb BBQ Sauce
Does May long weekend officially kick off barbeque season? If so, let me tell you how great rhubarb is in a BBQ sauce. The sour, puckering flavour of rhubarb is a perfect foil for the tangy-sweet of molasses and the cooked rhubarb gives the sauce a lovely texture. This recipe would work with frozen rhubarb too. To increase the tangy-sweet profile, use our new Maple + Molasses to really elevate the sauce. It’s available to purchase here.
Sweet & Tangy Rhubarb BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2–3 large stalks of rhubarb, chopped (about 2 cups)
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon of oil (canola, olive, sunflower or other)
- 1 onion, diced
- 2–3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup Crosby’s Fancy Molasses
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp. grainy mustard (or Dijon mustard)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan simmer the rhubarb with the water until the rhubarb is very soft.
- In a medium pot sauté the onions in the oil until soft but not brown. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
- Add the rhubarb mixture along with the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer; cook for 10-15 minutes, until the mixture thickens.
- Puree until smooth and then enjoy on your choice of BBQ meat!
Makes about 2 cups
Dale
I love rhubarb – have not made this, but also not a ketchup fan (sugar), You mentioned a fruit jam, not fond of that idea either, and I don’t like rhubarb/strawberry pie type, but wondering if smushed strawberries or blackberries – toss in 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes could replace ketchup? Sorry, I doubt you know the answer – HaHa!
If carb conscious there is no reason not to use Swerve Brown sugar, also think it is possible to make molasses as well (have to check that one). I love the idea of rhubarb BBQ sauce, but I don’t spend hours in the kitchen – donn’t want to waste the time I do.
Karen
I thought this was delicious! Nice flavour, easy to make! I will definitely be saving this to my favourites
Deanne
Loved it and easy to make! Used it in my instant pot baked beans recipe.
Jay
I have a jar of rhubarb jam that I would like to use. How many cups does your rhubard cook down to? Or do you think that is a bad idea?
Disappointed
Too much ketchup, so sad all that beautiful rhubarb ended up tasting like ketchup sauce. Sugar content too high in this recipe also. I was so excited to have found rhubarb bbq sauce recipes online. I chose to make yours but wish I’d have chosen one of the other more healthy less-ketchup version (sorry to be negative, I usually provide good reviews)
Crosby Molasses
Hello. Thank you for letting us know. We will see what we can fix with this recipe. -Marie at Crosby’s Kitchen
Susan
Please revise recipe. Ingredients do not list the oil that is needed for the onions. I drizzled olive oil on mine. Thanks
Marie-Pierre Lessard
Oups! Thanks for pointing that out. I’ll make the correction.
Susan Merritt
I’m not a fan of condiments but, rhubarb BBQ sauce piqued my interest and I have so much this year. Made an initial batch this morning and processed it. What a great taste. Will be making more for sure as gifts for family and friends. Thank you!
Marie-Pierre Lessard
Thank you for your glowing comment Susan :)
Caroline Morden
Can I can this sauce, and what is the process, and shelf life?
Crosby Molasses
Hi Caroline, I haven’t canned it but another reader wrote that it cans well.
Rhonda Eves
Best ever bbq sauce! It’s a shoe in for my boys who don’t like rhubarb but they LOVE this bbq sauce on everything! Cans well!!
c morden
Can this recipe be processed and preserved?
Crosby Molasses
Hi there, The rhubarb barbecue sauce could likely be canned, especially since it has a good acidity. But, I haven’t ever canned it myself.
Dawn
Hi. Looking so forward to trying this recipe. I’ve been desperate to find a bbq sauce recipe that isn’t tomato based; my spouse can’t eat anything from the nightshade family, and that’s taken a serious bite out of our bbq enjoyment.
One extra question, though. Is this too sweet or too “rhubarb” to use as a tomato substitute for something like, say chili? Wonder if it’s worth trying?
Crosby Molasses
Hi Dawn, This recipe is delicious but it does have ketchup in it. It’s worth playing around with the recipe, may be try replacing the ketchup with some sort of fruit jam. Good luck.
Sarah
Do you peel the stringy strips from the rhubarb before using it?
Crosby Molasses
Hi Sarah, Because I roast the rhubarb first I fond that it isn’t really stringy and the cake cuts easily.
Leola
Sarah, I only peeled what seemed to be the more tough stringy parts before cooking. Probably not necessary though — the recipe has just the right amount of water/cut rhubarb ratio. The rhubarb simmers up nice and soft, and when you run the sauce through a blender at the end, it’s not stringy.
Jeanette
Loved this sauce, even better than our apple butter BBQ sauce. Will make it again!
Sally
How long will this sauce keep in the fridge??
Can it be frozen too??
Crosby Molasses
Hi Sally — The sauce would keep at least a couple of weeks in the fridge. I have never tried to freeze a BBQ sauce, but it might work. Not sure…
Lynn H @ Turnips 2 Tangerines
I love all the rhubarb recipes!! Never thought to use rhubarb in a bbq sauce! Wonderful~ Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines
Crosby Molasses
Hi Lynn, The rhubarb BBQ sauce was a great discovery. Something about molasses and the BBQ, a perfect pairing.
Delores Beattie
I am so loving the rhubarb recipes, thank you!!!!
Crosby Molasses
Hi Delores, I’m always on the lookout for more rhubarb recipes!
A Canadian Foodie
Reminds me I promised you I would share mine with you, too. The photos are deadly. Make them bigger! Did you get my e-mail Thursday am. Many ended up in spam… just coasting through to read The Canadian Food Experience Project posts – expect yours will be up later, but see this was just posted today?
:)
V
Crosby Molasses
Hi Valerie – I’d love to get a copy of your BBQ sauce! As you saw from my Sunday post, I was running a little late with the CFE post…