Cranberry BBQ Sauce is a delicious way to elevate the flavors on your Thanksgiving table. The tart cranberries paired with the rest of the simple ingredients create the perfect tangy flavor. If you're excited for all the holiday season recipes, this homemade cranberry barbecue sauce is a must.
Fruit BBQ sauces have a lot of different layers of taste to them. You'll notice the cranberry, followed by the honey, and hopefully a hint of the pineapple and brown sugar.
Each time you take a bite, you're going to likely discover new holiday flavors that hit a little different. This is one of those flavorful sauces that pairs with a lot of different foods in a seriously perfect way.
Be sure to try my Honey Sriracha Sauce and this Sweet BBQ Sauce Recipe for two other top choices.
Ingredients
- Butter - Helps with flavor and richness.
- Onion - Minced for the best texture.
- Garlic cloves - Minced.
- Fresh cranberries - They give the best cranberry flavor.
- Crushed tomatoes - Use your favorite brand of canned tomatoes.
- Pineapple chunks - Optional, but delicious.
- Brown sugar - For sweetness.
- Tomato paste - Adds thickness and more tomato flavor.
- Honey - For natural sweetness.
- Apple cider vinegar - Adds tartness.
- Salt - For flavor.
- Black pepper - For flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce - For flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Cranberry BBQ Sauce
Step One: Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the minced onion and minced garlic. Cook until softened.
Step Two: Add the cranberries, brown sugar, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, honey, vinegar, salt, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and pineapple chunks, if using, to the pot. Simmer.
Step Three: Cook uncovered until the cranberries pop and the sauce begins to thicken. Do not boil.
Step Four: Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the sweetness or seasonings as needed.
Top tip
If you want to thin out the sauce a bit, you can add 1 tablespoon of water at a time and stir until you get the consistency that you want in this simple recipe.
Substitutions
- Canned Cranberry Sauce: Replace the 12 oz fresh cranberries with one 14 oz can of whole berry cranberry sauce. Reduce the brown sugar to ¼ cup. Simmer for 15–20 minutes, then blend until smooth.
Variations
- Spicy - Add some cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, diced chipotle peppers, or even a little bit of hot sauce to kick up those warm flavors.
- Sweeter Sauce - If the cranberries are too tart for your taste, add a little more honey or brown sugar. Start with a small amount and taste before adding more.
- Cranberry Orange - Add ¼ cup of orange juice and a teaspoon of orange zest.
See this Hot Honey BBQ Sauce for another great option.
Equipment
To make this homemade cranberry sauce, you'll want to have a saucepan and a rubber spatula for stirring. The immersion blender is helpful for getting a smooth consistency, but it is optional. You can also use a regular blender, working in small batches and allowing steam to escape safely.
Storage
Once the cranberry barbecue sauce is made, let it cool and transfer it to an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can then use this tangy sauce on other dishes over the course of the next week.
For longer storage, freeze the sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
Common Questions
That just depends on your taste buds. I think that it has a really good balance of barbecue sauce flavor, and the cranberry is just a great complement. You can also add a little bit of this to your plate to pair with your Thanksgiving turkey or stuffing so you don't commit to it on all the dishes on the table.
Absolutely. I store mine in a mason jar with a lid and just keep it in the fridge until it's ready to use. It's an easy sauce to make a day or two before Thanksgiving.
Who says you have to choose? You can use it as a holiday dip for smoked turkey, or as a sauce to drizzle over the top of your stuffing. I also like to use it on my leftover turkey sandwiches after the holidays are done, instead of using other options like mayonnaise or mustard. It's also delicious brushed onto chicken or pork ribs near the end of cooking.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
- Air Fryer Onions
- Honey Mustard Marinade
- Chick-fil-A Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce Recipe
- Coffee Brisket Rub Recipe
Recipe
Cranberry BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ⅓ cup onion minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 12 oz fresh cranberries
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup pineapple chunks optional
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 oz tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 4–5 minutes, until softened.
- Add the cranberries, crushed tomatoes, brown sugar, tomato paste, honey, vinegar, salt, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cook uncovered for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries pop.
- Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth, if desired.
- Add water a tablespoon at a time if you want the sauce to be thinner.
- Season to taste with additional sugar, salt, etc.
Notes
Nutrition
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