This easy homemade apricot BBQ sauce is sweet and tangy, and you can really taste the flavor of the fresh apricots. It's great on grilled chicken!
It's no secret that I love BBQ sauce. Up until this point, I've never tried making my own. I fancied an apricot BBQ sauce, and I feel like sometimes the more fruity sauces etc. lose some of their flavor when they're commercially produced. I am pleased that the apricot flavor comes through very nicely in this easy homemade barbecue sauce recipe.
Would you believe I had to go to no fewer than FOUR grocery stores to find apricots?! I nearly gave up, I tell ya. I didn't think they were ever hard to find in the middle of the summer... but leave it to me to need them when there's some sort of shortage. 😛
I did some research on how to make barbecue sauce, and as expected, there are maaannny recipes for homemade BBQ sauce out there. They all contain many of the same ingredients. Ketchup or tomato sauce. Brown sugar and/or honey. Worcestershire sauce. Some spices. Garlic. Vinegar. Those are all in this recipe.
What sets it apart is the fresh apricots (I used 6 large ones) and the smoked paprika. I was debating adding liquid smoke as well, and you could if you wanted to, but I decided to go with a more subtle smokiness and really let the fruit shine through.
This BBQ sauce is not spicy. I do not like my BBQ sauces to be too hot, but feel free to throw in some chili powder and/or cayenne pepper if you need some more kick.
This sweet BBQ sauce can be adjusted to suit your taste buds. If you want it even sweeter, add more honey or brown sugar. If it's too sweet, add more apple cider vinegar. I recommend tasting it after it's been simmering for about 20 minutes. That'll give you a good idea of what the final flavor will be.
Since I used fresh, cut-up apricots in this recipe, I did end up having to mash them while cooking them. It's definitely not a difficult step, but I think it's a necessary one unless you're ok with pieces of apricot in your sauce. I just used my potato masher to mash 'em right in the pan. I chopped the apricots fairly small but not so small that they were completely absorbed in the sauce.
I simmered this BBQ sauce for about 40-45 minutes in total. There's plenty of water in fresh fruit, and I wanted it to reduce a bit, thus the length of cooking time. I kept the pan mostly covered (but left the lid slightly ajar) so it didn't splatter all over my kitchen. 😉
Will you give this apricot BBQ sauce a try?
Talk to me in the comments!
Apricot BBQ Sauce
This easy homemade apricot BBQ sauce is sweet and tangy, and you can really taste the flavor of the fresh apricots. It's great on grilled chicken!
Ingredients
- 6 large apricots (or 8-10 smaller ones) chopped small
- 1 (7.2 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup (packed) brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon onion power
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan on medium-high heat. Give it a stir. Bring it to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover it with the lid slightly ajar. Let it simmer for 20 minutes, giving it a stir every 5-10 minutes or so, just to prevent it from burning on the bottom.
- After about 20 minutes, the apricots should be very soft. Using a potato masher or whatever works for you, mash the apricots down if you do not want whole apricot pieces in your sauce. Give it a taste and adjust seasonings as needed (or add more sugar or vinegar to adjust taste). Cover again, with the lid slightly ajar, and continue simmering the sauce for another 20 minutes or so, again stirring every 5-10 minutes.
- If the sauce looks thick enough for your tastes, remove it from the heat and let it cool for at least 20 minutes prior to transferring it to airtight jars. The sauce should keep for about a week in the fridge.
If you like apricots, you may also like my crispy apricot chicken or my 3-ingredient apricot energy bites.
Angie says
I don't have fresh apricots. Can I use apricot jam?
Natasha says
Hmmm you could try, then cooking time will definitely be less. It also may end up a little sweeter. Let me know how it goes!
Carolyn Blaine says
Hello!
Just wondering if you could make this sauce with dried apricots?
Thanks,
Carolyn
Natasha says
Hi Carolyn! That's a good question. I think you could try, but I've never done anything like it, so I am not sure how it would turn out. It may end up a bit sweeter, so I'd probably use fewer apricots and/or less sugar. If you do try it, let me know how it goes.
Kate says
Hi! I'm interested in trying this sauce but I'm wondering if you can freeze it?
Natasha says
Hi Kate! Hmm.. I wish I tested that when I originally made the recipe. I really couldn't say. It doesn't contain preservatives or stabilizing agents, so your guess is as good as mine.
Melissa says
I looked out my window at work and saw four lovely loaded apricot trees! So now we are looking for things to make with apricots. Definitely going to make this today. Looking forward to serving it on our bbq wings at our party tomorrow.
Natasha says
Oh how nice! I hope you enjoy the BBQ sauce, Melissa 🙂
Jerard Widson says
I am in a country where it’s hard to find brown sugar is it really necessary for this sauce
Natasha says
You could definitely try white sugar, but without testing I can't say for sure how it'll turn out. I imagine it'll be fine. Let me know how it goes!
Glenn says
Jerard, you can make brown sugar by combining molasses and granulated sugar. For light brown sugar it's 1 cup granulated to 1 Tablespoon molasses. For dark brown sugar, it's 1 cup granulated sugar to 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar.
Carly says
Could you possibly give me an estimate of how much in volume this recipe makes? I, too, have an abundance of apricots this year (3 trees!!) and am scouring for different ways of preserving these gems. I was hoping to can the sauce, as well, and was wanting to know how many jars I might get and if I should double/triple/etc. the recipe. Thanks so much! It looks delicious.
Natasha says
Hi Carly! I wish I had figured that out two years ago when I made the recipe. I’m sorry I didn’t do that. I haven’t made it since, so I’d just be guessing based on the ingredients list. It for sure made two of the smaller mason jars pictured. I don’t recall it making a huge batch or anything since the recipe only lists 10 small apricots max.
Nicole says
Any way to make this recipe so it preserves longer than a week in the fridge? Do you think it can be canned and stored in the pantry? I have been blessed with an over abundance of apricots this year.
Natasha says
Hi Nicole! I am not familiar with canning at all, so I can't give you food safety advice, but if you're familiar with canning and how to do it safely, I don't see why this recipe couldn't be altered to make it work. 🙂 I wish I had your apricots problem haha. It's been so rainy that the few plants I have are all in rough shape.
Misti says
I am giving it a whirl! Because I have an apricot tree, I have had plenty of apricots. So I cut them up and stir in a little lemon juice and honey to keep them in the fridge awhile until I have time to can or use them in a recipe. I also didn't have any tomato sauce or Worchestershire so I used diced tomatoes and soy sauce instead. I also just tried a recipe that had apricots and herbs de Provence and I REALLY liked it, so I added that, too. So , I know my sauce will turn out a little different than yours, but I am hoping that it is still delicious. 🙂 It's on the stove right now, simmering. 🙂
Natasha says
Ohh I wish I had an apricot tree - jealous!! Let me know how it went! 🙂
Ken says
Family and I just loved this sauce. I’ll do it again many times!! Thanks!!
Natasha says
That’s wonderful, Ken! Thanks for letting me know.
Marissa says
This combination of flavors is absolutely mouthwatering, Natasha!! I'd be eating it straight out of the jar!
Natasha says
Aw thanks so much, Marissa!!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
Fruity BBQ sauces are totally my jam! And homemade ones are always, like, a billion times better than the store bought kind. They just have so much more flavor... right?! Needless to say, I am TOTALLY digging this apricot BBQ sauce, Natasha!!!! I could legitimately eat this with a spoon! Cheers, sweets!
Natasha says
Hehehe I was eating this with a spoon while making it. Thanks, Chey!! 🙂
Sam @ Bites of Wellness says
I"m pretty sure Dave will request this weekly if I make this! Love homemade BBQ sauce, I usually use cherries but now I have to try the apricot!!
Natasha says
Thanks, Sam! Cherry sounds good too!! Let me know if you try it.
Sugar et al. says
Wow! What a stunner of a recipe! I'd really love to give this a go.
Natasha says
Thank you!! I hope you like it. 😘
Pamela (BrooklynFarmGirl) says
This sauce sounds amazing!
Natasha says
Thanks, Pamela!!
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen says
Now I'm getting paranoid that there's a shortage of apricots here too! And I'm craving them like nothing else after these pics :). I loooooove the sound of apricot BBQ sauce! But I'd probably eat most of it with a spoon, and have little left over for actual BBQ. . .have a great weekend, Natasha!
Natasha says
Thanks, Kelsie! Hopefully there isn't a shortage! I made this recipe a few weeks ago before I went on vacation, and I'm really hoping that they're back by now (I haven't been to a grocery store myself in like 3 weeks now). I definitely ate some of it with a spoon haha.
Ivete Moreira says
This homemade barbecue sauce recipe really is perfect for my grilled chicken, sometimes already so difficult to eat for so long, but with the addition of this sauce I will vary the taste because it is easier to stick to the diet.
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
I've tried peach bbq sauce, but not apricot Natasha. My son Sean is a huge apricot fan. I'll need to give your recipe a go and bring some the next time I visit him! Thanks for sharing!
Natasha says
Oooh, let me know if you do make it! I just love apricots, and I thought this would be a hit with anyone else who does! 🙂