This easy Apricot BBQ sauce is great on burgers, pulled pork, pork chops, chicken or anywhere you want a little sweet and smoky. It’s naturally sweetened with apricot preserves making for a simple sauce you can pull together at the last minute.
This low sugar, naturally sweetened homemade BBQ sauce is a great sauce for ham or for topping burgers. It’s our favorite for slathering on BBQ Bacon Cheeseburgers and for dunking Fried Chicken Strips.
Run out of barbecue sauce and have no time to run to the store? Find that your favorite brand of sauce has just gotten too expensive? Want to reduce the added sweeteners in your diet?
No matter the question, this homemade Apricot BBQ Sauce recipe is the answer. It’s easy to make in less than 30 minutes — with some regular pantry staples! You can adjust the seasonings to suit your preferences, and it contains no added sugar.
Yep, this Apricot BBQ sauce slaps. That’s what my teenage daughters both said recently when I made a batch of this easy barbecue sauce recipe.
Why Make This
It’s yummy. Dollop it everywhere you use bottled sauce — on burgers, pulled pork, pork chops, grilled chicken, anywhere you like to have a little sweet and smoky sauce.
It’s freezer-friendly. The sauce is good in the fridge for about a week, and freezes beautifully. No worries if the batch is too big for you to use it all in one sitting. You can stash extra for later.
It’s made of whole foods. Since it contains no added sugar, this easy apricot barbecue sauce is good for those watching their sugar intake and works for the Whole 30 diet.
It’s quick to make. If you run out of your favorite bottled sauce, you can easily pull this together in less than half an hour. It’s a perfect pantry staple to make yourself and save money! It even makes a fun gift to make at the holidays — just be sure to keep it refrigerated or frozen.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make Homemade Apricot BBQ Sauce:
olive oil – You can use whatever cooking oil you normally use. This is to sauté the onions and help the sauce emulsify a bit later.
onion – Finely chopped onion adds flavor and structure to your sauce. You can use shallots or garlic as well if you have those on hand. Remember you can freeze onion for later if you buy more than you can use.
tomato sauce – Tomato sauce adds body to this easy Apricot BBQ Sauce. If you like a very thick sauce, stir in a tablespoon or two of tomato paste.
apricot jam or apricot preserves, preferably naturally sweetened – This brings the sweetness as well as the rich apricot flavor.
spices – I use ground chipotle chile, ground ginger, dry mustard, and ground cinnamon. If you’d like more heat, consider adding ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper. The chipotle brings some smoky flavor, but you can also use smoked paprika instead.
Variations:
One of the beauties of making homemade BBQ sauce is that you can taste and adjust the seasonings to create a sauce that’s exactly how you like it.
- For a tangier, more tart sauce, add a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.
- For a thicker sauce, stir in a few tablespoons of tomato paste.
- For a chunkier sauce, stir in 1 to 2 chopped fresh apricots before you cook it all down. Using fresh fruit (over jam) brings more moisture to the sauce, so you may have to cook it a bit longer to thicken.
- For a sweeter sauce, stir in a few tablespoons of brown sugar.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s how to make homemade BBQ Sauce:
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion, and cook, stirring until tender, about five minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce, jam, chile powder, ginger, mustard, and cinnamon. Stir well and simmer for 25 minutes.
- For a smoother sauce, blend with an immersion blender until you have the texture you prefer.
Serve as a condiment or brushing sauce for your favorite meats.
To freeze, cool the sauce to room temperature and pour it into small airtight containers with lids. Chill the containers completely in the fridge before you store them in the freezer.
FAQs
Barbecue sauce typically has a bit of smoky-sweet flavor as well as a thick, ketchup-like texture. Sauces can range from very thick to very thin, and can be very spicy to merely sweet-tart.
BBQ is excellent on cooked meats, such as pulled pork or ribs, as well as cooked potatoes and fries.
Apricot BBQ sauce is an excellent pizza topping. Layer on cheese, chopped chicken or pulled pork, chopped red onion, and chopped fresh cilantro for a fantastic BBQ pizza.
More Great Sauces You Can Make Yourself
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Apricot BBQ Sauce
Equipment
- immersion blender
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion (about 1 cup chopped)
- 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
- ½ cup apricot jam or preserves preferably naturally sweetened
- 2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion, and cook, stirring often, until tender, about five minutes.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 onion
- Add the tomato sauce, jam, chile powder, ginger, mustard, and cinnamon. Stir well and simmer on low for 25 minutes, mostly covered.1 15-ounce can tomato sauce, ½ cup apricot jam or preserves, 2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon dry mustard, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- For a smoother sauce, blend with an immersion blender until you have the texture you prefer.
- Serve as a condiment or brushing sauce for your favorite meats.
- To freeze, cool the sauce and pour it into small containers with lids. Chill completely and store in the freezer.
Notes
- For a tangier, more tart sauce, add a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and worcestershire sauce.
- For a thicker sauce, stir in a few tablespoons of tomato paste.
- For a chunkier sauce, stir in 1 to 2 chopped fresh apricots before you cook it all down. Using fresh fruit (over jam) brings more moisture to the sauce, so you may have to cook it a bit longer.
- For a sweeter sauce, stir in a few tablespoons of brown sugar.
Nutrition
Tried this Recipe? Tell us what you think!Your reviews help us develop better recipes and give newcomers the confidence to try your favorites. Scroll down to leave a starred comment.This post was originally published on May 21, 2015. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Dave
Thanks. I made a double batch for a memorial day BBQ yesterday and everyone loved it with ribs.
Jessica Fisher
So glad you enjoyed it!
Dave
I made this once before and the whole family loved it, but for some reason now I’m not reading the recipe right. Does the recipe call for a 15 ounce can of tomato sauce, or one 5 ounce can of tomato sauce? I can’t really tell from the formatting. Thanks.
Jessica Fisher
It’s a 15-ounce can of tomato sauce.
Megan
Just made this for a BBQ chicken pizza. It is gooood! Nice kick from the chili powder, but not too much. Also like the smokiness that comes from the chipotle.
Megan
I ended up with 1 2/3 cups sauce rather than 3.
Jessica Fisher
Good to know. That may be the result of differing stove performance. If you prefer you could cook it for a shorter time next time.
Jessica Fisher
Glad you liked it!
Charyse
What type of onion would you recommend?
Jessica Fisher
white or yellow/brown work best.
MH in OH
On the topic of sugar reduction – didn’t you post a chocolate cupcake sweetened with maple syrup a while back? You were trying to make brownies but it turned out more like a cupcake or vice versa? I’m not sure if it was on this blog or Life as Mom – and I wasn’t able to find it with a quick search. Please point me in the direction of that. Thank you!
Cole
I was so intrigued by your comment, I had to find the recipe. Here is the link:
https://goodcheapeats.com/2014/04/maple-sweetened-chocolate-cupcakes-with-honey-cream-cheese-frosting/
Jessica Fisher
Thanks. I’m behind on comments, obviously.
Cherie
LOVE IT
Very timely and while fits in my new low carb menu list when used with reason – thanks!
Jenni
I don’t often (or ever) have chipotle chili powder on hand. Would regular chili powder work? Or I have chipotle in adobo sauce sometimes. Would that work?
Sounds yummy and perfect for summer as we are aiming for sugar free
Jessica Fisher
Yes, either of those adaptations would be fine.