Apple Barbecue Sauce

Apples are the stars in this different kind of barbecue sauce. Unlike other barbecue sauces, it is not tomato-based, nor does it contain any mustard, and it isn’t a spicy or hot barbecue sauce. This makes it suitable for family dinners, cookouts, and summer parties with eaters in all age groups. 

This sweet and savory sauce has an excellent balance of sweet and tangy that practically defines any great barbecue sauce. It is good with any meat or chicken that benefits form a fruity flavor component, such as pork ribs, pork loin, chicken, turkey, and even lamb. 

Apples are added to this sauce for thickness and to give the sauce body and flavor. They appear in three forms: as a fresh apple, apple juice, and apple cider vinegar. For apples, select a variety that fully breaks down into an applesauce-like consistency during cooking, such as Macintosh. A firm apple like Granny Smith does not work well here. 

The recipe gives you the choice of adding any color of bell pepper. It’s only a small amount but there are differences in flavor. Red, orange, and yellow bell pepper, adds sweetness, whereas green bell pepper adds a more bitter component. 

If you want to cut down on sugar and salt content, this recipe gives you several options. Use a ketchup with no added sugar or no salt instead of regular ketchup. For apple juice, also choose one without added sweetener. Another way of reducing salt it to use low-sodium soy sauce.

If you like a smooth consistency for your condiment, you can blend the barbecue with an immersion blender or in a stand mixer (if using a stand mixer, let the sauce cool down to avoid the risk of hot splashes). If you are not planning to blend the barbecue sauce afterwards, make sure the apple, onion, and bell pepper are as finely minced as possible. A barbecue sauce does not need to be completely smooth, but a chunky sauce makes it more difficult to brush the sauce on the meat.