The new king of barbecue sauce! This Apple Butter BBQ Sauce is sweet, tangy, and spicy. Perfect for smoked ribs, barbecue pulled pork, to top burgers, and even slathering on grilled chicken.
Try my Apple Butter BBQ Pork Sliders. More serving suggestions below!
This Apple Butter BBQ Sauce gives off the best vibes and has a depth of flavor made for fall.
It has some common barbecue sauce ingredients like the ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and vinegar. But, it also has some very special flavors. The apple butter gives it more sweetness while the chili powder gives it a little spice, and the sautéed onion gives you an earthy flavor.
Not to mention, look how beautiful the color is of this sauce! And this recipe will get you close to two 12 ounce jars of BBQ sauce.
Let’s Make It Together:
Ingredients In Apple Butter BBQ Sauce
- Olive Oil – for sautéing the onion and garlic
- Onions – finely dice your onions to very small pieces
- Garlic – minced, again very small pieces
- Apple Butter – feel free to use homemade or store-bought varieties
- Ketchup – any kind works, I used a homemade ketchup from garden tomatoes
- Apple Cider Vinegar – gives our sauce tang, can be subbed out for rice vinegar
- Brown Sugar – gives the sauce a deeper molasses flavor
- Worcestershire Sauce – is it really a BBQ sauce without it?
- Spices (salt, pepper, chili powder) – adjust the chili powder to your preference of spice
How to Make Apple Butter BBQ Sauce
Finely dice your onion and mince your garlic. Keep in mind, the size you cut them to will be the size they are in your barbecue sauce.
Then in a medium sized saucepan sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil until soft and translucent. Add the rest of your ingredients: apple butter, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Whisk it all together until smooth and bring to a boil.
Once the Apple Butter BBQ Sauce is boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for ten to fifteen minutes.
Pour into a glass jar and refrigerate for up to three weeks.
TIP: If you cut your onions a little too large you can always throw your cooked barbecue sauce in the blender. Pulse it for 10 seconds or until smooth before pouring into your jars.
What is Apple Butter and Where Do I Find It?
Apple butter is the complex cousin to apple sauce. It is apples and cinnamon simmered for an extended amount. This allows the apple to caramelize and become more like a paste. There are many recipes to make it on your own or you can buy it at any grocery store.
Confession, I developed this recipe because I had leftover apple butter that needed to be used as it was about to expire!
Apple Butter BBQ Sauce Uses:
You will love how versatile this sauce is. The sweet, savory, and slightly tangy flavor is an asset to a lot of different dishes. Here are a few ideas:
- with pulled pork or pulled pork sliders
- on sandwiches or burgers
- chicken wing dipping sauce or coating- try it with my crispy baked wings
- toss meatballs in it
- to dip fresh vegetables or fries
- as a salad dressing
- a dip for these Smashed Fingerling Potatoes
More Condiment Recipes To Try:
- Quick Pickled Carrots
- Quick Pickled Jalapenos
- Blackberry BBQ Sauce
- Horseradish Aioli
- Yogurt Dill Sauce
- Sriracha Aioli
- Chipotle Southwest Sauce
- Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce
- Hot Honey Sauce
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Apple Butter BBQ Sauce
EQUIPMENT
- saucepan - medium sized
- glass jar - 12 to 16 ounces with airtight lids
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ onion - finely diced
- 1 clove garlic - minced
- 1 ¼ cup apple butter - homemade or store-bought
- 1 cup ketchup
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add the olive oil and onion to your saucepan and heat over medium heat. Sweat onion for 5-10 minutes or until soft and translucent.
- Add garlic and sauté for another 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add to the saucepan apple butter, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Incorporate until smooth.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes.
- Pour into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator.
VIDEO
RECIPE NOTES
Storing Information:
- Store in the refrigerator, in an airtight jar, for up to three weeks.
Metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.
I haven’t made this yet, made a pork roast going to make pulled pork would like to know if I could add bourbon to this sauce. If so, how much do you suggest so it doesn’t make it to watery
Hey Sharon!
I was so intrigued by this question that I had to hop into the kitchen and try it out myself. This is what I did: instead of a 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar, I did 1/4 cup of bourbon and 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar. I followed the remaining directions the same. During the boiling process the alcohol in the bourbon evaporated out and I was left with the flavors of bourbon. Doing it this way means no added liquid, just reducing a little of one ingredient (which is similar) to make up for another (the bourbon). Hope you try it out and enjoy it like we did!
~Elizabeth
Delicious, I happened to have orange-infused olive oil that gave it a really nice zip.
Really delicious. I used it on baby back pork ribs and in baked beans. i liked it in both recipes. I like spicy barbeque sauce so I added a little Siracha to it.
does it need to be run through a blender at all?
Hey Cayla;
If you very finely mince the onion and garlic, no. If you keep them larger it is suggested, but you don’t have to.
~Elizabeth
Just wanted to come back and let you know we made this to go with our pulled pork and it is amazing! We did add some heat after taste testing but that’s purely for us. The applebutter is a great addition! Thank you
Has anyone tried this on a meatball yet?
Hey Tracy,
YES! I put this on precooked meatballs in my slow cooker all the time. Sometimes I will add Sriracha sauce for a kick.
Hope you enjoy it!
~Elizabeth
Anyone ever used it on chicken wings?
Hey Bryan;
YES! I actually just used some this last weekend on bone in party Chicken Wings. It was so good. If you follow my recipe here https://entirelyelizabeth.com/oven-baked-chicken-wings/. Coat them in the sauce and throw them back in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. SO GOOD!
~E
This is my first time making this BBQ sauce could I freeze it? I ended up tripling the recipe by accident haha its sooo yummy
Hey there Cassie;
So glad you enjoyed the BBQ sauce. And yes, you can freeze it. Just place it in an airtight container and place it in your freezer for up to three months. Let it defrost overnight and keep it in the refrigerator when you are not using it.
~Elizabeth
Can I can this rather than just refrigerating?
Hi Rosemarie;
Yes you can, just follow your favorite method for canning sauces.
~Elizabeth
Did you can it? Can it be canned using a water bath? Or does it need to be pressure canned?
Hi Jennifer,
I typically do not can my BBQ sauces because we eat them so quickly (and there is only 2 of us in our small house so we do not have the room). I do know this does not need to be pressure canned because it is already being cooked on the stove. I recommend following this guideline from the National Center for Home Food Preservation to learn how to water bath can barbecue sauce. It does come with a recipe but you only need to follow steps 4 and 5. For more information on canning foods in general I like this guide (also from the National Center for Home Preservation). Hope this helps!
~Elizabeth
Can I use regular vinegar as a substitute? I plan on putting some jalapeños in this and actually make chicken fajitas using it!!
Tina:
Hey there! Yes regular vinegar will work in it’s place. Be sure to come back and let us all know how it works for you.
~Elizabeth
I smoke a lot of meat in my back yard can’t wait to try your sauce I make pulled pork on a regular basis thank you sweet smoke bbq
Fantastic! But of course I had to tinker with it. To reduce the sugar content a little, I substituted molasses for the brown sugar and a 6-ounce can of tomato paste + 1/4 cup water for the ketchup. We’ve used it on pulled pork and spare ribs and it was great on both. Thank you!
My Wife and I love this sauce. Good on chicken, pork, and beef.
So glad to hear! Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me!
~Elizabeth
Awesome combination, mouthwatering delicious.
Thank you so much!
~Elizabeth
So yummy and SMOOTH! The apple butter lends another layer. Can’t wait to put it on the pulled pork once done today! Thanks Elizabeth!
This makes my heart SO happy Maureen! Thank you for trying it! Enjoy!
~Elizabeth
This is the best BBQ sauce ever! Absolutely love that you use apple butter in this recipe, it is perfect for the upcoming fall days!
Awesome! I am glad you enjoyed it!
Thank your for taking the time to share your experience.
~Elizabeth
Wow what a cool recipe! I’ve never heard of this combo but instantly know it will be amazing! Love that sweet and savory! I’ll be making this after I get my apple butter made this season! Thanks!
Awesome! I hope you enjoy it! I bet it will taste even better with homemade apple butter!
~Elizabeth
I never thought of using apple butter in BBQ sauce but this is genius! So sweet and savory and pairs perfect with some pulled pork!
Yes! Pairs great with pulled pork.
Thank you!
~Elizabeth
This is so flavorful and delicious! Wow!
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it!
~Elizabeth