Bring something different to your table this holiday season with this seasonal and easy-to-make Cranberry BBQ Sauce.
I cannot believe the holiday season is already here. We have been so busy that the holiday season has really snuck up on us this year. It seems like all we have done on the mountain this year is wait for it to stop raining. The rainy summer turned into a late rainy fall. When the leaves finally decided to change, most of them fell off within a few days, and then…
IT SNOWED, with a nice crusty topping of ice from freezing rain. That freezing rain put us in the dark for two days last week! (Check out the picture I posted on Instagram HERE)
Cranberry BBQ sauce is a savory and versatile vinegar-based barbecue sauce with layers of contrasting flavor. From slightly sweet undertones of sugar and honey to tartness from cranberries and the zest of an orange, cinnamon gives the sauce dimension by adding a touch of warmth that rounds it out. You can pretty much slather this BBQ sauce on everything from turkey, chicken, beef, or even meatballs. The possibilities are endless!
IT SNOWED, with a nice crusty topping of ice from freezing rain. That freezing rain put us in the dark for two days last week! (Check out the picture I posted on Instagram HERE)
Ingredients (With Variations)
Never mind the long ingredient list; this barbecue sauce is so easy to make!
A detailed list of ingredients is provided in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Cranberries: fresh or frozen cranberries both work. No need to defrost them if frozen, it will just take a little longer to cook.
- Sugar: granulated white sugar.
- Orange Zest: use a microplane to zest the orange zest. Learn more about zesting citrus HERE.
- Cinnamon: I highly recommend Vietnamese Cinnamon. It has a much stronger flavor than regular cinnamon and really adds a lot of flavor.
- Vinegar: red wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar. If you don’t have one or the other then just use the ¾ cup of what you have on hand.
- Lemon Juice: always use freshly squeezed lemon juice. It’s fresher and so much better!
- Worcestershire Sauce: this adds umami. You could also use soy sauce or fish sauce.
- Pepper: freshly cracked black pepper.
- Shallots: can use finely minced regular onion or leeks.
- Butter: I always use unsalted butter to control the amount of sodium.
- Tomato Sauce: can canned variety you have on hand. Not pasta sauce.
- Tomato Paste: tube or canned. Can use tomator purree.
- Mustard: Dijon mustard gives spice and added flavor.
- Honey: can use brown sugar or maple syrup.
How To Make Cranberry BBQ Sauce
Simply add all the ingredients into a saucepan for a nice simmer, then blend up the goodness. As a result, you’ll have a delicious BBQ sauce to the top of just about anything your heart desires within minutes.
Whip up a batch of this Cranberry BBQ Sauce to keep it on hand for just about anything you want to put it on this holiday season. This tangy-sweet Cranberry BBQ Sauce is perfect for brushing on leftovers because it will keep in the fridge for about a week.
Just imagine how good this barbecue sauce would be on a leftover smoked turkey sandwich!
Yes, I believe that this Cranberry BBQ Sauce will change how you feel about leftovers this holiday season.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Cranberry Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
- 6 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange zest one navel orange
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- ½ cup shallots finely minced
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- Bring add of the all ingredients to a boil in a to a medium saucepan, over medium-high heat.
- Reduce to the heat to a fast simmer; cook uncovered, stirring often. When the berries start to pop open and break down, the sauce is done; about 10 minutes.
- Carefully pour the barbecue sauce into a blender or use an immersion blender. Use immediately or refrigerate until needed.
Debbie - MountainMama says
How is it possible that you and I were not connected on Instagram before now, Mountain Sister? This sauce looks great, can’t wait to try it. Have a very happy Thanksgiving in your beautiful mountain home, my friend!
The Mountain Kitchen says
I’m not sure!!?!?! So glad I found you though. Thanks for stopping by to comment! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!
Andrea Heath says
Can i freeze the sauce or should i just freeze the fresh cranberries i just bought bags of on clearance. Sauce was amazing
The Mountain Kitchen says
Hi Andrea! Thank you for the review. I’m so glad you liked the sauce. I have never frozen the sauce, so I cannot say from experience. I don’t see why you couldn’t though. It will keep in the fridge for up to a week!