How to Make Barbecue Sauce
A great homemade barbecue sauce keeps us coming back for more because it is multi-dimensional—hot, sweet, tangy, smoky. The layered flavors combined with juicy meat is absolutely irresistible.
Equipment
- High-Powered Blender optional, to create a smooth sauce—or an immersion blender
- Immersion Blender optional, to create a not-quite-as-smooth but still lovely purée
- Kitchen scale or measuring cups and spoons
- Measuring cups and spoons or kitchen scale
Ingredients
Stone Fruit Barbecue Sauce
- 2 medium shallots
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 medium jalapeño pepper (omit seeds for a milder sauce)
- 2 pounds (1 kilo) stone fruit roughly chopped (for this recipe, I used about 8 nectarines)
- 1 teaspoon hot paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup ketchup
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons molasses
Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings
- 1 recipe Stone Fruit Barbecue Sauce
- 4 pounds chicken wings and drummettes
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Step by Step Instructions
Stone Fruit Barbecue Sauce
Stone Fruit Barbecue Sauce
Step 1
- Roughly chop the shallots, garlic, and jalapeño, and roast on a grill or in a hot oven until softened and fragrant, 5-10 minutes. Add to a heavy saucepan with the stone fruit and spices, and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, and stir to combine.
Step 2
- Bring to a simmer and cover. Cook over medium-low heat for 45 minutes to an hour. The stone fruit will have softened, and released quite a bit of liquid.
Step 3
- Purée all in a high-powered blender until smooth. Adjust seasoning according to taste.
Step 4
- Cool fully, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings
Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings
Step 1
- Add chicken and barbecue sauce to a slow cooker, and cook on low for 3 ½ hours. Prepare a sheet pan with heavy-duty foil.
Step 2
- Once the chicken is done cooking in the slow cooker, preheat the oven to broil. Remove the chicken, shaking off any excess sauce into the slow cooker, and add to the foil-lined sheet pan. Reserve remaining barbecue sauce.
Step 3
- Season the chicken with kosher salt and black pepper. Broil the chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side until browned, watching carefully to ensure that it does not burn.
Step 4
- Remove from oven, and brush the chicken on each side with barbecue sauce. Serve hot, with remaining sauce.