Here’s a fun version of the classic Kansas City sweet red barbecue sauce with an exotic undertone. You’ll know the raspberries are in there but can offer a prize to the guest who guesses the secret ingredient. And the best part of this sauce is that it’s quick and easy. Liquid smoke is optional here, but it adds a nice dimension.
Total time: 30 minutes
Makes 2 cups
- 1/2 cup bourbon
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup Smucker’s Seedless Red Raspberry Jam (see Note)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco Chipotle Sauce (see Note)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon Morton Coarse Kosher Salt
- 2 tablespoons liquid smoke
Cook off the alcohol: In a saucepan, bring the bourbon to a boil. Continue to boil until you have only 2 to 3 tablespoons left. The alcohol will be mostly gone so it is child-safe, but the elixir that remains will have a rich, woody, smoky flavor. If you don’t have bourbon or don’t want to do this step, use 2 more tablespoons liquid smoke.
Simmer the sauce: Add all the remaining ingredients to the saucepan and whisk until smooth. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook for 15 minutes. Sample it and adjust the ingredients to your taste. Want more heat, reach for the hot sauce. Want it sweeter, add sugar or more jam. Simmer a few more minutes.
Store: Pour the finished sauce into a very clean bottle and store in the fridge for months.
Jam Note: I normally don’t specify brands lest someone think I’m on the take. I call for the Smucker’s because it has a great natural flavor and it should be easy to find. Use it to replicate my recipe, but feel free to use another jam of your choice (blueberry is nice). Go for something without skins and seeds. Beware that it may be sweeter or less sweet than my choice, so you may want to start with less and add more to taste.
Hot Sauce Note: Use whatever you like, but chipotle has an affinity for raspberry.
Recipes excerpted from “The Meathead Method: A BBQ Hall of Famer’s Secrets and Science on BBQ, Grilling, and Outdoor Cooking with 114 Recipes” copyright 2025 by AmazingRibs.com. Photography copyright 2025 by AmazingRibs.com. Reproduced by permission of Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
