Sadly, fresh figs aren’t available all year round. So, when they are in season, make sure to enjoy them as often as you can. And, for those times when you find that you have more fresh figs on hand than you can possibly eat, use some of them to make this sweet and spicy barbecue sauce. I highly suggest making an extra batch of this sauce to freeze as well, because you’re definitely going to love having some to enjoy during the long winter months ahead.
Almost every year, without fail, my amazing neighbor Pete shows up at my doorstep with a large container or two of fresh figs. Now, I’m always happy to see my neighbor Pete and chat for a minute or two about how our whole town has basically gone to hell in a handbasket, and I’m even happier to see those figs show up at my doorstep, however, between you and me, those figs don’t always arrive at the most convenient time. When it comes to fresh figs, shelf life is pretty dang short, which means that I’m stuck pondering what to do with those sweet lil’ suckers and I’ve only got about one day to make a decision before I’ve got a big ol’ container or two of fresh fig mushy goo slime on my hands.
This year, after our little gab session over what was new, interesting, and most irritating in town, I decided to use those fresh figs to make some homemade barbecue sauce. And oh my, let me just tell you what a brilliant decision that was. Y’all, this may just be my favorite barbecue sauce yet. Now, in all fairness, this sauce doesn’t scream figs when you eat it. You won’t get a strong, crazy, in your face, take that, fig punch to your palette. However, this sauce is sweet, spicy, thick, and rich. Basically, it’s everything a barbecue sauce should be. And, after tasting it, you better believe that I’ll be sneaking over to my neighbor Pete’s house pretty dang soon to find out the newest scuttlebutt and beg for another batch of those sweet late-summer figs.
Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Cup White Onion, Finely Chopped
- 2 Cups Fresh Figs, Cut in Half
- 1/2 Cup Ketchup
- 1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
- 3 Garlic Cloves, Crushed or Minced
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Honey
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
- 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Chipotle
Directions:
- Place the olive oil in a medium-size non-reactive metal pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chopped onion. Sauté until softened, stirring often to prevent burning.
- Add the remaining ingredients, stir to combine, and continue cooking for 10 minutes. Stir often to prevent burning.
- Allow the barbecue sauce to cool for at least 30 minutes before blending it in a blender until smooth.
- Store in an airtight glass container until use.
Suggestions:
- Make sure to use a non-reactive metal pan, due to the acid in this recipe.
- You can use whichever variety of onion you prefer in this recipe. I used already chopped frozen white onion because it was what I had available.
- Cutting the figs in half helps them to break down easier during the cooking process.
- This sauce will be very thick. If you prefer it to be a bit thinner, try adding a bit of water.
- This barbecue sauce will last up to one week in the fridge. I suggest freezing any sauce you don’t plan on using right away.
Improvements:
- For extra spice, add a finely chopped jalapeño or two to the barbecue sauce.
- Replace the balsamic vinegar with apple cider vinegar.
- Add a pinch of ground cinnamon or ground cloves to this barbecue sauce.
- Use this barbecue sauce in combination with Bob’s 10-Ingredient Pork Rib Seasoning Rub or this Sweet Texas-Style BBQ Dry Rub Seasoning.
Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Cup White Onion, Finely Chopped
- 2 Cups Fresh Figs, Cut in Half
- 1/2 Cup Ketchup
- 1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
- 3 Garlic Cloves, Crushed or Minced
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Honey
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
- 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Chipotle
Directions:
- Place the olive oil in a medium-size non-reactive metal pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chopped onion. Sauté until softened, stirring often to prevent burning.
- Add the remaining ingredients, stir to combine, and continue cooking for 10 minutes. Stir often to prevent burning.
- Allow the barbecue sauce to cool for at least 30 minutes before blending it in a blender until smooth.
- Store in an airtight glass container until use.
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