This Cranberry Bourbon BBQ Sauce is a bold new twist on classic cranberry sauce that will add sweet and spicy excitement to your Thanksgiving or Christmas feast! A luscious compote that combines the bright tart flavors of cranberry sauce with the smoky deliciousness of BBQ sauce, and wow does this tastes amazing on turkey!
In This Recipe
I remember the first year we smoked a turkey for Thanksgiving. We had just gotten a brand new Orion convection smoker. I was excited to try a new way of cooking the Turkey (that didn't take up oven space!) and I wanted a special cranberry sauce to serve alongside.
I had a hunch that if I combined fresh cranberry sauce with my favorite homemade bourbon bbq sauce, the result would be amazing, and I was right!
This flavor-packed cranberry bourbon BBQ sauce has become a Thanksgiving tradition for us. Whether we smoke the turkey or not, it has its place at our feast, along with platters of mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts and stuffing.
Ingredients
One of the great things about this recipe is that, except for the fresh cranberries, the ingredients are common household staples. Here's what you need:
- Fresh cranberries - bright, tart flavors!
- Brown sugar - dark brown sugar is best for rich molasses flavor
- Ketchup - I like Heinz
- Bourbon Whiskey - We often use Maker's Mark or Bulleit, but any type will do
- Apple cider vinegar
- Worcestershire sauce
- Soy Sauce
- Dijon mustard - My favorite is Grey Poupon
- Spices: Onion powder, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes (or Aleppo pepper flakes)
A walk-through of this recipe with photos
This simple recipe will take you about 15 minutes start to finish. Here's what to do:
In a medium-sized saucepan, simmer the cranberries, brown sugar and a few tablespoons of water for roughly 5 minutes, until the cranberries soften and the sugar melts.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot - ketchup, bourbon, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder and red pepper flakes - and simmer for 8-10 minutes longer.
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The cranberries will burst and the sauce will be thick.
Serving Suggestions
I originally developed this cranberry BBQ sauce recipe to go with smoked turkey and I must say they go perfectly together. But I also love this on roast turkey.
Side note about smoked turkey
One day I hope to share my smoked turkey recipe here on the blog. It's actually pretty simple. I coat the turkey with Salt Lick dry rub and cook it in our Orion Convection Smoker which (amazingly) smokes a whole 12-14 pound turkey in an hour and a half. Or if you already have a smoker, here's a smoked turkey recipe I would try.
This cranberry bourbon BBQ sauce is a simple way to add a little new excitement to your traditional Thanksgiving spread!
If you try this recipe, I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think!
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Cranberry Bourbon BBQ Sauce
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 (¼-cup) servings 1x
Description
This Cranberry Bourbon BBQ Sauce is a bold new twist on classic cranberry sauce that will add sweet and spicy excitement to your Thanksgiving feast! It's also delicious on sandwiches, burgers, chicken, ribs or anything smoked, roasted or grilled.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 cup ketchup
- ½ cup bourbon
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
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Instructions
- Bring cranberries, sugar and water to a boil in medium sauce pan over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries are soft and the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes more, until the sauce has thickened and the cranberries have burst.
- Can be made ahead. Store, tightly covered in the fridge for up to a week. Bring to room temp before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Sauce - Condiment
- Method: simmer
- Cuisine: American
This recipe was first published here on November 11, 2021. I updated it and added a table of contents with links, a few new photos, and a step-by-step walk-through of the recipe with photos. The same delicious recipe!
Delicious bbq! I’ve made it with fresh cranberries in the past but now I can only get canned cranberry sauce. Can I substitute this for the fresh cranberries and sugar in your recipe?
That's an interesting idea. I bet that would work! Keep me posted if you try it. Also, did you check the freezer section of your grocery store? I've had good luck finding frozen cranberries year round.
I can't yet leave a rating because I have not prepared the sauce. In your Ingredients list you do not say if brown sugar loose measured, packed or firmly packed.
Very good point - thanks for your note. The brown sugar measurement is 1 cup packed brown sugar. I hope you enjoy the bbq sauce!
Wow - just made this as a trial run for Thanksgiving next week. We had it with some chickens I smoked and it was delicious (we are smoking our turkey this year for the big day). Tangy and full of flavor. The bourbon definitely adds a sweet richness to the taste. We will definitely be making this next week and I can't wait to see the reaction.
Hi Edgar, Thank you for the great review and 5 star rating! I'm so glad you enjoyed the bbq sauce. Wishing you and your family a happy Thanksgiving!