Fig Barbecue Sauce is easy, so delicious and perfect for anything you’re grilling or smoking. Once you know how to make barbecue sauce with figs, it will become your new summer condiment. Plus, there’s a satisfaction in DIY, so learn how to make BBQ sauce from scratch. It’s got the sweetness of California Dried Figs, the depth of balsamic vinegar with a touch of smoke from chipotle peppers! Best of all, it comes together easily with simple pantry ingredients!
Memphis BBQ Sauce with a California Twist
The Memphis area, which is where I live, is famous for its barbecue goodness! Folks here love to make their own barbecue sauce which is why I’m excited to share how to make barbecue sauce with Orchard Choice and Sun-Maid California Dried Figs with you!
So Many Ways to Enjoy California Dried Figs
California Dried Figs are super-versatile! They’re perfect for snacking but there are numerous ways to use them!
- For breakfast with oatmeal, smoothie bowls or as a yogurt topping
- In baking for breads, muffins and desserts
- In baking, pureed figs can replace fat in baked goods
- As an elegant addition to charcuterie platters and cheese trays
- In salads
- In entrees
- On sandwiches and pizza
- Or use them to make a relaxing adult beverage at the end of a busy day.
How to Use Fig Barbecue Sauce
There’s something extra special about a homemade condiment though. When you know how to make BBQ sauce from scratch, you’ll want to keep a bottle ready to go in the fridge as an elevated add-on for anything you might want to grill or smoke. Since you already have the perfect sauce for a barbecue session, you can also check an article on the fuel that you can use when you barbecue on Barbecue Logic. This sauce is especially good on the following:
- Chicken
- Pork
- Lamb
- Tofu
- Burgers
How to Make Fig Barbecue Sauce
- Start by rehydrating the dried figs in 2 cups boiling water. Let that stand for 15 minutes or so.
- Drain the water from the figs but SAVE IT! You don’t want to waste any of that fig deliciousness!
- In a large saucepan, cook onion and garlic until softened.
- Add the remaining ingredients including the soaking water and let it simmer away until all the ingredients are melty soft.
- Then puree in a food processor, blender or with an immersion blender.
So easy and so delicious!
How to Make Barbecue Sauce with Figs
Ingredients
- 1 cup Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Figs
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 small onion , finely chopped (3/4 cup)
- 4 cloves garlic , chopped
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt , or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper , to taste
Instructions
- Place figs in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat canola oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, reduce heat to medium-low and cook 5-6 minutes or until beginning to soften, stirring often.
- Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Drain the water the figs were soaking in into the saucepan. Let the figs cool a little more to the touch.
- Add the balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, dark brown sugar, Worcestershire and chipotle powder to the saucepan.
- Remove the stems from the figs (if any) and coarsely tear them up by hand into the sauce, removing the seeds if desired.
- Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
- Add the salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
- Puree with an immersion blender until smooth or transfer to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
- Use immediately as desired or store in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
6 Comments on “How to Make Barbecue Sauce with Figs”
How do you measure 1 cup of figs when they are whole? How many figs do you actually use for the recipe? Would it be the whole 7 oz bag?
Typically, we pack a measuring cup with figs. That would equate to 7-8 ounces, depending on the size, if you were to weigh them.
How much bbq Sauce does this recipe make? It has all the nutrition information but no serving size.
Thank you.
Hi Lorraine- It yields 4 cups.
Can I use fresh figs
Hi Rae, this recipe was created, tested and uses our California Dried Figs. Fresh figs have more moisture, so I don’t think they would be a one-for-one swap. Thanks for writing in with your question.