Sweet heat Cheerwine Barbecue Sauce will add real ZIP to your next backyard barbecue! I PROMISE! It’s a great addition to some of the other sauces at Loaves and Dishes!
Perfect Cheerwine Barbecue Sauce
Tangy, sweet and a gentle spice that lets you know it’s been here. That’s the kind of barbecue sauce that sets my heart on fire?
How about you?
Here in NC we often argue on the proper kinds of barbecue sauce and many prefer the Lexington Style Vinegar sauce, which I’ll admit is pretty darn good!
But a thick, tomato based, sweet heat will always have my heart.
Here’s What You’ll Need for Cheerwine Barbecue Sauce
- Cheerwine – Adding Tang, Zip, Zing and depth of flavor as well as some sugar! All the flavors of the South that you LOVE!
- Soy Sauce – the umami of flavors packed in this delightful liquid.
- Minced Garlic – a fresh tang.
- Lemon Juice – the acidity that balances the whole thing.
- Red Pepper Flakes – adding the HEAT!
- Karo Syrup – makes up some of the SWEET!
- Honey – a sweet that helps with caramelization!
- Brown Sugar – it’s sweetly southern and adds a bang of flavor!
- Yellow Mustard – some real tang!
- Salt and Pepper
- Vegetable Oil – to make it all glide across the grill!
Here’s The Key Steps:
- Add all ingredients to a saucepan
- Cook on the stovetop over medium heat until thickened (about 20 minutes).
- PRO TIP: You’ll know it’s right when the sauce coats the back of a spoon and you can run your finger across it and the line doesn’t fill back in.
- Reserve 1/3 of your sauce for use at the table.
- Grill your meat and apply the remainder of the barbecue sauce while grilling.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
We LOVE this sauce on
Pork Loin
Chicken
and Chicken Wings!
It will take about 20 minutes to reduce down to the thickness you need. When the sauce coats the back of a spoon, it’s done!
Cheerwine is a soda that is popular in North Carolina
You can use cherry flavored cola or Dr. Pepper!
It will keep for about a week if kept covered in the fridge.
You can freeze it but it makes a fairly small amount, so once you use it for one recipe, you won’t have a lot left over.
Tips and Tricks…
- Add more or less red pepper flakes to increase or decrease the heat.
- This will make about a cup and a half of bbq sauce (so you won’t have a lot left over to use on other stuff). Make a double amount if you want it for other things.
- Be sure to reserve some for use at the table.
- If the sauce has completely cooled, you might want to warm it slightly before serving at the table. This helps to keep the chicken warm AND thins the sauce slightly.
- You’ll know the sauce is done when it coats the back of a spoon and you can draw a line through it with your finger and the line stays on the back of the spoon.
If you Enjoyed This Recipe, You Might Also Enjoy…
See the Video of Cheerwine BBQ Sauce
Can You Help Me Out?
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Cheerwine Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
For the Cheerwine BBQ Sauce
- 1 Cup Cheerwine
- ¼ Cup Soy Sauce
- ¼ Cup honey
- ½ Cup Dark Karo Syrup
- 3 Tbs Butter
- 2 C Brown Sugar
- 3 Tbs Minced Garlic
- 3 Tbs Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 2 Tbs Yellow Mustard
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Heat all of the sauce ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently. Eventually, the sauce will cook down and thicken (about 20 minutes). You want the sauce thick enough to coat the back of a spoon leaving a clear line when you run your finger across it (see photo or video).
- Remove the sauce from the heat.
- Place ⅓ of the sauce in a bowl to reserve for use at the table.
- Use the remainder of the sauce to paint onto your meat or veggies as you grill. (Extra points for charing some of the bbq sauce because, honestly, that is the BEST!
Notes
- Add more or less red pepper flakes to increase or decrease the heat.
- This will make about a cup and a half of bbq sauce (so you won’t have a lot left over to use on other stuff). Make a double amount if you want it for other things.
- Be sure to reserve some for use at the table.
- If the sauce has completely cooled, you might want to warm it slightly before serving at the table. This helps to keep the meat warm AND thins the sauce slightly.
- You’ll know the sauce is done when it coats the back of a spoon and you can draw a line through it with your finger and the line stays on the back of the spoon.
Nutrition
Tracee
Saturday 2nd of January 2021
Yumtastic! Put it in baked beans too!
Wendi Spraker
Sunday 3rd of January 2021
Glad you loved it!
Wendi J Spraker
Friday 25th of September 2020
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