The Tart Fruit That Takes Your BBQ Sauce To A New Realm Of Flavor

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Those who make their own barbecue sauce always have an eye out for a secret ingredient that'll kick it up a notch to give it the "it" factor it deserves. Maybe you already tried teriyaki sauce for a richer flavor or spices that deliver some serious heat. Whatever your preference on flavor profiles, you should try adding cherries to your next batch and watch how they take your sauce to the next level. Melissa Cookston, a champion barbecue chef, judge on Netflix's "Barbecue Showdown", and author of her third cookbook, "Fanning The Flames," has some tips on how to incorporate the fruit into homemade barbecue sauce.  

She not only confirmed that cherries are a great addition to barbecue sauce, but she also told us how she takes the flavors a step further. "Smoked cherries are one of my favorite ingredients!" Cookston said. " [...] Cherries aren't 'sugary-sweet,' they have a deep, rich flavor. When you smoke them, you'll get a jammy, smoky flavor that adds tons of depth and richness."

For convenience, you can even smoke frozen, pitted cherries. Cookston advises smoking on low heat for an hour and using cherry wood. Are you already envisioning sweet-tart barbecued ribs like we are?

Cherry barbecue sauce is a secret ingredient that could transform your grilling game just as much as knowing the grilling mistake that'll instantly ruin your meat or learning how to use a thermometer to monitor heat levels. It's epic when it's paired with chicken and ribs, but it adds a tangy, sweet, and slightly rich flavor to everything it touches. The cherries often add a shade more blush to the color of the sauce, too, so it's a festive addition for holiday dinners and cookouts. Cherries aren't the only fruit that can add a tangy, sweet element to your sauce, though. 

Melissa Cookston said there is a wide range of fruits that can add a new and interesting flavor element to barbecue sauce. "Pineapple has been used in sauces forever, but apricots are my favorite," Cookston said. "They help turn your sauce glossy for a beautiful appearance and provide that perfect sweet-tart balance."

Fruity barbecue sauces pair well with all kinds of meats, but you can use specific fruits to highlight different flavors. Cherry barbecue sauce pairs especially well with beef and ribs and is great with chipotle-style flavors. Mango and pineapple barbecue sauces are both great on lighter meats, like shrimp and chicken, and mangos go especially well with spicier types of sauces. A peach-centric barbecue sauce suits pork or chicken, whereas blackberry is perfect for game meats like duck and venison.