Apricot and thyme BBQ sauce: the fruit-bright glaze for wings and ribs

Most nightshade-free BBQ sauces go dark with beet or cherry. This one goes golden, built from apricots instead. The result is a brighter, more floral sauce with a ginger backbone and a herbal lift from fresh thyme, and it works beautifully on wings, chicken thighs, and pork ribs where you want something that caramelizes into a sticky glaze rather than a deep smoky char.

Apricots are a source of beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, a nutrient involved in immune and mucosal health. Fresh ginger brings its own well-studied anti-inflammatory properties, and the quantity here is substantial enough to actually come through in the finished sauce. A lemon brightens the whole thing without needing any vinegars the elimination phase sets aside.

Fresh apricots are best in season, but if you cannot find them, unsweetened dried apricots soaked in hot water for 20 minutes work as a year-round substitute.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp solid cooking fat (coconut oil or lard)
• 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh ginger, peeled and minced (about a 4-inch piece)
• 6 fresh apricots, pitted and quartered (about 3 cups; see note on dried)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp smoked sea salt

Note on dried apricots: If using dried, choose unsweetened sulfite-free apricots. Soak about 1 cup in 1.5 cups of hot water for 20 minutes until soft, then drain and use in place of fresh. The sauce will be slightly sweeter and more concentrated.

Method

Melt the cooking fat in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until soft and beginning to turn golden at the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the ginger and cook 1 more minute until fragrant.

Add the apricots, maple syrup, lemon juice, thyme, and smoked sea salt. Stir together and bring to a low simmer. Cook uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apricots have fully broken down and the mixture has reduced and thickened.

Let cool slightly, then transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning: more lemon for brightness, more maple for sweetness, more salt to deepen the flavor.

Yield: About 2 cups.

How to use it

• Brush over chicken wings in the last 10 minutes of roasting or after broiling
• Use as a glaze for pork tenderloin or spare ribs
• Drizzle over roasted chicken thighs or drumsticks before serving
• Stir a spoonful into bone broth-based soups for a hint of fruit-forward sweetness
• Mix into pulled pork at the end of a long slow cook

Storage

Refrigerator: up to 1 week in a sealed glass jar. Freeze in half-cup portions for up to 3 months.

*Adapted from autoimmunewellness.com/zesty-apricot-thyme-bbq-sauce/ by Mickey Trescott*