Slather beef ribs, pork shoulder, and brisket in a homemade Cheerwine BBQ sauce for sweet heat and a hint of cherry. The Southern soft drink slow-simmers with aromatics and warm spices until it thickens into the perfect dipping-grilling sauce.
I have noticed a few things since moving to North Carolina. Locals love Publix, people are passionate about college sports (Go Wolf Pack), and no cookout (see what I did there) is complete without a case of Cheerwine.
Cheerwine BBQ sauce puts a twist on the classic condiment by incorporating the cherry-flavored soda at the heart of the versatile sauce, similar to recipes that call for Coke or Dr. Pepper. Serve it as a dipping sauce, glaze for meat entrees, or make a Cheerwine marinade for various BBQ recipes.
What is Cheerwine?
Original Cheerwine is a cherry-flavored soda created in North Carolina in 1917. The soft drink is known for its unique cherry flavor and bright red color. If you have never tasted it before, think of Cherry Coke boosted with even more cherry flavor. Despite its name, the beverage does not contain any alcohol, making it a favorite for all ages.
Try one of these popular drink recipes, such as my Harry Potter’s butterbeer recipe, the Shirley Temple drink, or healthy coke with balsamic vinegar that went viral on TikTok in 2020.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Butter: Saute the sweet onions or shallots and garlic in unsalted butter. I recommend using unsalted butter so you can control the saltiness of the sauce.
- Tomato Paste: Bloom the tomato paste to intensify the tomato flavor.
- Onions: Incorporate sweet onions or shallots into the BBQ sauce.
- Garlic: I use two fresh garlic cloves, but measure with your heart.
- Cheerwine: Despite it being soda and having an intense cherry flavor, the Cheerwine flavor is more of an undertone for the sweet and spicy BBQ sauce.
- Ketchup: Use ketchup, tomato paste, or crushed tomatoes for the sauce. Ketchup adds sweetness and tang, while the other two create a thicker, richer flavor.
- Sweetener: I alternate between using molasses or brown sugar to balance the flavor.
- Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar is a sweet and tangy addition.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Boost the flavor with umami-rich Worcestershire sauce, or replace it with soy sauce or Marmite.
- Liquid Smoke: The liquid smoke flavor complements the sweet and spicy sauce.
- Spices: Taste and season the Cheerwine BBQ sauce with a simple spice blend, including black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes.
Additions and Substitutions
- Replace the molasses with honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, or a sugar-free substitute like monk fruit.
- Use paprika, red chili powder, or chipotle powder instead of cayenne to reduce the heat.
- Substitute fresh lemon juice, white vinegar, Dijon mustard, or red wine vinegar in place of the apple cider vinegar.
- Thicken the sauce by whisking ¼ teaspoon of xanthan gum into the other ingredients.
Tools Used to Make This Recipe
You will need a heavy saucepan and an immersion blender, food processor, or high-speed blender to make Cheerwine BBQ sauce.
I recommend using an immersion blender for the best results. Use the blending cup provided with the immersion blender, a wide-mouth jar, or one of these meal prep containers to ensure the blender works properly and to avoid a mess.
How to Make Cheerwine BBQ Sauce
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Warm the butter and tomato paste in a medium saucepan over low-medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they soften, for about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute.
Step 2: Add the Cheerwine, ketchup, molasses, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, and spices to the pan.
Step 3: Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the temperature and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Stir the sauce occasionally until it thickens.
Step 4: Remove the pan from heat, and process the ingredients with an immersion blender or transfer the sauce to a high-speed blender.
Expert Tips
- Taste and season the sauce with molasses, salt, and other spices until the flavor is just right.
- Once the sauce cools, transfer it to the fridge to speed up the thickening process.
If you enjoy BBQ sauce, pair it with one of these family dinner recipes!
Serving Suggestions
Spread the Cheerwine glaze over meatloaf, Instant Pot beef ribs, grilled chicken drumsticks, pork chops, and crispy baked chicken wings.
Finish pulled beef, chicken, and pork sandwiches with the sweet and spicy BBQ sauce. Stir it into baked beans with hamburger or use it as a dipping sauce for chicken nuggets, quinoa balls, chicken tenders, and air fryer sweet potato wedges.
What to do with the Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store the remaining sauce in an airtight container or glass jar for 1-2 weeks.
- Freeze: Let the sauce cool and transfer it to several freezer-safe bags. Cheerwine BBQ sauce freezes for 2-3 months.
More Barbecue Sauces:
Cheerwine BBQ Sauce
- Saucepan
- Immersion Blender or Blender
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¼ medium sweet onion or shallot, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 can (12 ounces) Cheerwine soda
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons molasses or brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Warm the butter and tomato paste in a medium saucepan over low-medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they soften and become translucent, for about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute.
- Add the Cheerwine, ketchup, molasses, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, and spices to the pan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the temperature and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Stir the sauce occasionally until it thickens.
- Remove the pan from heat, and process the ingredients with an immersion blender or transfer the sauce to a high-speed blender.
- Taste and season the sauce with molasses, salt, and other spices until the flavor is just right.
- Once the sauce cools, transfer it to the fridge to speed up the thickening process.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.