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big jar of korean bbq sauce

Classic, Easy Korean BBQ Sauce

This tangy, savory, sweet Korean BBQ sauce perfect for marinating, basting, dipping, smothering, and delighting in! The fruit used in the recipe is a natural tenderizer that will make your BBQ meat deliciously tender and adds natural, wholesome sweeteness.
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Course: Condiment, Sauce
Cuisine: Korean
Keyword: apple, bbq sauce, korean bbq sauce, pear, soy sauce
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 2 cups

Equipment

  • food processor fine chopping and blending of ingredients
  • high power blender creates a more ultra-smooth consistency
  • cutting board
  • knife
  • sauce pot
  • mixing spoon
  • Glass Jar for storing

Ingredients

  • 1 Fuji Apple or similar sweet red apple variety; ripe; large size
  • 1 Pear Asian pear or sweet variety of pear; ripe; large size
  • 147 ml LOW SODIUM soy sauce this is about a ½ cup plus 2 tbsps
  • 1 ½ tbsp Rice Cooking Wine Shaoxing wine
  • 5 tbsp water
  • 1 ½ tbsp brown sugar
  • ½ cup yellow onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 green onion white and green part; chopped
  • Black Pepper a pinch; to taste
  • Cornstarch Slurry OPTIONAL; combine 1 tbsp cornstarch with water until dissolved. Add during simmering for a more thick sauce.

Instructions

  • Peel the pear and apple and remove the cores. Chop the fruit, yellow onion, green onion, and garlic into small pieces.
    1 Fuji Apple, 1 Pear, ½ cup yellow onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 green onion
  • Add the chopped ingredients to the food processor. Add in the water and the soy sauce. Blend until smooth. The mixture will be grainy, but smooth it as much as you can.
    5 tbsp water, 147 ml LOW SODIUM soy sauce
    blending apple pear and green onions
  • Heat a sauce pot over low-medium heat and add the mixture. Pour in the rice wine and brown sugar. Low simmer for ten minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. Add the pepper. Continue to mix and simmer.
    Add in the cornstarch slurry during simmering to thicken the sauce more if you prefer.
    1 ½ tbsp Rice Cooking Wine, 1 ½ tbsp brown sugar, Black Pepper, Cornstarch Slurry
    adding sugar to simmering brown sauce in pan on stove
  • Remove the sauce from the heat and let it cool down completely.
    making a pot of korean bbq sauce on stove
  • Add the cooled down sauce to a high power blender and blend until the sauce is smooth.
    blending korean bbq sauce to make it smooth
  • Store: Transfer your sauce into a clean jar or airtight container. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, allowing the flavors to meld beautifully.
    jar of korean bbq sauce

Notes

Use fresh and ripe fruit. Be sure to completely peel and core the fruit.
Simmer, but do not boil the mixture.
Use low sodium soy sauce, or else the recipe will be very salty.
Taste and adjust to preferences.
For an extra smooth sauce, you can strain the sauce at the end through a wire mesh strainer.