Homemade Balsamic Fig Sauce: If you love figs as much as I do than you are going to LOVE this homemade balsamic Fig Sauce. Because the season for Black Mission Figs is short (August through October), this post includes other fig options (dried figs and fig preserves) so the recipe can be made year round.

Homemade Fig Sauce — This recipe comes with the option of using figs in THREE different stages. Fresh figs, dried figs, and fig preserves. Even though all three of them have the same ingredients list they each have their own texture and flavor. All THREE are delicious!

Homemade Balsamic Fig Sauce—Fresh Figs

INGREDEINTS—scroll down for the full printable recipe

olive oil
garlic
shallot
fresh figs
water
chicken stock
balsamic vinegar
fresh thyme
chipotle adobe sauce
granulated sugar
salt
black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Saute shallots and garlic in olive oil.
Cut off the fig stems and cut into 4 pieces.
Add figs, water, chicken stock, balsamic vinegar, fresh thyme, adobe sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper.
Stir to combine, bring to a boil.
Turn down heat and simmer 20 minutes covered.
Remove thyme stems.
Use an immersion blender or transfer to the bowl of a food processor and blend until either the sauce is smooth or leave some chunks for texture.

Homemade Balsamic Fig Sauce—Fresh Figs

HOW TO USE HOMEMADE BALSAMIC FIG SAUCE:

PORK CHOPS: This sauce is amazing on grilled pork chops. Add a little to the grilled sides of the pork chops, grill until pork is done. Serve some heated sauce on the side. DELICIOUS!
PORK TENDERLOIN: Spoon sauce over cooked pork tenderloin or serve the sauce on the side.
GRILLED CHICKEN: Add a little to the grilled sides of the chicken, grill until chicken is done. Serve some of the sauce heated on the side. GREAT FOR DIPPING!
BRIE: Spoon some of the fresh fig sauce on top of a wheel of brie, add a fresh sprig of thyme, chopped nuts, and wrap in store bought puff pastry. Bake in a 400° oven for 30-35 minutes.

Homemade Balsamic Dried Fig Sauce

The Homemade Balsamic Dried Fig Sauce has all the flavors of the Fresh Homemade Balsamic Fig Sauce but, is a little bit thicker ,and has a little more heat. The flavors are so close to the fresh fig sauce they are interchangeable. What does that mean? All the how to use options listed above also apply to the dried fig sauce.

Homemade Balsamic Fig Preserves Sauce

HOW TO USE HOMEMADE BALSAMIC FIG PRESERVES SAUCE

The fig sauce made with preserves is a little bit thinner. It also has a sweet tangy flavor with a pop of heat. Substitute this sauce for your barbecue sauce.

BARBECUED OR SMOKED RIBS: Next time you make ribs slather on some of the homemade balsamic fig sauce.
CHARCUTERIE BOARD: This sauce would pair beautifully with deli meats and cheeses. Add a dollop of cream cheese on a cracker and top it with the preserves sauce.
SAVORY DIP: Mix cream cheese and some of the fig preserves sauce for a delicious savory cracker dip.

WHAT IS ADOBE SAUCE?

Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce are jalapeño chiles that have been dried, smoked and then packed in a flavorful sauce made of tangy tomatoes and spices.

WHAT IS AGED BALSAMIC VINEGAR?

AGED: True barrel aged Italian balsamic vinegars must be aged to the Italian standard of at least 12 years before they can legitimately be referred to as a balsamic vinegar.

TASTE: A rich, complex sweetness that explodes in the mouth with notes of fig, molasses, cherry, chocolate, or prune. Traditional balsamic should pick up the flavors of the wood it matured in, and may have a slight smokiness. Traditional balsamic offers a mellow tartness rather than a strong acidity.

WHAT IS A SHALLOT?

A shallot’s flavor is milder and more delicate than that of a regular onion, though they can often be used in place of common onions (like white onions or yellow onions), and vice versa.

MORE FIG RECIPES

HOLIDAY FIG CREAM CHEESE SPREAD 2. HOLIDAY PORT WINE FIG CHEESE BALL 3. CARAMELIZED ONION AND FIG BURGERS

Homemade Balsamic Fig Sauce

Yield: Makes About 3 Cups, 4 Cups, or 1¾ Cups

NO FRESH FIGS? Don't worry, this post has THREE OPTIONS! Fresh Figs, Dried Figs, and Fig Preserves. Now you can make homemade fig sauce year round!

Ingredients

For the Homemade Balsamic Fresh Fig Sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large shallot, diced
1 (16 ounce) container fresh figs
1 cup water
½ cup chicken stock or broth
½ aged balsamic vinegar
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chipotle adobe sauce
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

For the Balsamic Dried Fig Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, diced
2 large shallots, diced
2 (8 ounce) containers of dried figs
1½ cups water
1½ cups chicken stock or broth
1 cup good aged balsamic vinegar
8 sprigs fresh thyme
2 teaspoons chipotle adobe sauce
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the Balsamic Fig Preserves Sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (13 ounce) jar fig preserves (I used Bonnie Maman)
½ cup water
¼ cup chicken stock or broth
½ cup aged balsamic vinegar
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 teaspoons chipotle adobe sauce
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

For the Homemade Balsamic Fresh Fig Sauce:

In a medium saucepan, add the oil, shallots, and garlic.
Sauté until tender.
Cut off stems, cut figs into 4 pieces.
Add the figs, water, chicken stock, vinegar, thyme, adobe sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper.
Stir to combine turn heat to medium low.
Simmer 20 minutes covered.
Remove thyme stems.
Use an immersion blender or transfer to the bowl of a food processor and blend making sure to leave some fig chunks.
Serve hot or transfer to a container with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate up to four days. MAKES 3 CUPS

HOW TO FREEZE BALSAMIC FRESH FIG SAUCE

Divide sauce into THREE 1 CUP SERVINGS, pour into three separate quart size freezer bags, label, get all the air out of the bags, flatten, close, and freeze up to three months.

For the Balsamic Dried Fig Sauce

In a medium saucepan, add the oil, shallots, and garlic.
Sauté until tender.
Cut off stems, cut figs in half.
Add the figs, water, chicken stock, vinegar, thyme, adobe sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper.
Stir to combine turn heat to medium low.
Simmer 20 minutes covered.
Remove thyme stems.
Use an immersion blender or transfer to the bowl of a food processor and blend making sure to leave some fig chunks.
Serve hot or transfer to a container with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate up to four days. For freezer instructions, refer to the fresh fig sauce.
MAKES 4 CUPS

For the Balsamic Fig Preserves Sauce:

In a medium saucepan, add the oil, shallots, and garlic.
Sauté until tender.
Add the fig preserves, water, chicken stock, vinegar, thyme, adobe sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper.
Stir to combine turn heat to medium low.
Simmer 20 minutes UNCOVERED.
Remove thyme stems.
MAKES 1¾ CUP
Serve hot or transfer to a container with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate up to four days. For freezer instructions, refer to the fresh fig sauce.

SEE BELOW FOR COOKING IDEAS

Notes

FRESH FIG SAUCE

The fresh fig sauce is not as thick as the dried fig sauce. The combination of the sweet and sour balsamic vinegar combined with the fresh thyme and a little heat from the adobe sauce is amazing.

PORK CHOPS: This sauce is amazing on grilled pork chops. Add a little to the grilled sides of the pork chops, grill until pork is done. Serve some heated sauce on the side. DELICIOUS!
PORK TENDERLOIN: Spoon sauce over cooked pork tenderloin or serve the sauce on the side.
GRILLED CHICKEN: Add a little to the grilled sides of the chicken, grill until chicken is done. Serve some of the sauce heated on the side. GREAT FOR DIPPING!
BRIE: Spoon some of the fresh fig sauce on top of a wheel of brie, add a fresh sprig of thyme, chopped nuts, and wrap in store bought puff pastry. Bake in a 400° oven for 30-35 minutes.

DRIED FIG SAUCE

FIG PRESERVES

The fig sauce made with preserves is a little bit thinner. It also has a sweet tangy flavor with a pop of heat. Substitute this sauce for your barbecue sauce.

BARBECUED OR SMOKED RIBS: Next time you make ribs slather on some of the homemade balsamic fig sauce.
CHARCUTERIE BOARD: This sauce would pair beautifully with deli meats and cheeses. Add a dollop of cream cheese on a cracker and top it with the preserves sauce.
SAVORY DIP: Mix cream cheese and some of the fig preserves sauce for a delicious savory cracker dip.

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Homemade Balsamic Fig Sauce