In MATLAB, a red gradient can be created in a colorbar by specifying a colormap with red hues and varying intensities. This is typically done using the 'colormap' property of an image or plot. For example, using 'jet' or 'hot' colormap functions can produce a red gradient, where the colors transition from red to lighter shades like pink or yellow. The user can customize the gradient by adjusting the colormap's range or by creating a custom colormap.