Y’all, I love a bold bbq sauce, and this one has bomb flavor in every possible way. It’s got tart cherries in the mix (go with it), smoky chipotle peppers, spices and sweet molasses. When you wanna level up your summer bbq, make this chipotle bbq sauce.
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How To Make Chipotle BBQ Sauce
Step 1: Heat the canola oil in a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. To the pot, add the onion and a heavy pinch of salt. Saute, stirring frequently, until the onions are slightly browned and mostly translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté another minute.
Step 2: Add tomato sauce, chipotle peppers, and pitted cherries. Mix to combine and bring to a low boil.
Step 3: Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot and stir to combine. Allow the sauce to simmer for at least thirty minutes, giving plenty of time for the cherry juices to release. Taste frequently and adjust sweetness based on your preferences.
Step 4: Use a stick immersion blender to puree the sauce in the pot until smooth, or carefully transfer to a blender in small batches. Simmer the pureed sauce for at least another ten minutes and season to taste. If the sauce is too thick for your liking, you can add a bit of water or broth to thin it out. Serve immediately or store in airtight mason jars for later use.
Chipotle BBQ Sauce Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1 large white onion diced
- kosher salt
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 7 oz chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 2 lbs cherries pitted and chopped (see note below about using froze)
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup worcestershire
- 1 tbsp ground mustard
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp liquid smoke optional
Instructions
- Heat the canola oil in a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. To the pot, add the onion and a heavy pinch of salt. Saute, stirring frequently, until the onions are slightly browned and mostly translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté another minute.
- Add tomato sauce, chipotle peppers, and pitted cherries. Mix to combine and bring to a low boil.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot and stir to combine. Allow the sauce to simmer for at least thirty minutes, giving plenty of time for the cherry juices to release. Taste frequently and adjust sweetness to fit your preferences.
- Use a stick immersion blender to puree the sauce in the pot until smooth, or carefully transfer to a blender in small batches. Simmer the pureed sauce for at least another ten minutes and season to taste. If the sauce is too thick for your liking, you can add a bit of water or broth to thin it out.
- Serve immediately or store in airtight mason jars for later use.
Notes
Storage
This sauce can last for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. To extend its life, check the freezing instructions below! To freeze, let it come to room temperature and place it into an airtight, freezer-safe container. Label the container, then put in the freezer for up to 6 months. To thaw, either let it sit in the fridge overnight or run the container under hot water until the sauce releases into a saucepan where you’ll heat it up to your desired temperature.Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Pick great cherries: Look for bright green stems which is a big indicator for freshness. You’ll want the cherries themselves to be firm, plump, and dense, with shiny skins and deeply saturated color.
- Using Frozen Cherries: You can use frozen (replace with 2 lbs of frozen cherries) just make sure they are thoroughly thawed and drained before use. We don’t want to add more moisture than necessary!
- Adjust: Some cherries are sweeter or tarter than others. Same with the spiciness of chipotle peppers. Keep in mind once the sauce is pureed, do your adjustments then.
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Serving Suggestions
Pair this sauce with one of my classic BBQ cookout recipes!
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I look forward to cherries coming into season. This BBQ sauce is delicious. I use it on roast beef, chicken ,ribs. Chicken tenders as dipping sauce, want to see about butt roast sandwiches, awesome delicious BBQ sauce
I was wondering about the molasses? Dark or light? Or does it make difference. What the best to use in this recipe. I made this before. Awesome BBQ. Ribs,chicken , cooked up roast had left overs made roast BBQ sandwiches. Delicious even good on pork chops, roast but sandwiches.
Thanks so much! I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the sauce on everything from ribs to roast sandwiches!
For this recipe, I recommend unsulfured dark molasses. It has a richer, deeper flavor that pairs beautifully with the cherries and chipotle peppers. Light molasses will work in a pinch, but the sauce won’t have quite the same depth of flavor.
Thank you so much for sharing all the delicious ways you’ve used it. That roast BBQ sandwich sounds incredible!