Chipotle BBQ Sauce

A sweet and smoky BBQ sauce with a hint of spice. Chipotle BBQ Sauce with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce is perfect for marinating chicken, ribs, and pork chops while also being a great sauce for burgers, chicken fingers, and fries!

Add our chipotle BBQ sauce to our Bacon Blue Cheeseburgeror use it for ourBBQ Grilled Chicken Salad.

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Why This Recipe

Homemade Chipotle BBQ Sauce is so much better than what you'll get at the store. Plus it's a whole lot cheaper if you're someone who keeps these ingredients on hand. This one is delicious with the perfect amount of spice.

I love to add this to my favorite Cast Iron Chicken Breast recipe or top my Grilled Stuffed Pork Chops with it! Whenever I'm grilling, I always like to have this sauce to marinate chicken thighs for grilling or to toss my wings in!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Tabasco. I like that Tabasco sauce gives a hint of spice right on the tongue. But you can use any hot sauce that you like. Being from North Carolina, I prefer the vinegar-based hot sauce.
• Chipotle Peppers in Adobo. I would use 1-2 max for this recipe, depending on your tolerance for spice. Since we're simmering the BBQ sauce, it can tend to get kind of spicy.
• Water. If you choose not to cook the sauce, skip the water in the recipe.
• Apple Cider Vinegar. White wine vinegar would work as a substitute.

*Please see the recipe card below for more information on ingredients.

How to Make Chipotle BBQ Sauce

Step 1: In a bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, water, Worcestershire sauce, tabasco, yellow mustard, paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper.

Step 2: Whisk together these ingredients until completely mixed together.

Step 3: Bring a pan to medium heat and add olive oil. Add the garlic and chipotle pepper. Saute for 2 minutes.

Step 4: Pour the sauce from the bowl into the pan. Simmer for 15 minutes until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Remove the sauce from the heat and let it cool.

Step 5: Transfer the sauce to a mason jar or storage container. Store in the fridge.

Pro-Tips

1. When simmering the bbq sauce, make sure to stir often to avoid sugar crystallizing in the pan. Sugar can burn easily. Lower the heat if necessary and keep the simmer very low.
2. Don't immediately pour hot sauce into a jar. It will break the glass. 

Making BBQ Chicken

A lot of people think making BBQ chicken is as easy as tossing chicken in BBQ sauce and throwing it on the grill. The BBQ sauce is guaranteed to burn right off. Here are some tips for grilling up some great BBQ chicken with Chipotle BBQ Sauce!

1. Start by marinating the chicken in a small amount of BBQ sauce, but don't forget to season with salt and pepper first.
2. Get the grill to a high temperature, like 500-600 degrees, throw your chicken on, and immediately lower the heat to medium-low.
3. Mix the BBQ sauce with melted butter on the side. After grilling for 2-3 minutes, paint the chicken with more BBQ sauce.
4. When you flip the chicken make sure to brush the chicken with more BBQ sauce again. This will help the sugar crystalize on the chicken so it's nice and sticky.
5. I always like to toss in a little more BBQ sauce once the chicken has cooled for about 2-3 minutes!

Recipe FAQs

What is chipotle BBQ sauce made of?

It consists of ketchup, mustard, chipotle peppers in adobo, Worcestershire sauce, tabasco, apple cider vinegar, garlic, and seasonings!

Is Chipotle BBQ sauce hot?

It has a hint of spice but it is definitely nothing like a hot sauce. It is more sweet and smoky.

How do you store homemade BBQ sauce?

Let BBQ sauce cool in the pan. Once it is cooled, transfer it to a mason jar or storage container with an airtight lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

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