Ancho BBQ sauce provides just a little simmering heat, but really that’s not what makes the sauce. Ancho peppers, while not the spiciest chili around, pack a lot of flavor: a little sweet, a little smoky, and most definitely earthy. Combine them with ingredients that accentuate all three, and you have a real winner here. With grilled pork or chicken it’s especially good. Or use it as a BBQ sauce side perfect for fry dipping.
🌶️ Quick recipe snapshot
| Flavor profile | Sweet, smoky and earthy, with tomato, a little vinegar tang and a background of red wine. |
| Primary heat source | Two ancho peppers, 1,000 to 1,500 SHU. |
| Heat level | Mild. Two anchos spread through a full batch give you warmth more than heat. |
| Texture | Smooth and pourable once it’s blended. Thin it with the ancho soaking liquid. |
| Best uses | Grilled pork and chicken, ribs, burgers, and a dip for fries. |
| Customization ideas | A third ancho for more depth, a chipotle for smoke and heat, or broth in place of the wine. |
| Before you start | About an hour, most of it while the anchos soak. It tastes best after a night in the fridge. |
Flavor notes
Anchos are dried poblano peppers, and they run 1,000 to 1,500 Scoville heat units. Compare that with a jalapeño’s 2,500 to 8,000, and only two anchos go into a full batch. So the sauce is mild enough for just about anyone at the table.
The ancho earns its place with flavor. You get sweetness, a little smoke and a lot of earthiness, and that smokiness is the chili’s own. Anchos aren’t smoked the way chipotles are, and our ancho vs. chipotle guide sorts out the difference.
Soaking is what lets the anchos blend smooth. Pull the stems off along with the seeds before they go in the bowl, and hang on to that soaking liquid. It’s what you’ll use to thin the sauce at the end, and it’s already full of ancho flavor. Our guide to rehydrating peppers has more on the process.
The red wine only simmers for a few minutes, so you’ll still have a good share of its alcohol in the sauce. USDA figures show 40% of the alcohol still there after 15 minutes of simmering, and this sauce gets less time than that. If you’re cooking for kids or anyone who avoids alcohol, use broth instead.
Give the sauce its full five minutes off the heat before it goes in the blender. Hot liquid in a sealed blender can push the lid off, so leave the center cap out and cover the opening with a folded towel while it runs.
And if you’ve got time, make it a day ahead. It tastes best after a night in the fridge, once the flavors have had a chance to meld.
Adaptation ideas
Most of these change the heat, the smoke or the texture.
- Want more heat? Add a chipotle in adobo to the blender, or a pinch of cayenne. The chipotle brings smoke along with its heat.
- Want it deeper? Use three anchos instead of two, and add a little more of the soaking liquid to keep your sauce pourable.
- Skipping the alcohol? Use a cup of beef or vegetable broth in place of the wine, plus an extra tablespoon of apple cider vinegar for some of the wine’s tang.
- Can’t find anchos? Mulatos are the closest swap, since they’re dried poblanos too. Guajillos work as well, though they’re tangier and a bit hotter, and our ancho pepper substitute guide covers the rest.
- Want it thicker? Simmer the blended sauce for a few extra minutes, stirring often so it doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan.
- Want it stickier? Add another tablespoon of brown sugar or a spoonful of molasses, and brush it on toward the end of grilling.
Serving ideas
Use it like you would any BBQ sauce. But it’s especially good with grilled pork or chicken, or as a side for fry dipping.
- On grilled pork or chicken. Brush it on for the last few minutes of grilling, since sugary sauces scorch over direct heat, and put more on the table.
- With ribs or pulled pork. As a finishing glaze on ribs, or stirred through pulled pork right before serving.
- On burgers. A spoonful on your grilled burger, with sharp cheddar and pickled onions.
- As a dip for fries. Warm or at room temperature, with fries, sweet potato wedges or chicken tenders.
Storage notes
Keep it in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to two weeks. It freezes well, too, for up to three months.
If you’re grilling with it, pour what you need for basting into a separate bowl first, because once a brush has touched raw meat, that sauce shouldn’t go back in the jar or onto the table.
Like this recipe? You’ll love these too:
- Easy Mole Sauce: Another ancho sauce, with cocoa, cinnamon and cloves over browned onion and tomato.
- Smoked Chili Powder: Dried ancho or chipotle, toasted cumin and smoked paprika, for a rub to go with the sauce.
- Cherry Habanero BBQ Sauce: A sweeter, hotter BBQ sauce, with dark cherry standing up to habanero.
50 quick, bold sauces and salsas: classic salsas and fun twists, BBQ sauces with a kick, and dippers with bang. Simple to make, big on flavor.
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Ancho BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 ancho peppers seeds removed and roughly chopped
- 2 medium onions chopped
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup red wine dry red wine is best
- 1 cup ketchup or ketchup-like chili sauce for a little extra flavor
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper more to taste
Instructions
Rehydrate the Ancho Pepper
- Heat 2 cups of water until boiling.
- Place the ancho peppers in a medium mixing bowl, then pour the boiling water over the anchos until the chilies are fully covered.
- Let the chilies sit for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the ancho peppers soften. Drain the liquid and keep it to the side.
Make The Ancho BBQ Sauce
- In a saucepan over medium, sauté the onion in the vegetable oil until translucent (4 to 5 minutes).
- Add the tomato paste and garlic and continue to cook, stirring often, for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the ancho peppers, red wine, and 2 tablespoons of the reserved ancho pepper liquid, then lower the heat to low and allow the mix to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the ketchup (or chili sauce), apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, ground cumin, salt, and pepper. Continue simmering and stirring for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove the mix from the heat and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Then transfer the mix into a blender (or use a food processor). Process the sauce until you reach a smooth consistency. Add ancho water as needed to thin the sauce.
- Use immediately, or for best flavor place the ancho BBQ sauce in a covered airtight container and chill overnight to allow the flavors to meld. The sauce will also keep for 1 to 2 weeks if prepping in advance.
