Smoky and sweet…
If you like your barbecue on the sweeter side, yet still with plenty of smoky flavor and spiciness, honey chipotle BBQ sauce is right up your alley. Chipotle peppers have a very eatable medium heat to go along with their natural smokiness. We pair these chilies with a touch of smoked paprika to add a little more smoke without a significant increase in heat. These two ingredients can be adjusted in the recipe to match your heat tolerance while still maintaining the smokiness that’s so delicious paired with honey.
Try this sweet BBQ sauce as a marinade for pork or chicken, or simply have it on the side for a post-grilling flavor boost or dipping sauce.
Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce
A sweet, smoky BBQ sauce made with honey, chipotles in adobo and smoked paprika, with lemon juice and cider vinegar for tang.
Ingredients
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce chopped, plus 1 teaspoon extra adobo sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 white onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can tomato paste 6-ounce can
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil, then sauté the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- Add the chipotle peppers (and extra adobo sauce), water, honey, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the sauce from the stove, then using a hand blender or food processor, process the sauce until smooth.
- If the BBQ sauce is too thin, place the sauce back in the saucepan and continue to simmer until it reaches your desired thickness.
Notes
Two chipotle peppers provide a good amount of spiciness. If you prefer your sauce to be a little milder, but still plenty smoky, remove 1 of the chipotle peppers from the recipe and add extra smoked paprika, which tends to be milder in heat.
If you use this as a basting sauce on the grill, pour what you need for basting into a separate bowl first. Sauce that a brush has carried from raw meat shouldn’t go back in the jar or be served at the table.
Did you make this?Mention @PepperScale or tag #PepperScale so we can see what you made!
A great sauce. Much better than the ones using catsup as a base. For a kick replace the water with rum. Adds a unique flavor and body to the sauce.