Tangy sweet raspberries and smoky chipotle peppers are a dynamic duo of big flavor. We love the pairing in this spicy BBQ sauce recipe, and we double down on the sweet, smoke and spice with brown sugar and smoked paprika. It makes a delicious glaze for chicken and pork, or use it for dipping or drizzling to add impact to a more neutral ingredient. Pour it over cream cheese for a quick (and delicious) appetizer dip, or drizzle it over vanilla ice cream for a spicy dessert.
🌶️ Quick recipe snapshot
| Flavor profile | Sweet-tart raspberry up front, with smoky chipotle, tomato and a little vinegar tang. |
| Primary heat source | Two chipotle peppers in adobo. |
| Heat level | Mild to medium. Chipotles run 2,500 to 8,000 SHU, and two of them go into a full pot of sauce. |
| Texture | Thick and pourable, with some raspberry seeds unless you strain it. |
| Best uses | A glaze for grilled chicken and pork, a dip, or poured over cream cheese. |
| Customization ideas | Fewer chipotles and more smoked paprika for less heat, strained for a smooth sauce, frozen raspberries out of season. |
| Before you start | About 25 minutes on the stove. It tastes best after a night in the fridge. |
Flavor notes
The heat comes from two chipotle peppers in adobo. Chipotles are smoked, dried jalapeños, so they run 2,500 to 8,000 SHU, and here the smoke matters as much as the heat. Mince them fine, and stir in a spoonful of the adobo sauce from the can if you want a little more of both.
Smoked paprika backs up that smoke without adding much heat. So it’s the swap to make if the sauce is too hot for you: cut the chipotles in half and double the paprika, and the smoky flavor stays while the heat drops.
Raspberries are tart as well as sweet, and they break down fast. Ten minutes of simmering is enough to collapse them into the sauce as long as you stir often, and they give it a brighter, fruitier tang than a straight tomato BBQ sauce.
You’ll end up with raspberry seeds in the finished sauce. Plenty of people don’t mind them. If you want it smooth, push the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer while it’s still warm.
Brown sugar and raspberries add up to a lot of sugar, and sugar burns over direct heat. So brush this on during the last few minutes of grilling, once the meat is almost cooked through.
And if you’ve got time, make it a day ahead. It tastes best after a night in the fridge, once the flavors have melded.
Adaptation ideas
Most of these adjust the heat or the texture.
- Want it milder? Use one chipotle instead of two and double the smoked paprika.
- Want it hotter? Add a third chipotle, or a spoonful of the adobo sauce.
- Raspberries out of season? Frozen raspberries work. There’s no need to thaw them, but give them a few extra minutes to break down.
- Want it silky? Blend it with an immersion blender, then push it through a fine-mesh strainer to catch the seeds.
- Swap the berries. Blackberries work the same way and give you a darker, deeper sauce.
Serving ideas
It’s a BBQ sauce first, but it’s sweet enough to go further than the grill.
- On grilled chicken or pork chops. Brushed on at the end, with more on the side.
- With ribs. As a finishing glaze in the last few minutes.
- Over cream cheese. With crackers, for a quick appetizer.
- As a dip. For chicken tenders, meatballs or sweet potato fries.
- Over vanilla ice cream. A small drizzle for a sweet, smoky, spicy dessert.
Storage notes
Keep it in a sealed jar in the fridge and use it within about a week. 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. 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:
- Spicy Blueberry BBQ Sauce: Another fruit BBQ sauce, with blueberries, jalapeño and molasses.
- Cherry Habanero BBQ Sauce: Cherry preserves and habanero, with a little chipotle powder for smoke.
- Easy Raspberry Habanero Sauce: Raspberry again, in a three-ingredient sauce with habanero heat.
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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Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 pints raspberries fresh or frozen
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce minced
- 1/2 cup red onions chopped
- 2 cloves garlic diced
- 1 can tomato sauce 15 ounces
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil, then add the onions. Cook the onions until they are translucent (approximately 3 minutes).
- Add the chipotle peppers and garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds until aromatic.
- Add the tomato sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar and smoked paprika. Stir constantly until fully combined.
- Add the raspberries and bring the mix to a boil. Then lower heat and simmer for approximately 10 minutes. Stir often to break up the raspberries.
- Remove sauce from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature. Use immediately or for best flavor refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to meld.
