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.

Course Sauce

Cuisine American

Keyword Chipotle in Adobo Sauce, Smoked Paprika

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Servings tablespoons

Calories 23kcal

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 sweet (dulce)
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, use 1 chipotle pepper and add another teaspoon of sweet smoked paprika, which brings smoke without the heat. Smoked paprika also comes hot (picante), so check the label.

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.

Keep it in a sealed jar in the fridge and use it within about a week.

Nutrition