Recipe
Big Lu's Chipotle BBQ Sauce
A quick chipotle BBQ sauce with smoky heat and a touch of cilantro. Mix everything together and you've got a sauce that's great on pork or chicken.
Prep
10 min
Cook
—
Total
10 min
Difficulty
Beginner
Yield
About 2 cups
Method
Direct Grilling
Quick little barbecue sauce that’s great for pork or chicken. Thanks Jill for sending this recipe back to me. I’m pretty bad at writing things down. Oh well, on to the recipe.
The whole thing comes together in a bowl, no cooking required, which is why it’s stayed in my rotation for years. The chipotle chiles in adobo are doing the heavy lifting: they bring smoke and heat in one move, so you don’t need a smoker running to get that backyard flavor into a weeknight dinner. Ketchup and brown sugar set the sweet base, cider vinegar and a little mustard cut it, and the molasses rounds it out and gives the sauce some body.
Two tips. Start with less chipotle than you think you want and work up. The heat builds as the sauce sits. And treat it like a glaze, not a marinade: brush it on over the last 15 minutes of cooking so the sugars don’t scorch.
What You Need
Ingredients
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 2 tbsp chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (adjust to your taste)
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Step by Step
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Mix everything together and use it. Delicious.
Pro Tips
- Adjust the amount of chipotle chiles in adobo to control the heat level
- Great on pork and chicken — try it as a glaze during the last 15 minutes of cooking
- Keeps well in the fridge for up to two weeks
Nutrition
Per serving
Calories
50 calories
Protein
0 g
Fat
0 g
Carbs
12 g
Sodium
290 mg
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do you have to cook this BBQ sauce?
- No. Whisk everything together and it’s ready. Letting it sit an hour in the fridge melds the flavors.
- How spicy is it?
- Medium and adjustable. Two tablespoons of chipotle in adobo is a gentle smoky heat; add more for a real kick. It climbs as the sauce rests.
- How long does it keep?
- About two weeks in a sealed jar in the fridge.