The simple addition of a few chipotles in adobo sauce to what is normally just a great regular-ole tomato-based BBQ sauce really makes for a totally different, utterly fantastic sauce for ribs, chicken, pulled pork… you name it. Chipotles (smoke-dried jalapenos) are one of my favorite things. I love the combination of heat and smokiness. They’re perfect for things like this southwestern BBQ sauce.
I rubbed down a rack of St. Louis-style ribs with homemade Cajun seasoning. Then I smoked it for 6 hours until the meat was nice and tender. I then brushed on some of this great southwestern BBQ sauce let the ribs smoke for another 15 minutes, just long enough to set the sauce up just a bit. It’s not a thin sauce, and it’s not a thick sauce. I’d call it just the right consistency for things like ribs. You know you’re going to get messy eating them, but there’s no reason to drown in the sauce or to have it all just roll off the ribs and down your arms.
I like to keep my sandwich sauces in squirt bottles. It’s fun to squirt sauces onto sandwiches or well, just about anything.
Also try my strawberry chipotle BBQ sauce.
Southwestern BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons chipotles in adobo sauce chopped, plus some of the adobo sauce
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 4 cups tomato sauce
- ½ cup molasses
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Add the onions and saute until starting to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and the chipotles and cook for 1 minute.
- Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and lime juice.
- Reduce heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.
- Add the adobo sauce, tomato sauce, molasses, mustard, bay leaves and salt.
- Increase heat and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and continue simmering, stirring often, for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce is the desired thickness.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly before straining through a fine-mesh strainer.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
