Grilled Chipotle Ranch Sliders

I make sliders much more often than I do full-sized burgers. I’ve made all sorts of them. From chicken chorizo patty melt sliders to cedar-planked beef sliders, to grilled Big Mac sliders, I just love sliders. These grilled chipotle Ranch sliders have such fantastic flavor. A little heat. A little smokiness. The sauce really kicks up that great cooked-outside flavor. They’re highly addicting.

Grilled Chipotle Ranch Sliders

Dangerously Addicting

The chipotles in adobo not only add great heat to the grilled chipotle Ranch sliders, they also keep the patties very moist and tender. I topped them with mayonnaise mixed with a bit more chipotles in adobo for a nice creamy (and spicy) finish. Not too hot, mind you. Just a great spicy flavor.

Of course you can make these in full-sized versions too. Instead of 8 patties form the meat mixture into 4 patties and make ‘normal’ burgers.

Don’t have chipotles in adobo on hand? Substitute Sriracha sauce or your favorite hot sauce.

Also try my cool shot glass sliders.

Grilled Chipotle Ranch Sliders
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5 from 1 vote

Grilled Chipotle Ranch Sliders

These grilled chipotle Ranch sliders have such fantastic flavor. The chipotles in adobo not only add great heat to the sliders, they also keep the patties very moist and tender. 
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword sliders, spicy
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 8 sliders
Calories 290kcal

Ingredients

For the burgers

For the sauce

Instructions

For the burgers

  • Place the beef in a large bowl. Add in the dressing mix and adobo. Mix well.
  • Form the meat into 2 ounce slider patties.
  • Grill the patties as desired.
  • Lightly toast the buns.
  • Serve patties on buns topped with the sauce.

For the sauce

  • Combine the mayonnaise and adobo sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 290kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 369mg | Potassium: 154mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 98IU | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Smoky Chipotle Rubs

I love my smoker. My Weber Smokey Mountain gets a workout all through the year, making everything from jerky to pulled pork. Sometimes I want a great smoky flavor (and some heat) from my gas grill or my Big Easy. That’s where these smoky chipotle rubs come in.

The smoked paprika in both versions of rubs add that great smoky flavor. The chipotle powder brings the heat and a bit more smoky flavor. To mellow it out a bit there’s a bit of brown sugar. The big difference between the two versions? I use the first when I want an earthier, more southwestern flavor. I use the second when I want a bit more texture, a little heat, and the added flavors of garlic and onion.

Smoky Chipotle Rub

Great On Everything

These smoky chipotle rubs are great on poultry, pork, and beef. Sprinkle them on your burgers. My favorite way to use them? On chicken wings.

I keep my rubs and spice mixes in a dark, cool pantry, in air-tight containers. To remember what is what and when I made it, I write the name and the date I made them on blue painter’s tape and affix it to the container. The tape comes off easily when I’m done with the mix so I can re-use the container for other things.

Chipotle rub #1 is fantastic on my (wet) smoky chipotle chicken wings.

Smoky Chipotle Rub
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3.50 from 2 votes

Smoky Chipotle Rub #1

The smoked paprika in my smoky chipotle rubs add that great smoky flavor. The chipotle powder brings the heat and a bit more smoky flavor. To mellow it out a bit there’s a bit of brown sugar. 
Course Spice Mix
Cuisine American
Keyword rub, smoky, spicy
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 cup
Calories 272kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients into an air-tight container. Seal and shake to combine.

Nutrition

Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 7027mg | Potassium: 377mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 3544IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 7mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Chipotle rub #2 is fantastic on my smoky chipotle dry wings.

Smoky Chipotle Rub
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5 from 1 vote

Smoky Chipotle Rub #2

The smoked paprika in both versions of smoky chipotle rubs add that great smoky flavor. The chipotle powder brings the heat and a bit more smoky flavor. To mellow it out a bit there’s a bit of brown sugar. 
Course Spice Mix
Cuisine American
Keyword rub, smoky, spicy
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1
Calories 56kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients into an air-tight container. Seal and shake to combine.

Nutrition

Calories: 56kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4674mg | Potassium: 204mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2278IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Chipotle Bacon

This is the first year that I’ve been experimenting with curing my own meats to make bacon and jerky. I’ve found the processes to be much easier than I had expected, and the end results to be far, far better than I could’ve ever dreamed. It all started when I bought a small pork belly and made homemade applewood-smoked maple bacon. After that success, I contacted my local butcher at Moody’s Butcher Shop and ordered two pork sides. As I soon found out, a pork side (seen below) is like a pork belly but oh so much bigger and thicker and perfect. It screams bacon. It screams chipotle bacon.

Chipotle Bacon

Subtle, But Fantastic

This chipotle bacon had a mild chipotle flavor. The first time I made it I was way too shy with the chipotle, and although it was fantastic, it didn’t have much of that great smoky chipotle flavor. I recommend you be quite liberal with the chipotle peppers. We aren’t making cheesecake here. Use a lot of chipotle.

Blows Store-Bought Bacon Away

I am so hooked on homemade bacon I know I’ll never go back to store-bought. Not only is homemade tastier, I can make whatever flavor combination I want. I usually do a few big batches all at once, freezing any leftovers for later use.

Also try my Sriracha bacon and my black pepper bacon.

Chipotle Bacon
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5 from 1 vote

Chipotle Bacon

This chipotle bacon had a mild chipotle flavor. The first time I made it I was way too shy with the chipotle, and although it was fantastic, it didn’t have much of that great smoky chipotle flavor.
Course Side
Cuisine American
Keyword bacon, homemade, spicy
Prep Time 7 days
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 7 days 2 hours
Servings 1 pound
Calories 4780kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Put the belly into a large resealable bag.
  • Whisk together the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Add to the baggie.
  • Seal the bag, trying to remove as much air as possible. Place in to a deep flat pan (in case the bag leaks) in the fridge for 7 days, flipping over twice a day.
  • The day you are ready to smoke, fire up your smoker for 225 F cooking over a light wood such as apple.
  • Remove belly from the bag and rinse well with cold water.
  • Place belly onto smoker and smoke for 1 1/2-2 hours or until the meat reaches 150 F.
  • Remove belly from smoker and let cool slightly before placing in the fridge for an hour.
  • Slice bacon as desired. Bake, pan fry, or use however you wish!
  • Store smoked bacon in a plastic bag or container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

Scale the recipe for your pork belly. The recipe below is for a 2 pound belly.

Nutrition

Calories: 4780kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 85g | Fat: 481g | Saturated Fat: 175g | Cholesterol: 653mg | Sodium: 8522mg | Potassium: 1759mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 5074IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 8mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Chipotle BLT Bites

It’s that great time of year when tomatoes are plentiful. And when I think tomatoes, I think BLTs. But not necessarily BLT sandwiches. These little chipotle BLT bites pack all the great flavors of a BLT sandwich in a single pop-in-your-mouth bite, and of course, they come with a little kick. They take a little time to make, but the effort is worth it. Scooping out cherry tomatoes is not necessarily the most fun thing to do, so grab your spouse and a few cocktails and make a party out of it. Or, use slightly bigger tomatoes and make the job easier.

Chipotle BLT Bites

Love That Smoky Heat

The chipotle mayonnaise really makes these chipotle BLT bites something fantastic. Sure, you can omit the chipotles and use just straight mayonnaise. Either way, they are great little appetizers for your next cookout or family get-together.

Looking for something a little more substantial than a lil ole bite? Try my bacon weave BLTs!

This recipe is based on a recipe from Rachael Ray.

Chipotle BLT Bites
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5 from 1 vote

Chipotle BLT Bites

These little chipotle BLT bites pack all the great flavors of a BLT sandwich in a single pop-in-your-mouth bite, and of course, they come with a little kick. 
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword snacks, spicy, tomato
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 32 bites
Calories 47kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Lay the tomatoes out so they stand up. Cut about 1/3rd of the tops off and scoop out the insides (I used the tip of a small sharp knife).
  • Place a small piece of lettuce inside each tomato.
  • Combine the mayo and chipotle. We love chipotle, so I doubled the amount. Transfer to a pastry bag, and squeeze into each tomato.
  • Sprinkle tomatoes with salt.
  • Top each tomato with bacon.

Nutrition

Calories: 47kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 53mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 276IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Mac and Jack Salad

I love a good pasta salad. And more and more, I like pasta salads that are a combination of traditional ingredients (celery, mayo, onion… the usual suspects) and something different. Like in this Mac and Jack salad, which has spicy hot chipotle salsa in it. Yep, salsa. Now, it’s not crazy hot at all, just a little kick which makes it something different and fantastic. The vinegar and oil dressing keeps this salad different than your usual mayonnaise-sauced salad.

Mac and Jack Salad

Wonderful Contrasts

This Mac and Jack salad has a great crunch with lots of fresh veggies, and creamy cheese chunks. It might just be the perfect pasta salad. For a spicy kick you’ll definitely want to go with pepper jack cheese. And add a chopped jalapeno or two.

Also try my three bean macaroni salad.

Mac and Jack Salad
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5 from 1 vote

Mac and Jack Salad

Like in this Mac and Jack salad, which has spicy hot chipotle salsa in it. Yep, salsa. Now, it’s not crazy hot at all, just a little kick which makes it something different and fantastic.
Course Side
Cuisine American
Keyword cheese, pasta salad
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 221kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Cook pasta in boiling salted water.
  • Rinse with cold water and drain well.
  • Combine corn, bell pepper, onion and celery in a large bowl.
  • Stir in the cheese.
  • Add the pasta and stir.
  • Season with salt and pepper.
  • Place red wine vinegar in a small bowl.
  • Whisk in the oil.
  • Whisk in the salsa.
  • Stir into the pasta mix.
  • Stir in the fresh cilantro or parsley.
  • Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Nutrition

Calories: 221kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 696mg | Potassium: 451mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1233IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 242mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Chipotle Popcorn Chicken Bites

I love fried chicken, specially if it has been marinated in buttermilk. But, silly me, I’d never thought of adding chipotles in adobo to the marinade. These chipotle popcorn chicken bites are soooo good. They’re tender and tasty thanks to the buttermilk and they have a really nice kick to them thanks to the smoked jalapenos. Not too hot, but they definitely pack a little spiciness.

Chipotle Popcorn Chicken Bites

Grab Some Ranch And Get To Eatin’

I served these little yummy chipotle popcorn chicken bites with your standard Ranch dressing for dipping. They’d also be great dunked my copycat Chick-fil-A sauce.

If I’m cooking for a crowd, I’ll break out my big deep fryer. But, if it’s just the two of us, I’ll fire up my Fry Daddy fryer. It’s the perfect size for both of us. It fries everything perfectly. And as an added bonus, it doesn’t use a lot of oil, which saves me money.

I get out my big deep fryer when it’s time to fry a large batch of food. It comes to temperature quickly and it maintains that temperature perfectly. It has a built-in oil filter and storage unit so I can re-use the oil several times.

Also try my copycat of Popeye’s popcorn chicken bites!

Chipotle Popcorn Chicken Bites
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5 from 1 vote

Chipotle Popcorn Chicken Bites

I love fried chicken, specially if it has been marinated in buttermilk. But, silly me, I’d never thought of adding chipotles in adobo to the marinade. 
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword popcorn chicken, spicy
Prep Time 1 day
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 day 20 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 275kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place chicken into a bowl.
  • Add buttermilk and chipotles and mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  • Heat oil in a Dutch oven or deep fryer to 350 F.
  • Working in batches, shake off excess marinade and fry chicken 2-3 minutes until done and golden brown. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt and pepper.
  • Serve with Ranch dressing for dipping.

Nutrition

Calories: 275kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 380mg | Potassium: 377mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1074IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Chipotle Turkey Salad

This chipotle turkey salad is one of the most amazing salads I’ve ever made or had. The addition of two simple ingredients, chipotles in adobo and cilantro, to a pretty standard turkey (or chicken) salad recipe really takes it to a new level. This is a fantastic way to use up leftover turkey from Thanksgiving. I wouldn’t just make this salad when I have leftovers around. It’s worth making any time.

Chipotle Turkey Salad

No Turkey? Use Chicken Instead

I used roasted turkey from my Char-Broil Big Easy. Any cooked turkey (or chicken) will do just fine in. You want it chunky, though and not finely chopped. Or at least that’s how I like mine!

If you’re in a rush just grab a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and shred the meat for the salad.

This recipe is based on a recipe from Simply Recipes.

Chipotle Turkey Salad
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5 from 1 vote

Chipotle Turkey Salad

This chipotle turkey salad is one of the most amazing salads I’ve ever made or had. The addition of two simple ingredients, chipotles in adobo and cilantro, to a pretty standard turkey (or chicken) salad recipe really takes it to a new level. 
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword salad, spicy, turkey
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 580kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Mix together the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, and mayonnaise.
  • Place remaining ingredients except for the salt and pepper into a bowl.
  • Fold in the mayonnaise mixture and add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve on sandwiches, or spoon into seeded avocado halves for a delicious salad.

Nutrition

Calories: 580kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 60g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 236mg | Potassium: 292mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 307IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Chipotle Blackberry Wings on the Char-Broil Big Easy

Note: This recipe was developed using the Char-Broil Big Easy Oil-Less Fryer. If you are cooking using the Char-Broil Smoker-Roaster Grill you should cook with the lid open and the temperature set to High. You might also need to adjust the cooking time.

You know I love chicken wings. Any time, any way. So I was really looking forward to these wings. I made chipotle blackberry wings on the Char-Broil Big Easy with the Wingin’ator 3000, but you can make them in the oven, on a grill, or just deep fry them. The sauce is what makes these wings fantastic. A nice sweetness and a nice smoky heat. Perfect.

Chipotle Blackberry Wings on the Char-Broil Big Easy

To cool off the heat a bit, I served these chipotle blackberry wings on the Char-Broil Big Easy with our buffalo wing dipping sauce. Oh, and don’t like blackberry? Try this same recipe with raspberries!

I store my leftover homemade sauces in squeeze bottles. If refrigerated, I set them out an hour before using so they come to room temperature. You don’t want to put cold sauce on hot wings!

Love your Big Easy as much I love mine? Check out my Big Easy Add-Ons page and my free Big Easy eCookbook!

Chipotle Blackberry Wings on the Char-Broil Big Easy
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4 from 1 vote

Chipotle Blackberry Wings on the Char-Broil Big Easy

The sauce is what makes these wings fantastic. A nice sweetness and a nice smoky heat. Perfect.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword Big Easy, Char-Broil, spicy, wings
Prep Time 16 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 490kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

For the sauce

Instructions

Nutrition

Calories: 490kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 383mg | Potassium: 247mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 1179IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Chipotle Aioli

This is the perfect kicked-up aioli. Great for topping roasted turkey sandwiches, regular sandwiches, wraps, hot dogs (yes, hot dogs) and burgers. Everything where you would use mayonnaise. This chipotle aioli takes something that was just ok and will make it taste fantastic.

Roasted Turkey Sandwiches with Chipotle Aioli

Perfect For Non-Boring Sandwiches

Why have boring when you can get a little heat and a little smoky flavor to boot? Make a batch of chipotle aioli and keep it in the fridge. For an aioli with a bit more of a spicy kick than this chipotle aioli, try my Sriracha aioli. It’s great on sandwiches too! Make them both and really have a crowd-pleasing sandwich bar.

I’m not shy with these sauce when I make a big ole sandwich. And I like for it to set for a few minutes before I dive in. I like it to soak into my bread. More flavor, more better, I say!

Roasted Turkey Sandwiches with Chipotle Aioli
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4 from 1 vote

Chipotle Aioli

This is the perfect kicked-up aioli. Great for topping roasted turkey sandwiches, regular sandwiches, wraps, hot dogs (yes, hot dogs) and burgers. 
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword mayonnaise, spicy
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 cup
Calories 1542kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Whisk together all but the salt and pepper.
  • Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Keep in refrigerator until ready to use.

Nutrition

Calories: 1542kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 168g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 1457mg | Potassium: 137mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1005IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Sliders with Chipotle Lime Mayonnaise

We grill pork tenderloins with great regularity. They are so tender (if you don’t overcook them), and like chicken breasts or most white fish, they take on other flavors very well. This recipe for grilled pork tenderloin sliders with chipotle lime mayonnaise combines a great southwest-inspired rub with a mayonnaise that is kicked up with some smoky chipotle and citrusy lime. Served as sliders, these little yummy bites are sure to disappear in no time.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Sliders with Chipotle Lime Mayonnaise

Great Tastes In Every Bite

The grilled green onions really add a nice dimension to these grilled pork tenderloin sliders with chipotle lime mayonnaise. The mayonnaise is also great on deli meat sandwiches and grilled chicken sandwiches. Ok, it’s great on any sandwich. I’ve also found myself using it on hot-off-the-grill hamburgers.

I almost always use Blue Plate mayonnaise in the dishes I make. I think it is the best around. If you can’t find it locally you can pick it up online for a fair price.

I had no clue that you could buy chipotle lime mayonnaise online or in stores. I need to get out more. But it’s easy enough to make it yourself too.

Also try my grilled pork tenderloins with garlic mustard compound butter. They aren’t sliders, but they are awfully good.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Sliders with Chipotle Lime Mayonnaise
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4 from 1 vote

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Sliders with Chipotle Lime Mayonnaise

This recipe for grilled pork tenderloin sliders with chipotle lime mayonnaise combines a great southwest-inspired rub with a mayonnaise that is kicked up with some chipotle and lime.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword grilled, mayonnaise, sliders, spicy, Teriyaki
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 399kcal
Author Based on a recipe from Famouse Brand Name Recipes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Rub both tenderloins with the oil.
  • In a bowl, combine the chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the tenderloins.
  • Place tenderloins into a large resealable baggie. Add green onions and seal. Shake gently to also coat the onions.
  • Refrigerate for 1 hour.
  • Meanwhile, make the mayonnaise by combining the mayo, chipotle, and lime juice. Refrigerate until needed.
  • Fire up your grill for direct and indirect cooking. Sear the tenderloins on all sides and remove to indirect heat to continue cooking to an internal temperature of 160 F. Remove, cover with foil, and let cool slightly.
  • Place the green onions over direct heat and grill for 3 minutes, turning often. Remove and chop into 1″ long pieces.
  • Slice the tenderloins.
  • Slather sliders bun the mayonnaise. Add the pork, 2 quarters of cheese, and onions. Serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 399kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 514mg | Potassium: 118mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 756IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 235mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate.