Chipotle Lime BBQ Sauce

You know what I love most about homemade BBQ sauce?  Well, ok, there are a lot of things I like about homemade BBQ sauce…  But what I love most about it is how easily you can change the flavor of the sauce, just by adding a few ingredients.

You start with a few must-haves (ketchup, brown sugar, things like that), add a new flavor or two, and throw everything into a pot.  Yup, that’s about all you need to make your own BBQ sauce.

Playing with the flavors is the best part.  In this case, I added a few chipotle peppers and fresh lime juice.  The result?  A spicy, tangy sauce that just begs to be slathered on a burger and fries!  (Don’t worry if you’re not a fan of too much heat.  Simply scale down the number of chipotle peppers you use for a milder sauce.)

Get your grills ready, people!

Chipotle Lime BBQ Sauce

Makes about 5 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
• 3-4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (I used La Costeña)
• 40 oz. tomato ketchup
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Zest of 1 lime
• Juice of 1 lime

Instructions:

• In a large pot, over medium heat, mix all of the ingredients until combined.
• Bring the BBQ sauce to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened (about 1 hour).
• Remove from the heat, and pour the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl.
• Serve warm over grilled food, and enjoy!
• Note: if you’re not planning on using the BBQ sauce immediately, cool the strained sauce completely and store in a microwave-safe container. When ready to use, reheat the sauce at 1 minute increments until warm.

Original recipe by La Casa de Sweets