Homemade Creamy Chipotle BBQ Sauce

This smoky, creamy chipotle BBQ sauce goes with everything. It's one of those sauces that just works. It's an easy smoky sauce for grilled fish tacos, burgers, chicken, fajitas, fries and grilled vegetables. This works anywhere you might use mayonnaise, but it adds a bit more pop to your meal. Super easy to make at home or outdoors.

This creamy chipotle BBQ sauce is a finishing sauce for grilled and smoked foods - not a brush-on barbecue glaze. It is intended to be a spicy dip and/or a condiment for foods. You won't be brushing this on your wings as you cook 'em.

Smoky Creamy Chipotle BBQ Sauce

Smoky chipotle (a smoked red jalapeno pepper) sauce is based from the medium heat chipotle chile. I combine that with Greek yogurt and a little maple syrup. That's it!

To be clear, there really is no such thing as a "chipotle chile pepper". A chipotle is really a red jalapeño pepper that has been smoke-dried slowly.

Chipotles are used a lot in Mexican cooking, and they give a deep, smoky, distinctive heat and flavor. You might have come across chipotles used in a tomato sauce, this is one of the most popular ways to use these little peppers, but if you've not tried them yet in a sauce, you're in for a treat!

This homemade version is made with real food ingredients and very few of them. The chipotle paste does the talking without the need for any preservative or unpronounceable ingredients you find in shop bought versions. And....it takes just minutes to whip up a batch. Maybe less :).

Homemade vs Store-Bought Sauce

Store-bought chipotle sauces tend to have loads of sugar in them. This serves two purposes. The first being that sugar acts as a preservative (along with other ingredients) and therefore the sauce can sit on the shelf longer.

The second, is that I've seen some chipotle sauces with less than 1% chipotle. The percentage is always going to be on the low side since the chipotle can pack a punch. Maybe you wouldn't expect a high percentage of actual chile pepper in any sauce, but less than 1%? That's a lot of fillers making up the other 99% :).

For me, it's a no brainer to make this at home or even at camp. It's so easy and quick.

How To Use Chipotle BBQ Sauce

You can adjust the chipotle in this recipe to suit the tastes of your family. For really little kids I'd recommend using very little paste to start with - their taste buds can be more sensitive than ours and so this might be a little hot, but starting small means you can add more if needed. And if you do add too much paste, adding more yogurt will counteract the chipotle.

Being a creamy sorta sauce, this works anywhere you might use mayonnaise. It's quite thick, but could be thinned out a little for dressings. Here's some of the ways this sauce gets used around here:

• In sandwiches
• On grilled chicken fajitas
• On burgers or grilled chicken
• As salad dressing (thinned out with a tablespoon of milk)
• Dipping sauce for fries or solar-braised potatoes
• Quesadilla dip
• With chicken tenders and fries
• In a wrap

A Good Sauce for Camping and RV Meals

This chipotle sauce is especially convenient for camping and RV cooking because it requires no stove, grill, blender, or electricity. All you need is a small bowl and a spoon or whisk.

For the easiest option, mix it at home and transport it in a tightly sealed container. It can then be used throughout the trip as a burger topping, taco sauce, sandwich spread, fry dip, or dressing for grilled chicken and vegetables. One small container can add flavor to several otherwise simple campground meals.

You can also make it inside the RV, or outside on the table, in just a few minutes. Chipotle paste and maple syrup take up very little space, and Greek yogurt is an ingredient you may already have in the refrigerator for breakfasts and snacks.

Although it travels well when properly chilled, this is not only a camping recipe. It is just as useful for weeknight dinners, backyard grilling, cookouts, and meal prep at home.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Store the sauce in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to three days. The flavor may become slightly stronger as the chipotle paste sits, so taste it again before serving and stir in a little additional yogurt if needed.

For camping or travel, pack the sauce in a leak-resistant container and keep it cold in the RV refrigerator or a well-insulated cooler. Return it to the refrigerator or cooler promptly after serving rather than leaving it sitting on the picnic table.

This recipe is easy to scale, so consider making only the amount you expect to use during the trip.

Ingredients

Chipotle paste

I use chipotle chili paste here. You could use whole chipotle chiles chopped small, but using paste makes the heat factor easier to control, plus it's cleaner and faster when you're making this recipe.

The paste is also great to have in the fridge. Use it in a chili con carne for added smokiness. Be warned - a little goes a long way! I can usually find chipotle paste in my local store, but if you can't where you live, this is a good one. -> Chipotle chili paste.

Greek yogurt

Greek yogurt gets used a lot here instead of mayonnaise. It's versatile, healthy and has the same tartness and tanginess that mayo has. Always go full fat!

Maple syrup

Adding a tablespoon of maple syrup sweetens it up without adding masses of refined sugar. Greek yogurt can be a little tart, so adding a small amount of sweetener takes away the tang!

Paprika, salt, olive oil, cayenne pepper

Not key ingredients, but these finish it off.

How To Make Smoky Chipotle BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

• ½ cup Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon chipotle paste (use your judgement and taste to get the right heat for you)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tsp olive oil
• ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
• Salt
• Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

Process

Put the yogurt into a dish and then whisk in all other ingredients. Sprinkle with Cayenne pepper if using it.

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