This Cherry Chipotle BBQ Sauce is everything you need in a good, homemade sauce. Rich and sweet, with a bright punch, and the most gorgeous red color you’ve ever seen from a BBQ sauce. It originated in Spain where it was used as both a marinade and preservative. It’s believed that the sauce was then introduced in Mexico by Spanish explorers and enthusiastically adopted into Mexican cuisine. ( source)

Like Citrus Chipotle BBQ Sauce? Exchange orange marmalade for the cherries, and orange juice for the cider vinegar.

If making this dressing 12+ hours in advance, you may need to thin it out by adding a little additional water after it has been in the fridge for several hours. Adobo sauce typically consists of tomato, dried chiles, sweetener, salt, onion, vinegar, garlic, and dried herbs/spices.

Freezing:My favorite option for storing this sauce! Especially when cherries are in season and you want to make a huge batch. Portion the sauce into labeled (name and date) freezer quart bags and lay completely flat. Freeze in a deep freezer, if possible. The flat bags can stand up nicely and take up very little freezer space. Use within 6 weeks from a regular freezer or 6 months in a deep freezer. Combine and simmer. Everybody goes in the pot and simmers until the flavors are combined and the cherries are super soft. Taste and season. Save adding the salt and pepper to the sauce until this step. Give it a taste and add in as much seasoning as you like!This sauce is up there on the list of most simple sauces to make, ever. Here’s how you’ll make it happen (full printable instructions and measurements are in the recipe card below): Cool and blend. Let the sauce chill out a bit before putting in a blender with a tight fitting lid and giving it a whir. Pay attention to how amazing the color gets when you blend up those cherries! Canning: This sauce cans beautifully. The lime juice and ketchup give the sauce a high enough pH to stay fresh on a shelf, if properly sealed. Once opened, store in the refrigerator and use within a week. Fridge: A whole batch of Cherry Chipotle BBQ Sauce will cover quite a bit of your favorite grilled or BBQ meats, but if you have any left over be sure to store it in your refrigerator in a tightly sealed jar or container. The cherries can cause the sauce to spoil eventually, so I’ve found it is best if you can use it up within a week.

One of the key ingredients in this BBQ sauce recipe is canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. If you’re not familiar with this product, go right out to the grocery store and buy some! You’ll love the complex, smoky flavor these beauties will add to homemade salsa, dips, tacos, refried beans, dressings, and more.

What is Cherry Chipotle BBQ Sauce?

Add all the ingredients (except water) to a bowl and stir to combine. We like using this small whisk for stirring salad dressings and sauces. What are chipotle chiles in adobo sauce? When jalapeño peppers are dried and smoked, they get a new name, chipotles. Adobo is a tangy red sauce. Combined, you get a spicy hot, tangy, sweet, smoky flavored Wow ingredient! Use just the chipotles or just the sauce, or use them together.

Taste test and adjust as needed. Adobo sauce adds heat, lime juice adds acidity, maple syrup adds sweetness, and salt enhances all the other flavors. Next, add a little water at a time until the dressing is a pourable consistency. But avoid adding too much water as it can dilute the flavor. Pie cherries may not be the best option here, just because they are a little more sour. If that’s all you can get your hands on, go for it! Just be aware that you may need to add a little more honey or introduce some brown sugar to the sauce to balance it all out.Boneless skinless breast will work too if that’s what you prefer, but we love the added flavor of the bone-in with skin on.