Ancho Chile BBQ Sauce
Description
Smoky, sweet homemade barbecue sauce built on dried ancho chiles, molasses, and brown sugar.
Ingredients
- 3 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup cider vinegar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 teaspoon cayenne powder, adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon paprika, or smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup soaking water or stock, plus more for thinning
Instructions
- Stem and seed the ancho chiles. Cover with ½ cup warm water or stock and soak 15 to 20 minutes until softened. Purée chiles and liquid into a smooth paste.
- Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium. Cook the onion 4 to 5 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook 2 to 3 minutes until darkened and fragrant.
- Add cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire, and molasses. Stir in the ancho paste and bring to a simmer.
- Add cayenne, paprika, ancho chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Simmer on low 20 to 30 minutes, until thick enough to coat a spoon.
- Thin with soaking liquid if needed. Taste and adjust salt, sugar, and heat.
- Cool to room temperature before serving. For smooth restaurant texture, blend again and strain.
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Blender
- Fine-mesh strainer (optional)
Notes
For a Qdoba-style sauce: use smoked paprika, add 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder with the spices, increase brown sugar to ⅓ cup, reduce cayenne to ½ teaspoon, and strain until smooth.
Toasting the chiles 30 seconds per side before soaking deepens the flavor. Don't let them darken or the sauce turns bitter.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ServingCalories: 116kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 2gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gSodium: 404mgPotassium: 450mgFiber: 4gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 3719IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 38mgIron: 2mg