If you like your BBQ sauce with a little sweet, a little smoke, and a bit of a kick, this Maple Chipotle BBQ Sauce has you covered. It’s made from scratch with real maple syrup, smoky chipotle peppers, and a splash of maple whisky for extra depth.
When the snow melts and the sun starts to feel warm again, I can’t hold back. It’s time to grill.
Once my BBQ and Blackstone are out of storage, I spend as much time as I can outside cooking everything I can think of. A lot of what I make gets brushed or dipped in this homemade maple chipotle BBQ sauce.
If you’re like me, you’ll want a jar ready in the fridge when grilling season hits. I keep mine in a glass jar with a label. Try it on crispy chicken bites, burgers, turkey loaf, or my favorite, slow-cooked ribs.
If you love making sauces from scratch, this one is easy and worth it. It’s smoky, sweet, and tangy. Each ingredient adds depth, so try not to skip anything. Check below for substitution tips if you need them.
Don’t cook with alcohol? Simply leave it out.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact amounts.
- onion and garlic: this starts us off with a flavor base. You can keep the sauce chunky and be careful when dicing, or you can not worry too much and blend the sauce at the end.
- tomato sauce: for a savory tangy depth of flavor. I haven’t tested with tomato paste instead.
- vinegar: adds acidity to balance out the sweetness.
- brown sugar: For sweetness and thickening capabilities along with its caramel notes. Use light or dark brown sugar, whatever you have on hand.
- maple syrup: I live in Canada, the land of pure maple syrup. Of course I’m putting maple syrup in for sweetness with notes of caramel and maple.
- Worcestershire sauce: Contributes to the savory, umami profile of the sauce
- Bourbon: I love a bourbon – neat. My favorites in this sauce have been Larceny, Evan Williams, and Forty Creek.
- Liquid Smoke: Infuses the sauce with a deep, smoky flavor.
- black pepper: Adds a warm, spicy kick to the sauce.
- paprika: savory, mild, and sweet.
- chipotle pepper in adobo sauce: these are essential and provide a slightly sweet, tangy, smoky, and spicy kick to the sauce.
Substitutions
- Bourbon: I wouldn’t truly be Manitoban if I didn’t mention and use Crown Royal Whisky (it’s made here). I originally developed this recipe 8 years ago with Crown Royal Maple whisky, but it’s not something I kept on hand to drink, so over the years, I’ve changed over to bourbon whisky instead. But maple whisky is fantastic in this recipe, although it’s not shown on the Crown Royal website anymore. If you have another brand of maple whisky, try it! Or omit the whisky if you prefer not to cook with alcohol.
Instructions
Prep Tips
- In a bowl, whisk together everything except the onion and garlic. Set aside.
- Heat a bit of cooking oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes until it softens.
- Add the garlic and cook for another minute, just until fragrant.
- Pour in the sauce mixture. Turn the heat up and bring it to a boil.
- Once it boils, lower the heat and let it simmer gently for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until it thickens to how you like it.
- You can leave the sauce chunky or blend it smooth. If blending, let it cool first and blend carefully with an immersion blender or in a stand blender.
To serve, simply use the sauce as a dip, burger sauce, or during the cooking process.
If using this sauce to cook burgers, cook the burgers almost fully first before applying the sauce and continuing to cook. If you apply it right at the beginning the sugar will cause the outside of the burgers to burn before cooking properly.
Tips for Making BBQ Sauce
What to Serve with Maple Chipotle BBQ Sauce
This Maple Bourbon BBQ Sauce recipe is a versatile condiment that pairs well with a variety of dishes. It’s perfect for layering on grilled chicken, ribs, or burgers. You can also use it as a dipping sauce for crispy chicken tenders.
Storage
Store the cooled sauce in the fridge for up to two weeks.
FAQs
Bourbon BBQ sauce is a sweet, spicy, and tangy mix of tomato sauce, spices, maple syrup, brown sugar, vinegar, liquid smoke, and bourbon whiskey.
This sauce is mild to medium spicy. One chipotle pepper adds a nice smoky heat without overpowering the maple sweetness. For more heat, add a second pepper.
Store it in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, freeze it in smaller portions for up to 3 months.
Definitely. Let the sauce cool down, then blend it in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth.
Maple Chipotle BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup finely chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup white vinegar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup maple whisky
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 canned chiptole pepper in adobo sauce chopped
Instructions
- Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the tomato sauce, water, vinegar, brown sugar, maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, maple whisky, liquid smoke, black pepper, smoked paprika, and chopped chipotle pepper. Set aside.
- Heat a bit of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion for 6–8 minutes until soft and lightly golden.
- Add the garlic and cook it for about 30 seconds or so, just until fragrant but be careful not to burn it.
- Pour in the pre-mixed sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20–30 minutes, stirring often, until thickened.
- Cool completely, then blend if you want it smooth.
Notes
Nutritional information is an estimate. Values vary based on products used. Read our full Nutrition Disclaimer.
This post was originally posted on March 1, 2018.
SHARE THIS RECIPE
Rating, commenting, and sharing my recipes really helps. Thanks for taking the time! Mention @pipercooksblog on Instagram.
