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Chocolate Chile Barbecue Sauce Recipe

chile chocolate barbecue sauce on ribs
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This delicious sauce has the classic profile of any great BBQ sauce, sweet, tart, spicy, but with a wonderful twist: The tastes of chocolate and chile. While the chocolate BBQ sauce recipe might sound weird at first, you are sure to instantly fall in love with it the first time you try it on ribs, chicken, steak, and more.
Course:
Sauces and Condiments
Cuisine:
American
difficulty scale

Makes:

Servings: 44

Takes:

Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup water
  • ¾ cup rice vinegar
  • ½ cup tomato paste
  • ¼ cup orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon Morton Coarse Kosher Salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon chipotle chile powder
Notes:
About the cocoa. I use Hershey's Natural Unsweetened. Click here to learn more about chocolate and the different types in my article on the Science of Chocolate.
About the salt. Remember, kosher salt is half the concentration of table salt so if you use table salt, use half as much. Click here to read more about salt and how it works.
Optional. Grate on some zest of orange just before serving.
Metric conversion:

These recipes were created in US Customary measurements and the conversion to metric is being done by calculations. They should be accurate, but it is possible there could be an error. If you find one, please let us know in the comments at the bottom of the page

Method

  • Mix the sugar and water in a pan and simmer until the sugar dissolves. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
  • Paint it on your meat after it is fully cooked. One layer is all that is needed. If you wish, put the sauced meat over high heat to caramelize the sugars a bit, but watch it carefully so it doesn't burn. Then, for a festive touch, grate some orange zest on top. Serve it with a big red wine.

Nutrition per Serving

Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 396kcal | Carbohydrates: 95g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1191mg | Potassium: 878mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 87g | Vitamin A: 1105IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 3mg