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Home » Chili Pepper Recipes » Sauces » Chipotle-Bacon-Bourbon Barbecue Sauce

Chipotle-Bacon-Bourbon Barbecue Sauce

by Mike Hultquist · Jul 15, 2016 · 12 Comments

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This homemade barbecue sauce brings a wonderful smoky spice with the chipotle peppers and bacon, but it's also slightly sweet from the sugar and molasses. It is rich and thick and will stick to your ribs or chicken nicely. Get the grills ready! 

Chipotle-Bacon-Bourbon Barbecue Sauce served

Chipotle-Bacon-Bourbon Barbecue Sauce Recipe

I'm cranking out barbecue sauces this summer like they're going out of style. Even when I make big batches, they disappear so fast. That's OK. I don't want to make my batches too large because I enjoy the variety. When I run out of one batch, I'll switch it up and go in a different direction.

The last sauce we made was a Peach-Bourbon Barbecue Sauce, and it was delish! I didn't switch it up TOO much this time around, keeping the wonderful bourbon flavor, but now we're bringing in smoky chipotle peppers, and everyone's favorite - DUN DUN DUN - BACON!

Chipotle-Bacon-Bourbon Barbecue Sauce in two jars

Oh yes, chipotle, bourbon and bacon. It's a powerful trio in terms of flavor. I've made this several times before. I would seriously enter it into a barbecue sauce contest with confidence, it's that good.

You can vary up the amount of bacon and chipotle, depending on your personal tastes. In fact, you can vary up ANY of the ingredients. That is one of the beautiful things about barbecue sauce.

They are EXTREMELY forgiving. I've had discussions with barbecue enthusiasts who have no actual recipes for their barbecue sauces. They go into their fridges and start pulling out anything and everything and turn it into a sauce. Crazy! But crazy good, I'll bet.

I prefer a bit more flavor control, though.

Chipotle-Bacon-Bourbon Barbecue Sauce Ingredients

  • Bacon Strips.
  • Jalapeno Pepper.
  • Yellow Onion.
  • Fresh Minced Garlic.
  • Chipotle Peppers in Adobo.
  • Tomato Paste.
  • Vinegar.
  • Light Brown Sugar.
  • Worcestershire Sauce.
  • Bourbon.
  • Molasses.
  • Cayenne Powder.
  • Paprika.
  • Ancho Chili Powder.
  • Cumin.
  • Ground Mustard.
  • Salt and Pepper.

Chipotle-Bacon-Bourbon Barbecue Sauce - The Recipe Method

I make mine VERY thick. This way, I can thin it out if I want to by adding either a bit of water, chicken stock, or more apple cider vinegar. Usually it is a combination of water and vinegar.

Just swirl it all together in a pan and give it a little heat. This is best when you want to serve it from those cool squeeze bottles all the TV BBQ people seem to use, or like you see in BBQ restaurants.

Get all cool!

I like this particular sauce for ribs, though it's ideal for chicken and even shrimp. I hope you like it! Enjoy! Bust out the grill!

Recipe Tips & Notes

  • Chipotle, bourbon and bacon are a powerful trio in terms of flavor. I would seriously enter it into a barbecue sauce contest with confidence, it's that good!
  • I make my sauce VERY thick. This way, I can thin it out if I want to by adding either a bit of water, chicken stock, or more apple cider vinegar. Usually it is a combination of water and vinegar.
  • I like this particular sauce for ribs, though it's ideal for chicken and even shrimp.

Storage & Leftovers

Storing your Chipotle-Bacon-Bourbon Barbecue Sauce in an airtight container in the fridge may allow to keep it for up to 1-2 weeks. To maximize the storage life, make sure to refrigerate your sauce promptly.

Try Some of My Other Popular BBQ Sauce Recipes

  • Peach-Bourbon Barbecue Sauce
  • Spicy Honey BBQ Sauce
  • Ancho BBQ Sauce
  • Easy BBQ Sauce
  • South Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce
  • Carolina Vinegar BBQ Sauce
Chipotle-Bacon-Bourbon Barbecue Sauce served in a big white bowl

Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.

Chipotle-Bacon-Bourbon Barbecue Sauce in a white bowl
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Chipotle-Bacon-Bourbon Barbecue Sauce Recipe

This homemade barbecue sauce brings a wonderful smoky spice with the chipotle peppers and bacon, but it's also slightly sweet from the sugar and molasses. It is rich and thick and will stick to your ribs or chicken nicely. Get the grills ready! Here is the recipe.
Save Recipe Saved!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
Calories: 177kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Servings: 8
Tap or hover to scale
5 from 3 votes
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Ingredients

  • 4 strips bacon chopped
  • 1 jalapeno pepper
  • 1 small yellow onion chopped
  • 2 teaspoons fresh minced garlic
  • 1 7- ounce can chipotle peppers in adobo
  • 6 ounces tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 6 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 tablespoons bourbon
  • 2 tablespoons molasses
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground mustard
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Heat a large saucepan to medium heat and add bacon. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring often.
  • Add jalapeno and onion and cook 3 more minutes, stirring often, until bacon is nice and crisp.
  • Add garlic and cook 1 more minute, or until garlic browns nicely.
  • Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
  • Bring sauce to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer 30 minutes with an occasional stir. The sauce will slightly thicken. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

You can serve it like this, nice and thick, or you can add a bit of water to thin the consistency.
Heat Factor: Medium. You'll get quite a bit of zing and flavor from the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and other ingredients.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 177kcal   Carbohydrates: 27g   Protein: 2g   Fat: 4g   Saturated Fat: 1g   Cholesterol: 7mg   Sodium: 851mg   Potassium: 532mg   Fiber: 2g   Sugar: 22g   Vitamin A: 1135IU   Vitamin C: 12.7mg   Calcium: 54mg   Iron: 2.5mg
Chipotle-Bacon-Bourbon Barbecue Sauce in a white bowl
Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Candy W. says

    May 12, 2024 at 7:37 am

    5 stars
    Yet another fabulous recipe from Chili Pepper Madness!! I had just made some pulled pork (in Crock Pot) and wanted to make sliders, using BBQ sauce. Most store-brand sauces leave me cold (ha ha) so I figured I'd make a homemade sauce. Naturally, I checked your site and found a ton of recipes for BBQ sauce; your Chipotle-Bacon-Bourbon sounded ideal. Sadly, I didn't have any bourbon so I substituted Vanilla...about 1 tsp. or so. Sounds kinda weird but recipe still worked great. As usual, your level of heat was perfect. Thanks, Mike, for this recipe and ALL your recipes!

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      May 12, 2024 at 11:29 am

      Awesome!! Glad you enjoyed it, Candy! I love to hear it!

      Reply
  2. Debbie says

    August 11, 2023 at 2:29 pm

    5 stars
    This is my new go to barbecue sauce. I have tried other chipotle bourbon sauces and they don’t compare to this one.

    Reply
    • Mike H. says

      August 14, 2023 at 11:02 am

      Awesome. Thanks, Debbie!

      Reply
  3. Dave Kuykendall says

    July 29, 2023 at 9:43 am

    Can you can this since there is bacon in it ? Thanks

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      July 29, 2023 at 11:15 am

      You may want to omit the bacon, Dave, though it does freeze well.

      Reply
  4. Tawnia says

    July 19, 2020 at 6:26 pm

    5 stars
    I made this today and it’s delicious. I was a little worried about how spicy it would be but it’s perfect for us. The Mr. has Parkinson’s and one issue he has is loss of taste, I was happy to hear him say he could taste this. He likes having something to “dip” meats in and I dislike what ingredients are in commercial sauce. I am going to add it to a bacon wrapped, smoked chicken breast I make too! Thanks again for sharing your recipes!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      July 20, 2020 at 5:53 am

      Great! Thanks, Tawnia! Super happy you both enjoyed it.

      Reply
  5. Tawnia says

    July 16, 2020 at 12:31 pm

    Mike-

    I’ve made a few of your recipes and have yet to be disappointed. Thank you for sharing them.

    I’m planning to make this but have a question. I can my own tomatoes, drying the skins and grinding into powder. Can I use this powder in the sauce vs tomato paste? Is the tomato paste for flavor or thickening?

    Thank you in advance for your reply.
    Tawnia

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      July 16, 2020 at 1:51 pm

      Thank you, Tawnia. I appreciate it. Yes, you can use powder with this recipe. The tomato paste is for flavor and body. You'll get good flavor from the powder, though you might want to work in something else if you need more substance. Let me know how it turns out for you.

      Reply
  6. Jason says

    November 12, 2018 at 8:34 am

    Hey Mike,

    How long would this keep? I assume you would have to store it in the refrigerator.

    Have you ever tried making a hot sauce with bacon, bacon grease or some kind of off-the-shelf bacon flavoring like Bacon In A Jar? I have some of that and it is just a combination of seasonings that tastes like bacon so you wouldn't run into a problem with actual meat spoilage.

    Jason

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      November 12, 2018 at 8:50 am

      Hey, Jason - this should easily last a week covered in the refrigerator, probably longer. I haven't tried making an actual hot sauce with bacon, though I was in a discussion with some other sauce makers and I'm sure it's doable. You're right, though, about spoilage. It really won't last long with bacon or bacon grease in the sauce, though there are some flavoring elements out there to experiment with. If your ph is low enough, though, it should be OK for longer keeping. Let me know if you learn anything new.

      Reply

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