Well, I still had half a can of chipotles en adobo left over from yesterday’s dish (as will you when you make it), so of course today’s post had to be something chipotle-related! I was initially thinking pork chops…with a creamy sauce…a creamy chipotle sauce…breaded pork chops with a creamy chipotle sauce. Doesn’t that sound yummy? I’ll definitely experiment with that one sometime down the road, but in the end I decided to make something versatile enough for both pork and chicken. A BBQ sauce! As I reached into my cupboard for some ingredients, I saw our bottle of maple syrup. Hmmmm…smoky and spicy combined with sweet, fruity and caramel-like. I grabbed the bottle and went to work! The end result: A sweet, spicy, smoky barbecue sauce that will perfectly complement your oven-baked, grilled, or roasted chicken and pork.
Today we’re making oven-baked chicken and pork chops (not that the two go together, but I wanted to experiment with both kinds of meat using this new sauce – I’m not going to make any recommendations to you without first putting it to the test!).
The prep is quick and easy. Dab the chicken or pork chops (whichever you are using) with paper towels. I removed the skin from my chicken – leave it on if you prefer. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the bottom and top sides.
Spray a little vegetable spray on the bottom of a baking dish and set the meat inside.
To make the barbecue sauce, finely chip the chipotle en adobo sauce. You’ll use two. If you prefer less spicy, remove and discard the seeds.
Add the chipotles the rest of the barbecue sauce ingredients and stir to combine.
Place the sauce in a small saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. This barbecue sauce is absolutely best if it’s made the day before and is allowed to sit in the fridge so the flavors can full combine.
Baste the top and bottom of each piece of chicken or pork.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 F for 1 hour. Remove the foil, baste the tops with more sauce, increase the oven temperature to 400 F and cook, uncovered, for another 10 minutes.
Serve with your choice of sides. This sauce makes enough for 6 servings of meat.
- 6 pork chops or 6 large pieces of chicken
- salt and pepper
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup water
- 1½ tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon molasses
- 2 chipotles en adobo sauce, finely chopped - seeded if you prefer less spicy (can be found in any Mexican store or well-stocked grocery store)
- 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from the can
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon thyme
- ¼ teaspoon rosemary
- Pat the meat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle top and bottom with salt and pepper. Place the meat in a baking dish.
- To make the barbecue sauce, combine all remaining ingredients and place them in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes. This barbecue sauce should ideally be made the day before and left in the fridge to allow the flavors to fully combine. This makes a big difference in flavor.
- Baste the meat with half of the barbecue sauce. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 F for 1 hour. Remove the foil, baste the meat with the remaining sauce, increase the heat to 400 F and bake, uncovered for another 10 minutes. Serve with your choice of sides.
- Note: This is also perfect for the grill!
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Kim says
Oh Kimberly….I made the BBQ sauce Saturday, stored it in the fridge and we used it tonight (monday) on chicken kabobs done on the grill. We’re trying it on ribs next. Unbelievably good.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful! I’m so happy you enjoyed, Kim, thank you! (P.S. I want to come for dinner at your house :)
Cheryl says
Made this today it was out of this world GOOD! I will never buy another bottle of bbq sauce again. Thank You!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome!!! I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed this, Cheryl! I think I’m going to whip up another batch of these myself this weekend :) Thanks so much for the feedback!
Jennifer says
Delicious! It was a little too spicy for the kids so next time, I’ll use 1 chitpotle instead. Kept the skin and it was nice and moist.
Vanessa says
Yuuumm, looks delicious! That’s quite a list of ingredients but I’m sure it’s worth it :)
The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Vanessa – yes, it’s worth it! :)
Rolf Eustergerling says
Found this page by searching for receipes with Chipotles in Adobo I got from a Mexican colleague.
This one is great. I made pork chops this way. Only modification: Instread of usual paprika powder I used smoked one (Pimenton smoked ahumado). While simmering, the sauce smelled like a cold smoking pipe…
But after baking it was really great. Sweet, hot and smoky. This sauce will be a standard for my BBQs this summer.
Thanks for this page. Next will be Jambalaya…
The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Rolf, I’m glad you enjoyed it! I currently have two version of Jambalaya on my site. I’m not sure which one you found, but for an authentic recipe, check out the New Orleans Jambalaya. Happy cooking and please let me know what you think! Best, Kimberly
Jeanie Studnek-Owens says
Well, the pork chops were a hit! Sauces was great and had that little extra kick.
The Daring Gourmet says
That’s wonderful to hear! It’s so satisfying when you spend the time to make a nice meal and have it turn out a success, complete with compliments from those you’re sharing the meal with. Speaking of that “little extra kick,” I just heard back from someone else who made these yesterday and renamed them “Kickin’ Chops.” I like it! Thanks for your feedback, Jeanie.
Anonymous says
I made these for Saturday. Had to many to eat so I had leftovers on Sunday. The sauce was so much better after sitting over night. Finger licking good. You give me a challenge every week.
The Daring Gourmet says
So happy to hear they were a success! Yes, the sauce really is better once the flavors have been allowed to fully combine. Now as for challenges, feel free to throw one back my way via the Make a Request page!
Thanks for trying the recipe and providing me with your feedback!
Jeanie Studnek-Owens says
I’m simmering the sauce now, then off it goes for the night into the fridge. Tomorrow is pork chops for dinner with the family. I’ll report later on how it turns out.
The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful! Jeanie, with the chipotles en adobo you have left over from this recipe, I highly recommend using them to make the Smoky South of The Border Soup. You’re going to love it!