Chili Lime Barbecue Sauce
Homemade BBQ sauce is the best! And this Chili Lime Barbecue Sauce is one to make! This is a classic barbecue sauce with a twist. You have never tasted anything so good with a hint of lime and chili. The chili and lime are perfectly balanced so that they certainly are noticeable, but neither are overpowering. Give this a try this week with some grilled chicken! Just one taste and you’ll be a believer!
My First Barbecue Sauce
When it comes to BBQ sauce, I was always a believer that store bought was the best and easiest. Until I made my first BBQ sauce. And it was my Chili Lime Barbecue Sauce.
OH MY! I can’t even describe the way my mouth wanted more and more. I found myself eating it with a spoon straight out of the jar! I had to put it down and walk away, lo!
My mouth waters every time I think of the tang of the lime and vinegar, perfectly balanced with sweetness of the brown sugar and the spices. Then there’s that hint of smoky flavor from the liquid smoke & smoked paprika, and just a touch of heat from the Tabasco. At first I didn’t have chili powder in it and I knew it was missing something. So I added the chili powder and that was it! Perfection!
DIY Barbecue Sauce
Homemade BBQ sauce is surprisingly easy and quick to make. It only takes a few minutes to throw together then let it simmer to blend the flavors. You leave out the additives and preservatives. And you can make whatever style you like – thick and bold, vinegar based, mustard base, or whatever your favorite is.
How Do You Make BBQ Sauce?
There are 5 main components to making a delicious BBQ sauce. I have them listed here along with how I added to these to make my Chili Lime Barbecue Sauce:
Base: My Chili Lime Barbecue Sauce is ketchup based, so we will start there. You will find some recipes that use tomato puree and tomato paste, but those are a complicated way to get to the same point – they’re making their own ketchup. So I start here. This has your base and sweetness. More sweetness comes from the brown sugar.
Tanginess: BBQ sauce has tang to it. Some have a vinegar base (my favorite) instead of ketchup. But all have vinegar for that tangy flavor. The lime juice in this one also adds to the tang as well.
Flavor Builders: A great many BBQ sauces have Worcestershire sauce as a main component to add to the depth of the base. I also add a little liquid smoke to add depth and a little smoky touch.
Spices: You of course need spices and seasonings. I use smoked paprika instead of regular paprika to give it a little hint of smokiness. I added a touch of turmeric to mine just because. Most recipes I’ve come across in my life don’t have chili powder. While this is not unique to mine, it is uncommon. But it really works well with the other flavors in this BBQ sauce.
Additional Heat: If you pay close enough attention to most barbecue sauces, you will notice a little heat, even if it’s only an undertone. I add a small touch of Tabasco sauce to give it a kick!
How Long Does Homemade Barbecue Sauce Keep?
The verdict is out on this topic. The issue is not, ‘will I get sick from old BBQ sauce?’ It’s more a matter of taste. However, if you keep it in an airtight glass jar like the one I used in the photos, you can pretty much keep it in the fridge for 4-6 months. But many people say only 1-2 weeks. Ouch! I’m not throwing away my BBQ sauce after a week or 2. I’m also not going through the process of making it to make only a cup of it either.
Alternatively, you can always freeze BBQ sauce. Lot’s of people that make their own do this. It’s really up to you. I’m not going to endorse either way. If you’re a little leery, I suggest to go with the lesser time and then freeze it. I always live by, “better safe than sorry!”
Why Chili Lime Barbecue Sauce?
I had a craving for something different. I wanted to try something new. Every time I buy chips or the like that has lime, it’s so overpowering that I can’t take much of it. I was making chicken wings and I wanted to add lime to them. The idea came to mind to make a taco sauce/barbecue sauce fusion concoction. So, as I started, I thought of my “lime” flavor problem. So I said I want to add lime juice to it. I was going to add some cumin in it to give it a more taco flavor, but my mouth took me in a different direction than my brain was going. I was overthinking it. I asked my wife what flavors she could think of that would go well with lime. Then it hit me . . . Chili! So, I came up with the “Chili Lime” idea.
Since I already had the barbecue sauce thing going, and I never made my own BBQ sauce, and I always wanted to . . . I scrapped the taco sauce fusion thingy and just went with a BBQ sauce.
Man! I couldn’t have been happier with the results! This stuff is just mindblowingly amazing!
What Else Can You Use with Chili Lime Barbecue Sauce?
My biggest recommendation is to use this with grilled chicken. Here’s a quick seasoning blend I use:
- 1 Tablespoon Paprika
- 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Onion Powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Black Pepper
If I have a lot of meat, I’ll just double it. I rub this on both sides, cook it on each side, then add the BBQ sauce and return it to grill to infuse the flavor of the BBQ sauce into the meat.
My absolute favorite grilled meat to add this BBQ sauce to is bone-in chicken thighs. Here’s some other options. They don’t have to be grilled. These can all be cooked in the oven.
- Chicken Thighs – bone-in or boneless
- Chicken Breast
- Split Breast
- Pork Chops
- Pork Loin (I have a rotisserie that I cook my pork loins in . . . a-m-a-zing!)
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Other Amazing Recipes That You’ll Love!
Steakhouse Garlic Butter Mushrooms
Marinated Top Round London Broil
Steak with Herbed Gravy and Asiago Sauce
Chili Lime Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups Ketchup (I use Heinz)
- 1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/2 cup Dark Brown Sugar
- 3 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
- 1 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
- 2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 2 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
- 2 dashes Tabasco Sauce
Instructions
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Add all ingredients to a small sauce pan and turn heat up to medium.
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Whisk all the ingredients together.
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When the sauce begins to bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes.
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Allow the sauce to cool. Store in an airtight glass jar in the refrigerator or freeze it for up to 6 months.
