Cherry Chipotle BBQ Sauce

I recently bought a big bag of frozen cherries at Costco because I was going through this massive smoothie phase. I wasn't that crazy about these cherries in smoothie form though so I've been trying to find other ways to use them up. It was warm outside and I was thinking about grilling and the idea of a cherry BBQ sauce popped in my head. I like using fruit in interesting ways and I've done a mango BBQ sauce before so cherry was a good next step. (I plan on doing even more though - especially peach. Yum!) I took an inventory of what I had in the pantry and after writing up a recipe and getting everything cooking, I had a really good sauce that went perfect on our chicken. It had a great balance of tangy and sweet along with a tiny bit of heat and smokiness. I used about a third of what I made on three chicken breasts so there is plenty with this recipe. The rest can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for about a month.

I think I'll give this sauce a try on some chops or ribs next time!

Cherry Chipotle BBQ Sauce Ingredients • 2 TB butter • 1 TB grapeseed or canola oil • 1/2 med onion, diced • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1/2 tsp kosher salt • 2 c fresh or frozen dark sweet cherries, pitted and chopped • 1 c ketchup • 1/2 c brown sugar • 1 TB dark molasses • 1 TB apple cider vinegar • 1 TB white vinegar • 1 TB lemon juice • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (use more or less depending on heat preference) Directions 1. Melt butter and oil in saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic cook until softened, stirring frequently. 2. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until cherries are softened. Remove from heat and blend/puree or use your immersion blender and puree until smooth. Return to heat and simmer for about 15 - 20 minutes or until thickened slightly. 3. Allow to cool to room temperature before using. Store covered in refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.