How would you like to make a fantastic homemade barbecue sauce once, using less than 30 minutes of your precious time, and have enough sauce to use for the entire summer cookout season? It’s possible, since this Chipotle Berry Barbecue Sauce is made in the slow cooker, and once cooked, gets a quick whiz in the blender or food processor before being transferred to freezer bags in family-size portions for future use.

Chipotle Berry Barbecue Sauce is versatile, too. Not only can it be put on everything you grill, such as chicken, steak, pork chops, hamburgers, or fish, it can be diluted with a little chicken stock and mixed with shredded pork to make slightly spicy pulled pork barbecue sandwiches. If you’ve prepared the Basic Pork Module these sandwiches are only 15-20 minutes away. The sauce is also great over meatballs; not those rubbery fake-meat ones that are found in the freezer section at the grocery store (honestly, nothing can make them taste good) – I ‘m taking about the homemade meatballs in your freezer from the Meatball Module. or from your favorite from-scratch recipe. You’ll find dozens of ways to use this fabulous barbecue sauce!

One of the best things about this sauce is that it doesn’t have that commercial taste so common in store-bought barbecue sauce; there aren’t any preservatives or additives, either. And, even though it doesn’t take very long to chop the onion and garlic, especially if you have a food processor, you can make this even faster by using both dry onion and garlic with a little extra water; the taste will be exactly the same.

I hope you’ll try this unusual and delicious barbecue sauce; it may become your favorite as it has become mine.

Slow Cooker Chipotle Berry BBQ Sauce

Makes about 16 cups

5 cups onions, chopped or 1 1/4 cups dry onion
6 cloves garlic, (large), chopped or 2 tablespoons dried
6 cups ketchup
1 1/4 cups apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 3/4 cups water
1/2 to 1 7 oz. can chipotle chilies packed in adobo sauce (depending on how spicy you like your barbecue sauce)
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup dried cranberries

1. Place all ingredients in the slow cooker and stir.
2. If using dehydrated onions and garlic, add an additional 1/2 cup water.
3. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.
4. Transfer contents in batches to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
5. The sauce may be refrigerated up to one week, or frozen indefinitely.

Use as is to brush on chicken, beef or pork, or thin with chicken or beef broth and pour over shredded pork, turkey or chicken. It’s also great on sliced brisket.

*Note: Embasa brand Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce (7 ounce can) are found in the Mexican section of most grocery stores. Unused peppers may be frozen for future use.

Amount Per Serving (1/4 cup)
Calories 57 Calories from Fat 1
Percent Total Calories From:
Fat 2% Protein 4% Carb. 94%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 0 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 287 mg
Total Carbohydrate 13 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 1 g

Vitamin A 8% Vitamin C 9% Calcium 0% Iron 2%