Why Chocolate Is The Ingredient You Need To Start Adding For Better BBQ Sauce

While most sauce recipes use some kind of sweet, tomato, and vinegar-based ingredients, the other additives included can vary widely. Case in point — we know of at least 14 tasty ways you can elevate your homemade barbecue sauce, including adding fruit, coffee, and soda. But while you may think chocolate stays firmly in the dessert category, it can also take your condiment to a whole new level. 

Thanks to ingredients like ketchup, brown sugar, and molasses, sweetness isn't a strange flavor in barbecue sauce. When combined with all the other elements you'll include, chocolate can beautifully balance out all those savory, umami-filled tastes and the acidity of your tomato-based component. 

If this combination sounds a little odd, it isn't the first time this ingredient has jazzed up a savory dish. Mole is a delicious sauce made with cocoa powder and chile peppers, for example, and dark chocolate is a tasty additive to chili. In addition to the flavor benefits, chocolate can act as a thickener for your condiment, creating a luxurious consistency.

You can, of course, whip up a homemade barbecue sauce with chocolate but you can also add this ingredient to store-bought bottles to deepen the flavors. Either way, you'll want to go for unsweetened, semi-sweet, or chocolate that's 70% or more dark, depending on how much sugar you want to add. However, stay away from milk chocolate, since all the extra ingredients will throw a wrench in your sauce's flavor. 

If you're jazzing up a store-bought bottle, chop up 1 ounce of your bar (or use 1 ounce of chocolate chips) and combine it with 21 ounces of the condiment over the stove at low heat, until everything melts and mixes together. If you want to make a sauce from scratch, you'll still want to follow a similar ratio and method. Use about 1 or 2 ounces of chocolate for every cup to 1 1/2 cups of ketchup, although you can also throw in a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder to build on this flavor. 

Then for the rest of your sauce, incorporate ingredients that will complement your new addition. Red wine, for instance, can amp up the richness, while red pepper flakes, chili powder, Tabasco, chopped chilis, and cayenne will bring delicious spice. Once you've narrowed it down, all you need to do is simmer everything for a few minutes (while stirring constantly) over the stove.