Grilled Ribs with Tamarind Chipotle BBQ Sauce

Think tangy, sweet, and finger lickin’ good. Tell me that doesn’t sound good?!! That’s exactly what these Grilled Ribs with Tamarind Chipotle BBQ Sauce are all about. Warning: You will need lots of napkins to eat them. Maybe also add a sunny day and good friends. No grilling your friends though!! .. unless that’s the type of relationship you have. LOL!

For us in Mexico, tamarind is a big deal. We make Agua de Tamarindo, candies, and all sorts of desserts. Our candy in Mexico is nothing like the overly sugary stuff you find at American grocery checkout lines. There is a balance between sweet and spicy in Mexican desserts. That combo is exactly why this BBQ sauce goes great on ribs.

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The flavor combination in this Tamarind Chipotle BBQ sauce is out of this world! Tangy from the tamarind. Sweet from the brown sugar. Spicy from the chipotle. In one word: delicious! Make the sauce ahead of time, and take it out when the ribs are ready to hit the grill. If you’ve never worked with tamarind before, you need to extract the juice from the pods. Or, you can buy the paste HERE.

Let me give you the 411 on how to make falling-off-the-bone ribs. I start them in the oven and finish them off on the grill. Makes life a lot easier than sitting by the grill all day.

How To Cook Grilled Ribs with Tamarind Chipotle BBQ Sauce:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Wrap room-temperature ribs in aluminum foil.
• Cook for 2 hours for baby back ribs, or 3 hours for spare ribs.
• Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
• Grill ribs for 7-10 minutes on each side, basting with BBQ sauce.
• Remove and serve.

Grilled Ribs with Tamarind Chipotle BBQ Sauce are so yummy! Full of bold, robust flavors with just the right amount of sweetness and some spice at the end of each bite. They make the perfect summer grilling foods. Hope you enjoy!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Grilled Ribs with Tamarind Chipotle BBQ Sauce

Grilled Ribs with Tamarind Chipotle BBQ Sauce is what summer food fun should be. Sweet and spicy with each meaty bite. Delicious!

Prep Time25 mins

Cook Time3 hrs 40 mins

Total Time4 hrs 5 mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican American

Keyword: BBQ, chipotle, Dinner, Grill, Pork, Ribs

Servings: 12 ribs

Author: Maggie Unzueta

Ingredients

• 1 pound tamarind pods
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 chipotle chile or, 2 if you want it spicier
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 1/2 cups ketchup
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. Molasses
• 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• Pinch ground cloves
• 2 slabs of ribs

Instructions

• For the sauce:
• Crack open the tamarind pods.
• Peel the shells and fibers.
• Put fruit in 2 cups of water in a large stock pot.
• Cover and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let cool. (about 20 minutes)
• Push the pulp through the strainer with the back of a spoon.
• Strain, discarding the seeds and any fibers.
• Set mixture aside.
• In a large saucepan, sauté onion.
• Add tamarind pulp and the rest of the ingredients.
• Bring to a gentle simmer then reduce the heat to low.
• Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add mixture to a blender.
• Blend until smooth.
• Set aside until ready to use, or store for 2 weeks in the fridge.
• For the Ribs:
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Wrap room-temperature ribs in aluminum foil.
• Cook for 2 hours for baby back ribs, or 3 hours for spare ribs.
• Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
• Grill ribs for 7-10 minutes on each side, basting with BBQ sauce.
• Remove and serve.