Easily Upgrade Store-Bought Sauces With This Spicy Canned Staple

Despite the vast selection of sauces at your local grocery store, it can be tough to find one that has the special something you're looking for. Fortunately, there's no end to the ways you can upgrade store-bought sauce, including with one spicy canned staple ingredient: chipotle peppers in adobo. Just a touch of this stuff can take even the weakest of sauces from bland to fantastic.

Chipotle peppers are fully ripe, red jalapeños that have been dried and smoked, while adobo sauce is a traditional marinade made with a variety of different spices that vary according to region. Popular types of adobo hail from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines; Americans picking up a can of chipotles in adobo are likely encountering the Mexican kind. Together, the two make a highly versatile ingredient with a spicy, smoky flavor profile that complements almost any store-bought pasta sauce brand, barbecue sauce, marinade, or practically anything else you put your mind to. 

Its spiciness is especially good for cutting through rich or heavy sauces. Moreover, a bit of this extra sauce helps improve the texture of almost any store-bought product by lending extra smoothness and thickness. Simply mix it in — a teaspoon is a good place to start for a large portion of sauce — then taste and adjust from there. While chipotle in adobo works well in savory or red tomato-based sauces, almost any sauce could benefit from its unique flavor. Try using it to upgrade your favorite store-bought pasta sauce, or one that's just okay but could be great with just a little boost, and see what works.

There are plenty of sauces and condiments out there that can benefit from a can of chipotle in adobo, including ones you likely already have in your refrigerator. For example, a simple mix of chipotle in adobo, mayonnaise, and sour cream makes a delectable condiment that's a great sandwich spread or dipping sauce. It can also serve as a wonderful base for mayo-based recipes like egg salad.

If you're looking to upgrade your BBQ sauce, look no further than chipotle in adobo. Simply mix in a can the next time you're marinating a pork roast in the slow cooker or brushing a rack of ribs. Even if you're just grilling burgers for a cookout, plenty of store-bought BBQ sauces can benefit from the extra heat and smokiness of this canned staple, so pick the ingredients up together next time you're preparing for a BBQ dinner.

Chipotle in adobo has plenty to offer cheese-based sauces as well. For instance, many kinds of Alfredo sauce are rich and heavy, making them a perfect complement for the spicy and smoky character of chipotles in adobo. You might use it to fix cheese sauce that's too watery or that simply needs an improvement in the flavor department. And with a little melted cheese, some chipotle in adobo, and other spices to taste, you can make a smoky chipotle queso that will make you never want to stop dipping.