Ancho-Raisin Sauce Recipe

By
Joshua Bousel
a photo of Joshua Bousel, a Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Joshua Bousel
Joshua Bousel is a Serious Eats old-timer, having started sharing his passion for grilling and barbecue recipes on the site back in 2008. He continues to develop grilling and barbecue recipes on his own site, The Meatwave, out of his home base of Durham, North Carolina.
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Updated March 24, 2025
20130305-243298-ancho-raisin-sauce.jpg
Photographs: Joshua Bousel

With its bittersweet, tangy intensity, this salsa-like blend is best partnered with heartier, meaty dishes like grilled skirt steak.

Recipe Details

Ancho-Raisin Sauce Recipe

Prep 5 mins
Cook 45 mins
Active 15 mins
Cooling Time 5 mins
Total 55 mins
Makes 2 1/2 cups
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Ingredients

  • 1 large ancho chile

  • 2 cups brewed coffee

  • 1/2 cup raisins

  • 1 teaspoon cocoa powder

  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

  • 1 cup finely diced onion (about 1 medium)

  • 1 teaspoon freshly minced garlic (about 1 medium clove)

  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

  • 1 teaspoon finely ground coffee

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place chile on baking sheet and place in oven until puffed and aromatic, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Stem and seed chile. Tear into large pieces.

  2. Place coffee, chile, and raisins in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and let steep until chile and raisins are very soft, about 20 minutes.

  3. Transfer mixture to a blender. Add in cocoa powder and puree until smooth. Set aside.

  4. Melt butter in now-empty saucepan over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add in onions; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in coffee puree, vinegar, and Worcestershire. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in ground coffee and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Special equipment

Blender

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
798 Calories
47g Fat
97g Carbs
8g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 798
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 47g 61%
Saturated Fat 29g 144%
Cholesterol 121mg 40%
Sodium 520mg 23%
Total Carbohydrate 97g 35%
Dietary Fiber 8g 30%
Total Sugars 61g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 81mg 407%
Calcium 164mg 13%
Iron 5mg 26%
Potassium 1566mg 33%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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