A little sweet, a little fruity, this blueberry BBQ sauce recipe is perfect for anything that comes off your grill.
Besides this great blueberry BBQ sauce recipe, blueberries are pretty versatile. I don’t think they get enough credit. After all, what other fruit makes great pies, jellies, cheesecakes and pancakes? Why, their pancakes and waffles are so good, they even make blueberry syrup.
Another great advantage of blueberries is availability. They’re pretty much in season most of the year. While the North American growing season runs from April to late September, our friends from South America, typically Chile and Argentina, pick up the slack from October to March. Of course, blueberries freeze well since they’re always available in the frozen food section. That means you can enjoy this blueberry BBQ sauce recipe year-round.
When I constructed this sauce, I was looking for blueberry flavor. No, I wasn’t looking for a tomatoey, ketchupy flavored sauce that had a slight resemblance of blueberry flavor. I wanted blueberry, damn it! I wasn’t going to stop until I achieved it. I also didn’t want blueberry syrup either. There’s a fine line there, but I believe I held it. I’ll let you be the judge.
Although this sauce is a bit potent right off a spoon, it tones down once on meat. It was perfect on chicken thighs, and a slab of baby backs. If you love a sweet-style sauce with an adventurous flavor, this blueberry BBQ sauce recipe may be right up your alley. Just one thing, the high sugar content of this sauce means it will burn easily over an open fire. Apply only during the last 5 minutes of grilling and once more just before serving.
Yep, tomatoey and ketchupy are real words…I Googled ’em.
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1/2 cup blueberry syrup
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Louisiana-style hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon molasses
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
- In a food processor or blender, purée the blueberries.
- Add the remaining ingredients and continue to blend until well mixed, scraping down the sides occasionally.
- Strain mixture through a cheesecloth if a smooth texture is desired. (I didn't bother)
- Pour sauce into an airtight container. Sauce will keep for up to three months if refrigerated properly.
- For best results, allow sauce to age in the refrigerator for a few hours before use.
Print 
PDF
Leave a Reply