We’re big into grilling and big into growing blueberries on the Eastern Shore. I created this Blueberry BBQ Sauce due to an abundance of blueberries. It’s as if overnight, we get bushels of blueberries and try to find new ways to use them in our daily life. We make a lot of barbecue sauce, and we like to experiment with different flavors and seasonings in our test kitchen. If you are close by, we give lots of blueberries away! We discovered this Sweet and tangy Blueberry BBQ sauce offers up a healthy dose of flavor and antioxidants. Balancing out the acidity of the blueberries, tomato paste, and vinegar is essential; we used our Buckwheat Honey to give a rich sweetness to the sauce. You can use Blueberry Honey for this recipe also. My friend Jack jokes that the best blueberries are from someone else’s farm!
In this recipe, we topped gently grilled wild-caught salmon and served it on a bed of fresh baby spinach. The heat from the salmon gently wilts the spinach and the sweet+savory combination with the sauce is divine. Try our Blueberry BBQ Sauce on top of fresh-caught fish, chicken or even some grilled shrimp. Before the fall weather really sets in and it’s time to fire up the grill one last time and whip up this sauce! It lasts in a sealed jar in the refrigerator or store in the freezer.
How to Make Blueberry BBQ Sauce
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and just starting to brown, 2 to 4 minutes.
- Place in garlic and jalapeño and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add bourbon, increase to high heat and bring to a boil; cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in blueberries, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, honey, and chill powder; return to a boil.
- Reduce to low heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes.
- Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.
Adapting our Blueberry BBQ Sauce Recipe
You know, a recipe is not truly perfect until you’ve added your own touch to it and improve on a truly delicious dish. That’s why we encourage you to play with your food and get creative. Call to your inner chef to come out and play and change up this recipe. Here are some ideas–
- Blend in other seasonal berries
- Add a tablespoon of fresh chopped herbs
- Add some more heat with added chili peppers
- Use blueberry honey to emphasize on the flavor
If you decided to make this Blueberry BBQ Sauce for your next summer barbecue, be sure to take a photo and share it with us using #waxingkararecipes on Instagram. We love seeing your photos!
Blueberry BBQ Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 small red onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 jalapeño peppers fresh, seeded and minced
- 1/2 c bourbon
- 2 c blueberries fresh
- 1/3 c apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 c tomato paste
- 1/3 c Waxing Kara Honey
- 2 tsp. chili powder
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and just starting to brown, 2 to 4 minutes.
- Add garlic and jalapeño and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add bourbon, increase to high heat and bring to a boil; cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in blueberries, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, honey and chill powder; return to a boil.
- Reduce to low heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes.
- Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Think: Blueberry compote, but better. Really, Good. Stuff.