Chicken with Blue BBQ Sauce (VIDEO)

Subscribe to my YouTube channel and never miss a recipe!

This video I made recently but the blog with this unique recipe I published a few years ago. Look at this pictures, my little Johnny was so cute little blond boy.

Chicken with Blue BBQ Sauce is a unique and flavorful dish that combines the savory taste of chicken with a sweet and tangy blue BBQ sauce.

It's still blueberry season in the South, and you're probably seeing blueberry baked goods everywhere. However, it’s a game changer when you let yourself explore blueberries beyond just appreciating their sweetness.

I promised to share some savory blueberry recipes with you, and I'm making good on that promise today. Today I'm going to share my blue BBQ sauce with you: sweet with little notes of tartness and a little spicy kick.

Unlike traditional Eastern Carolina-style BBQ sauce, this blue BBQ sauce pairs well with cheese and can be used as the fruit component of the salad dressing, cocktail drinks, toppings for desserts, etc. My favorite way to enjoy this sauce is with Brie cheese; it makes a wonderful appetizer for cocktail parties. Kind of like that old-fashioned pepper jelly with cream cheese and crackers.

But today it’s all about the savory dish. In this recipe, I paired my blue BBQ sauce with chicken thighs with the skin on and bones in. Whether you decide to make chicken or pork, make sure to brush this sauce on toward the end of cooking and let it soak in a bit before serving. The last brush is the key to the beautiful glaze. Let’s begin…

Preparing the Chicken:

1. Season the Chicken: Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.

2. Heat the Oil: In a large skillet or grill pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.

3. Cook the Chicken: Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for 6-7 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is cooked through and has a nice golden brown color. The internal temperature should reach 165°F (74°C).

4. Baste with Sauce: During the last few minutes of cooking, baste the chicken with the blue BBQ sauce.

Serving:

1. Serve Hot: Serve the chicken breasts hot, drizzled with additional blue BBQ sauce.

2. Garnish: Optional - Garnish with fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro and a few fresh blueberries for presentation.

Enjoy your Chicken with Blue BBQ Sauce! This dish pairs well with grilled vegetables, mashed potatoes, Herb - Butter Rice or a fresh garden salad.

Prep time: 5 minute

Cooking time for the sauce: 30 minutes

Cooking time for the chicken: 30-40 minutes

Total time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Author: Inna of innichkachef.com

Serve 2 portions.

Chicken Ingredients

3-5 thighs with skin on and bone in

1-2 teaspoons black pepper

1-2 teaspoons sea salt

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Sauce Ingredients

3 cups blueberries (imperfect are fine)

2 cups apple cider vinegar

2 cups raw cane sugar

1 3-inch cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Notes for chicken with BBQ sauce

Sauce

It's best to make the sauce ahead of time and let it refrigerate overnight before you taste the final product. This gives the flavors time to mix and mellow out.

Directions

1. Combine the blueberries and ½ cup of apple cider vinegar in a food processor. Pulse the berries just to break them up. You are not trying to make a perfect purée, you're just trying to break them up.

2. In a 4-quart saucepan, combine all the ingredients. Bring them to a simmer over low heat, then cover and cook for 25 minutes. Give it a stir once in a while so it won’t burn.

3. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Carefully with an immersion blender, blend the sauce to get it as smooth as you can.

4. Cook for another 10 minutes uncovered. The sauce should reduce by a third and should coat the back of a spoon. The perfect consistency should be closer to maple syrup than honey.

5. Half an hour before you plan to cook the chicken, bring it to room temperature. Season the chicken thoroughly with black pepper and salt. Preheat your grill to around 325F.

6. Place the chicken skin-side up on the grill and close the lid. Cook covered for 20 minutes. Then begin basting the blueberry sauce every 5 minutes for an additional 20 minutes, turning the chicken over each time. Keep the grill lid closed between basting. Using a thermometer, check the temperature of a meaty part of the leg. Check the temperature with thermometer, if it’s at 165f, remove it from the grill.

7. Douse the chicken in blueberry sauce and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Perfect for the dinner in the summer.

Recipe Notes

To store the sauce, simply put it in a mason jar and leave it in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

I hope you'll make this recipe soon. If you do, please tag me #innichka_chef on Instagram, Facebook, Patreon or Pinterest.