Quick Summary: A robust, tangy BBQ sauce made with fresh or frozen blueberries, bourbon, balsamic vinegar, and warm spices. Perfect on burgers, pork chops, salmon, or grilled chicken. Makes about 2 cups. Prep: 10 min | Cook: 25 min | Serves: 16
Jump to: RECIPE | Proteins That Work With Blueberry Sauce? | Ingredients | Using Alcohol in Cooking | How to Make It? | Side Dish Pairings | FAQ
This blueberry bourbon BBQ sauce started as a way to use up frozen blueberries from HeathGlen Organic Farm and became one of my most requested recipes.
It’s robust and tangy with a slight sweetness, and it works on almost any protein: burgers, pork chops, salmon, chicken thighs, even smoked ribs.
The bourbon adds depth (most of it cooks off), and the balsamic vinegar gives it a complexity you won’t find in store-bought sauces.
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What Does a Blueberry BBQ Sauce Go With?
I love it on a bacon cheeseburger like the one below, but I’ve also enjoyed it on pork chops, on salmon and on chicken thighs.
The sauce is quite robust and tangy so as a condiment or topping it is best used with stronger flavors, like smoked ribs or grilled pork chops. It is also a classic pairing with salmon, however, and adds a delightful flavor to gooey cheese in a grilled cheese sandwich. Here are a few other favorite pairings:
- Grilled lamb chops
- Spare ribs
- Cheese boards
- Chicken thighs
- Pulled pork quesadilla
- Pheasant or game dishes
- Trout
- Smoked brisket
Ingredients
Blueberries contain minimal water and freeze beautifully. You just want to freeze them properly (no air) so they don’t get freezer burn, and the taste will be as fresh as it was in July.
We cannot keep up with our blueberries at the farm and freeze many of them for our preserves and winter baking. The recipe below was tested with frozen blueberries.
Here is a visual list of the ingredients. Check out the recipe below for exact measurements:
Is Alcohol Cooked Out When Using Bourbon?
While a good portion of alcohol is evaporated, or cooked out, not all of it is. The amount of alcohol left after cooking depends on three factors: concentration, heat, and time.
This recipe boils the sauce for 5 minutes and simmers the sauce for another 20 minutes, so the heat and the time will evaporate quite a bit of the alcohol. However, the concentration is a bit high (the recipe uses 1/2 cup of bourbon).
The amount of alcohol retained in food can range from 5 to 85 percent, with the lower end more applicable to baked goods that have a low concentration and cook for 1-2 hours.
I would guess this sauce retains around 50% of the alcohol as a sauce but then loses another 25% to the high heat of grilling it with a protein.
At any rate, the amount of sauce you actually “imbibe” is only a couple of tablespoons, so given the cooking time and the high heat, I would guess the alcohol percentage left over to be pretty low. It is not non-existent, however.
How to Make Blueberry Bourbon BBQ Sauce
The ingredient and recipe details are listed in the recipe card below. In short:
- Mix hot sauce, liquid smoke, ketchup, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and allspice in a bowl.
- Sauté chopped onion until caramelized, add garlic, then pour in bourbon and let it boil briefly.
- Add blueberries and the vinegar-mustard mixture, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer about 20 minutes until thickened. Season with salt and serve warm or at room temperature.
Best Side Dishes to Serve with Blueberry BBQ Sauce
Because the blueberry bourbon BBQ sauce has such a dominant flavor profile, side dishes shouldn’t compete, but rather be a milder complement.
I like to add something cool and refreshing (think cucumbers) to pair with the smoky robust sauce. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Cool, creamy cole slaw
- cucumber salad
- Corn is a classic pairing with blueberries and corn on the cob works great with grilled foods
- A Romano bean side dish
- A cold Brussels sprouts salad
- A refreshing watermelon and jicama salad
FAQ
Yes. The sauce is delicious without alcohol. You’ll lose some depth of flavor, but it will still be excellent.
Yes. Thaw them first or add a few extra minutes of cooking time. Frozen blueberries work beautifully in this recipe.
Refrigerated in an airtight container, it keeps for about a week.
The blueberries and brown sugar add carbs and sugar. Use it sparingly as a condiment rather than a main component if you’re following slow carb.
Pork chops, salmon, chicken thighs, burgers, and smoked ribs are all excellent. The tangy sweetness complements rich, fatty proteins especially well.
More Berry Recipes:
Check out more blueberry recipes from our farm, from sweet to savory to cocktails to preserves.
Blueberry Bourbon BBQ Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ Teaspoon hot sauce can use chipotle if you prefer smoky flavored hot sauce. I used choula
- ½ Teaspoon liquid smoke
- ½ Cup catsup
- ¼ Cup balsamic vinegar
- 3-4 Tablespoons brown sugar packed down in spoon
- 3 Tablespoons dijon mustard
- ⅛ Teaspoon ground allspice freshly ground if possible
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ Medium onion chopped
- 3 Cloves garlic minced
- ⅓ Cup bourbon (optional)
- 3 Cups blueberries Thaw If using frozen berries
- ½ Teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Mix together the first seven ingredients in a bowl (the hot sauce through the allspice).1/2 Teaspoon hot sauce, 1/2 Teaspoon liquid smoke, 1/2 Cup catsup, 1/4 Cup balsamic vinegar, 3-4 Tablespoons brown sugar, 3 Tablespoons dijon mustard, 1/8 Teaspoon ground allspice
- Add 1 Tablespoon oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. When hot add the chopped onions and saute for about 3-5 minutes or until caramelized. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.Add the bourbon, and bring to a low boil for about 2 minutes. Add the blueberries and the vinegar-mustard mixture, stir, and return to a boil. Add the salt, lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until thickened to your preference1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 Medium onion, 3 Cloves garlic, 1/3 Cup bourbon, 3 Cups blueberries, 1/2 Teaspoon kosher salt
- Serve on top or on the side of your favorite protein. Refrigerate any leftover sauce for up to a week.
Video
Love this!
Wife is out of town for a week and my mission is to empty the fridge of leftovers which included a cup of blueberries. I scaled down the recipe with the exception of garlic. Initial taste was sweet, but after simmering it became perfect. Going to try it on salmon when the wife returns.
Nice recipe.
Well, I’m happy that worked out for you. It really does make my day when one of my posts helps someone. Thanks for commenting.