Blueberry Chipotle Barbecue Sauce
Sweet blueberries are the star in this easy to make barbecue sauce. Blueberry Chipotle Barbecue Sauce is ready in just 30 minutes and has a slight kick from the chipotle peppers. The perfect twist to your summer barbecue recipes.
Anyone super excited to see that blueberries are not so expensive right now that you have to leave your first born at the local grocery store in order to enjoy them? Well, I am! I don’t think Katie would be too thrilled if I traded her for a pint of berries, but I bet her room would stay clean for more than 2 hours if I did. Although, I haven’t seen her room lately because I close the door and pretend it doesn’t exist. So….maybe it’s secretly been the cleanest room in the house the past few months and I’m missing all the fun. Should I go take a peek? I think I’ll just keep myself in suspense….you know, just in case I open the door and a large rodent comes barging out the door.
Back to the berries. I love when they’re in season because the price doesn’t make you want to run screaming and you can pop them in your mouth with reckless abandon. Like candy, they’re seriously like candy…especially when they’re perfectly ripe and sweet. I’m drooling as I write this. I love to throw them in a lot of recipes like my ever popular Blueberry Coconut Yogurt Coffee Cake which everyone seems to LOVE on Pinterest. And I especially love them in savory dishes like my Blueberry Feta and Quinoa Salad….it’s an unlikely combination that is pretty incredible and only takes a few minutes to whip up. They’re also amazing as a frozen treat like my Blueberry Mojito Popsicles that are currently blowing up on Pinterest right now since the weather is warming up. Can you tell I love my blues?
Well, I decided to go savory again….and throw them in with some chipotle peppers for added heat. The result, this crazy, ridiculously tasty Blueberry Chipotle Barbecue Sauce. It’s pretty insane if I do say so myself. And it’s made without ketchup! This was my goal when creating this recipe…no ketchup. All natural ingredients…if possible. I think I did pretty well. Minus the worcestershire sauce…but I don’t know where that stands on the whole “clean eating” spectrum. I’m not an expert…I’m just a hungry woman on a mission to create amazing food and share it for all the world to see.
This recipe comes together rather quickly and is great to use right away, however, if you let it sit overnight….it will be spectacular. It’s an amazing way to add a little twist to your traditional barbecue ribs or chicken….or WINGS. Yep…try it. I think you’re really going to fall in love with it. And just for fun…I whipped up a fresh and crunchy Rainbow Carrot Salad. Want the recipe? Follow me on Facebook…it will be posted this weekend and will ONLY be available on Facebook. So, check it out! And have a wonderful weekend….I’ll see you all next week for #BrunchWeek!
Get the Recipe: Blueberry Chipotle Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 red onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 1 chipotle pepper
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup cider vinegar
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoons cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over med-high heat and add the onion. Saute until softened and add the garlic continuing to cook for 1 minute. Stir in the chipotle pepper, adobo sauce and tomato paste cooking until the mixture begins to caramelize and turn a deep burgundy color. Add both vinegars and scrape the bottom of the pan to release any brown bits.
- Stir in the blueberries, brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, molasses, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, garlic powder, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Cook the mixture until the berries break down and the sauce begins to thicken. Simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the sauce to cool to room temperature. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
- Use as you would with a commercial barbecue sauce.
10 Comments on “Blueberry Chipotle Barbecue Sauce”
Hi Kellie!! I’m not sure if you’ll even see this message but thought I’d try anyways!! So, I tried this recipe and it didn’t quite turn out as expected. It made 4 cups instead of 2, I thought maybe I didn’t reduce it enough but I let it simmer way longer than your instructions. Also, it is insanely spicy!! And I don’t mind a little heat, but just a dab on my finger touched to my tongue is jarring. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can tone down the spice?
It was an easy recipe that looks and smells delicious, though!!! Thank you!!
Hi!!! I’m so glad you tried the recipe, it does tend to cook down if you let it go long enough but I’ll definitely retest because it’s quite old and I haven’t made it recently. BUT if you want to pull back on the spice, you can skip the addition of the peppers. The adobo sauce is pretty spicy itself. We love spicy food so this one is definitely not for the timid!
Do you think you could can this recipe?
Sure! I don’t know how to can but it’s definitely something that would do well if canned properly.
Tangy with a little kick. Thanks for this recipe. Hope to use it soon. My 4 yr old grandson helped measure the spices and vinegars. Will try it on chicken wings.
Thank you for your comment! It’s great on wings…enjoy!
Oh my gosh, Kellie, this look so wonderful! I am trying to think how I might make this low carb!
I hope you think of it and come back to share! I’d love a low-carb version!!!
Delicious but made a lot! A whole blenderful. Would like to give some to friends.
Can I freeze some of it?
Yes, this does freeze very well!