Skip to content
We’re into grilling and 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 like experimenting with different flavors and seasonings in our test kitchen. If you are close by, we give lots of blueberries away! We discovered that this Sweet and tangy Blueberry BBQ sauce offers 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.
We topped gently grilled wild-caught salmon in this recipe 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 sets in, 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 in the freezer.
How to Make Blueberry BBQ Sauce
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add onion and cook, occasionally stirring, 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 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, occasionally stirring, until thickened, about 15 minutes.
- Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.
Make this Blueberry BBQ Sauce with out Blueberry Blossom Honey!
Adapting our Blueberry BBQ Sauce Recipe
A recipe is not perfect until you’ve added your touch and improved on a truly delicious dish. We encourage you to play with your food and get creative. Call 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 the flavor.
- If you prefer a more jammy taste, use Mixed Berry Honey instead.
My friend Jack jokes that the best blueberries are from someone else’s farm! If you decide to make this Blueberry BBQ Sauce for your next summer barbecue, take a photo and share it with us using #beeinspired on Instagram. We love seeing your photos!
If you love blueberries, we have a bunch more blueberry recipes on our blog as well!
