Blueberry Barbecue Chicken

A sauce of fresh summer berries creates a crackly, caramelized glaze in this sweeter spin on the cookout classic.

Serves
3–4 with extra sauce
Time
12 hours

TIM ROBISON

Updated on July 2, 2024

Similar to a shrub—a fruit syrup punctuated by vinegar—this blueberry sauce, or what celebrated Southern chef Vivian Howard calls Blue Q sauce, makes a bracing drink when mixed with club soda or booze. It’s also the first step in a fruity vinaigrette and is a perfect glaze on roasted or grilled chicken. Keep in mind this is not a marinade. Brush it on toward the end of cooking and let the chicken soak up more of the sauce before serving. The final soak is key. Follow our simple instructions for how to spatchcock a chicken, or ask your butcher to butterfly or spatchcock the bird by cutting out the backbone and sternum and flattening the bird.

Featured in “The First Lady of Carolina Cooking.”

Ingredients

For the sauce:

3 cups blueberries
2 cups apple cider vinegar, divided
2 cups sugar
¼ tsp. crushed red chile flakes
1 bay leaf
One 3-in. cinnamon stick

For the chicken:

One 3-lb. whole chicken, spatchcocked (see headnote)
2 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

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Instructions

Step 1

Make the sauce: To a food processor, add the blueberries and 2 tablespoons of the vinegar. Pulse to break up the berries and get some juices flowing.

Step 2

Transfer the pulverized berries to a medium pot and add the sugar, chile flakes, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and remaining vinegar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then turn the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

Step 3

Carefully transfer the hot sauce to a blender. Remove the knob from the top of the blender lid and cover with a dish towel to prevent an explosion. Blend the sauce until it’s as smooth as possible, then strain through a fine mesh sieve directly back into the pot. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced by about one-third of its original volume, 25–30 minutes. It should coat the back of a spoon and have the viscosity of maple syrup. Set the sauce aside to rest for 8–24 hours. It will keep for months, covered, in the refrigerator.

Step 4

Make the chicken: Heat a gas or charcoal grill to to 350°F. Bring the chicken to room temperature 30 minutes before you plan to grill, then season with salt and black pepper.

Step 5

Place the chicken, skin side up, on the grill and close the lid. Cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Baste with the blueberry sauce every 5 minutes for an additional 20 minutes, keeping the lid closed between basting. Using tongs, flip the chicken and continue cooking, basting with the blueberry sauce every 5 minutes and keeping the lid closed between basting, until the skin is caramelized and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh reads 165°F, about 10 minutes more.

Step 6

Remove the chicken from the grill, toss in ½ cup of the blueberry sauce, and set aside to rest for 10 minutes. Carve the chicken into six or eight pieces and toss once more in another ½ cup of the blueberry sauce. Serve the chicken warm or at room temperature.