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Blueberry Balsamic BBQ Sauce in a glass jar on an orange and white plate.

Blueberry Balsamic BBQ Sauce

Course: Condiments, sauces
Cuisine: North American
Keyword: BBQ sauce, blueberry
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 16 ounces
Calories: 50kcal
Author: Marta Rivera
Blueberry Balsamic BBQ Sauce is an aromatic, simple-to-make condiment made from fresh blueberries, sweet and sour balsamic, and robust aromatics.
You can produce this gourmet sauce with basic ingredients from your pantry and fridge in only 30 minutes.
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • fine mesh sieve
  • immersion blender (for a thicker sauce)

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 small red onion minced (1/4 cup or 30 grams)
  • 3 large cloves garlic peeled and minced (1 tablespoon or 15 grams)
  • 18 ounces (3 cups or 510 grams) blueberries separated (if using frozen berries, thaw, reserve the liquid)
  • 3/4 cups (180 milliliters) balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons (35 grams) tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup, packed (55 grams) light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon (15 grams) Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon (6 grams) kosher salt or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon (1 gram) red pepper flakes optional
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves)

Instructions

Prepare the Blueberry Balsamic BBQ Sauce

  • Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a 3-quart saucepan.
    Once the oil in the pot begins to shimmer, add the red onion and garlic.
    Sauté the aromatics for 2 minutes or until they become glossy and take on some color. 
  • Decrease the temperature to medium and add 2 cups (340 grams) blueberries to the pot.
    Sauté the blueberries for 4 minutes, using the back of a spoon to squash them in the pot. Allow the heat to extract the juices from the blueberries.
  • After 4 minutes, add the balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and thyme leaves to the pot.
    Bring the contents of the pot up to a boil and allow the mixture to boil for 1 1/2 minutes.
  • Reduce the heat to low and allow the sauce to simmer for 10 minutes.
    Continue to use the back of the spoon to mash the blueberries in the pot as the sauce simmers. 

Strain (Optional), Then Cool The Sauce

  • Add the remaining cup (170 grams) of blueberries to a bowl and strain the thickened BBQ sauce through a fine-mesh sieve over the whole blueberries.
    You can also skip straining the sauce if you're okay with it having more texture.
  • Allow the BBQ sauce to cool completely.
    Transfer the sauce to a storage container and store it in the fridge until ready to use. 

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:
  • You can replace the balsamic vinegar in this BBQ sauce with red wine or cider vinegar, but the flavor will be more acidic. Offset the acidity by adding an additional 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 grams) brown sugar to the recipe or 1 tablespoon (15 grams) molasses. 
  • Replace the blueberries in this recipe with blackberries, boysenberries, raspberries, or chopped strawberries. 
Tips and Techniques:
  • If you prefer a thicker BBQ sauce, you can puree the mixture with an immersion blender instead of straining it.
Storage Instructions:
  • You can store blueberry balsamic BBQ sauce in a covered container in the fridge for 2 months.
  • Use a clean utensil to remove the BBQ sauce from its storage jar to keep germs from infiltrating the rest of the sauce. 
Freezer Instructions:
  1. Transfer the cooled blueberry balsamic BBQ sauce to a freezer-safe container.
  2. Freeze it for up to one year.
  3. Thaw the frozen BBQ sauce in the refrigerator, then stir it before using.

Nutrition

Calories: 50kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.5g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 163mg | Potassium: 81mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 102IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 0.4mg