Blueberry Bourbon BBQ Sauce

4.64 from 86 votes

A delicious homemade blueberry BBQ sauce perfect for all of your summer cookouts!

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Condiments

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 118kcal

Author: Cheryl Bennett

1 lb. fresh or frozen and thawed blueberries any bad/moldy fruit discarded / 450g *see note
1 cup ketchup 235g
½ cup brown sugar 100g
½ cup apple cider vinegar 120mL / adjust to your preferences if you don't like vinegar
½ cup bourbon 120mL
1 small red onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced (measure with your heart)
1 jalapeño diced
1 teaspoon kosher salt I use Diamond Crystal, see note
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon neutral oil such as grapeseed or canola
2 bay leaves

In a heavy-bottomed pot, like a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium / medium low heat and sauté onions and garlic until translucent and fragrant, about 8 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients to the pot. Bring to a simmer, and cook down for approximately 30 minutes, until thickened and syrupy. Keep an eye on your sauce, if it comes to a rapid boil, reduce the heat.
Remove bay leaves and let cool slightly.
Carefully transfer to a blender and purée until smooth, or use an immersion blender to blend in the pot. *See note
Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up two weeks.

Taste your blueberries! If they are super sweet, you may not need as much sugar. Conversely, if they are really tart, you may need a bit more, depending on your preferences.
I happen to love vinegar, so I used 1/2 cup. If you are not a fan of the strong flavor, use 1/3 - 1/4 cup.
A note on salt – Not all salt is created equal. A teaspoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt weighs about 2.7 grams, Morton's kosher salt weighs a little over 5 grams for a teaspoon and table salt weighs 6 grams for a teaspoon. So, adjust accordingly, depending on what kind of salt you are using.
When blending hot liquids in a blender - The way I do this is to remove the clear blender cap in the middle of the lid, then place a clean, folded kitchen towel over the hole (I recommend using a dark towel for this in case it gets stained). The towel covers the hole so you won't get splashed, but it also allows steam to escape. Place your hand on top of the towel to hold in place, then turn the blender on low to get it started. When the sauce has started moving, increase the speed. Decrease the speed when the sauce is blended to your liking before shutting off to avoid splashes.
The flavor of this sauce is much smoother and deeper after it has been baked, and the vinegar mellows out a bit. If you find that the flavor is too sharp to use as a dip, brush it on whatever you are cooking, and let the sauce bake/grill for 5 - 10 minutes. The transformation is incredible.