Blueberry Barbecued Chicken Recipe

Combine two classic summer favorites — blueberries and barbecue — in this tangy and sweet sauce  for grilled chicken.

Ingredients

½ cup diced onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups frozen wild blueberries
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
6 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions

Before you begin: Wash your hands.

1. Prepare and heat grill.
2. On a stove, heat a medium saucepan to medium-high heat. Add olive oil and sauté onion for 2 minutes, or until translucent. Add blueberries, ketchup, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and salt. Stir well. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes.
3. Use an immersion blender (or transfer to a blender) to blend until smooth. Transfer ½ cup of sauce to one bowl and reserve for serving. Transfer remaining sauce to a second bowl for grilling.
4. Pound chicken breasts to flatten to ½-inch thickness. Place flattened chicken breasts on prepared grill. Cook for 5 minutes on one side, turn and grill another 5 minutes.
5. Spread blueberry barbecue sauce evenly over chicken; grill 1 minute.
6. Turn chicken and spoon larger portion of sauce evenly over other side; grill 1 minute longer. Chicken is cooked when internal temperature reaches 165°F.
7. Serve with reserved ½ cup blueberry barbecue sauce.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 chicken breast
Serves 6

Calories: 292; Total fat: 6g; Saturated fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 94mg; Sodium: 385mg; Carbohydrates: 22g; Fiber: 1g; Sugars: 18g; Protein: 35g; Potassium: 397mg; Phosphorus: 267mg

Gretchen F. Brown, RD, is a registered dietitian in Watertown, N.Y.