When summer hits, I’m all about recipes that bring big flavor without a lot of fuss, and these Blackberry BBQ Grilled Chicken Thighs hit the mark perfectly.
The sauce is sweet, tangy, smoky, and just a little bit unexpected thanks to the fresh blackberries blended right in. This recipe was inspired by the Blackberry BBQ Country Ribs in my second cookbook, The Easy Sheet Pan Cookbook, but this time I’ve zhuzhed the whole thing up for the grill.
Whether you’re cooking up a weekend barbecue or just want to shake up a weeknight dinner, this dish delivers juicy, tender chicken with bold, crowd-pleasing flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Blackberry BBQ Chicken
This recipe is sweet and smoky, with a tangy flavor that will have you licking the sauce from your fingers and not caring who sees.
It uses simple ingredients you can prep ahead, and the sauce can be an excellent marinade for the chicken overnight.
It’s versatile, too: serve it for family dinners, summer parties, or use for a weekly meal prep.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken thighs (boneless, skinless)
- Fresh blackberries
- Ketchup, Hoisin BBQ sauce, Dijon mustard
- Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar
- Smoked paprika, ground cumin, garlic powder
How to Prep Ahead for Easy Grilling
This recipe is a good one to prep ahead if you’re doing a Prep Sesh or just getting a bit ahead on your cooking one week.
The sauce ingredients are blended together in a blender or food processor, and can be stored in the fridge, tightly covered, for up to 5 days.
I personally haven’t tried freezing this sauce recipe, but I bet it would work great as well! If you get the chance to freeze, then use – let me know how it goes for you!
Just don’t forget to reserve some extra sauce on the side before you add the chicken and get to grilin’. That extra sauce is so flavorful topped onto the chicken at the table!
Serving and Pairing Ideas
This blackberry bbq grilled chicken would be great on its own, or as part of a skewer with other veggies.
It also makes a fabulous topper for salads or wraps throughout the week!
When serving, it goes great with a big fresh salad. Or how about a Grilled Romaine Salad with Crispy Chickpeas and Homemade Ranch? Pair those together and you’ve got the perfect bbq with friends!
With just a little prep and a hot grill, these Blackberry BBQ Grilled Chicken Thighs come together into a meal that’s bursting with bold, summery flavor. The sweet and tangy blackberry sauce is a fun twist on classic BBQ, and it’s sure to impress your guests (or just make you feel like a weeknight dinner rockstar).
So fire up that grill and get ready — your tastebuds are in for a treat!
Blackberry BBQ Grilled Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 cups fresh blackberries
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup Hoisin BBQ sauce
- 2 tablespoons sweet dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
Prep Ahead:
- Combine all the ingredients, minus the chicken, in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
- Reserve ½ cup of BBQ sauce for serving, and transfer to a small container with a lid.
- Add the chicken to a large bowl and cover with he remaining sauce, using a spoon to make sure all the chicken is completely slathered. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid.
- Store the reserved sauce and chicken up to overnight in the fridge.
Prepare From Prepped:
- Preheat the grill and spray the grate with nonstick cooking oil.
- Grill the marinated chicken until cooked through. Chicken is done when the internal temperature registers at least 160*F.
- Serve with reserved BBQ sauce on the side.
Make From Fresh:
- Prepare the sauce according to Step 1 in “Prep Ahead”.
- Reserve ½ cup sauce and cover the rest of the chicken with the remaining sauce, as in Step 2 and 3 in “Prep Ahead”
- Heat the grill and spray the grates with nonstick cooking oil.
- Cook the chicken according to Step 2 in “Prepare From Prepped”
- Serve with remaining sauce on the side.
Grilled Romaine with Crispy Chickpeas and Homemade Ranch Dressing
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