Baby Back Ribs with Blueberry Balsamic Barbecue Sauce
This recipe for Baby Back Ribs with Blueberry Balsamic Barbecue Sauce is a must for your next barbecue. The blueberry BBQ sauce is sticky, spicy, and a whole lot of savory!
Baby Back Ribs with Blueberry Balsamic Barbecue Sauce is a must for your next barbecue. The blueberry BBQ sauce recipe is sticky, spicy, and a whole lot of savory!
Note: This post was originally published on May 22, 2015. The recipe has been updated with new photographs, as well as improved kitchen notes and recipe annotation. I hope you enjoy this favorite from my kitchen.
If there is one thing my daughter can eat with blissful abandon every single day of the week, it would be ribs. Ribs for breakfast, ribs for lunch, ribs for dinner. Viva la ribs!
With our landscaping project finally complete, and the grill now in its proper place in our new home, I asked her what we should grill to celebrate as I was tucking her into bed the other night. Her answer should not have surprised me.
So I waved my magic wand – ok, whisk – and made it happen. Specifically, Baby Back Ribs with Blueberry Balsamic Barbecue Sauce happened.
It didn’t take long to call the kids down to dinner that evening. The smokey scent from the grill drew them down before I had a chance to call them. It was one night when we ate just ribs. No sides. Nothing else. Just all the ribs. And my daughter was in heaven.
Blueberry Balsamic Barbecue Sauce
May we pause on this sauce for a moment? The minute she said ribs I knew exactly what I wanted to glaze over the meat, just as it begged to fall off the bones. I had some gorgeous blueberries that I knew would be perfect, transformed into a blueberry sauce so spicy and sweet, and irresistibly sticky.
My whisk coaxed it into a sauce perfumed with inky balsamic vinegar, sweetened with a touch of honey, and mellowed with molasses. Red chili flakes and cayenne pepper were not spared, and I am willing to actually say that this is the best barbecue sauce I have ever made.
They’re delicious on ribs, of course, but try it on pork tenderloin, pork chops, chicken thighs, chicken breast, chicken wings, and more!
How to Make Blueberry BBQ Sauce Recipe
When delicious fresh blueberries are in season, set some aside to make this lip-smacking homemade blueberry bbq sauce recipe!
But first, make a quick dry rub by combining spices in a small bowl. Sprinkle the rub generously on the rack of baby back ribs on both sides. Place the ribs on a baking sheet and bake for 2 hours, or until the ribs are tender. You’ll know they’re ready when you lift it with tongs off the rack – if the ribs are slack and hang from the tongs, then it will be perfect!
Tip: You can make the rub weeks in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the pantry.
While the ribs are in the oven, make the blueberry bbq sauce.
Combine the blueberries, honey, and balsamic vinegar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
When the blueberries have burst and released their juices, add the red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, shallots, and garlic, and cook for several minutes to allow the flavors to come together.
Tip: If you like spicy food, this blueberry barbecue sauce recipe is for you! But if you are worried it might be too spicy, start by adding a little bit of the cayenne pepper, increasing the amount to taste.
If you have an immersion blender, blend the sauce to give it a smooth consistency. You can also use a regular blender or food processor.
Transfer the sauce into a mason jar.
Tip: You can make this easy blueberry bbq sauce recipe several days in advance – just be sure to let it cool completely before storing in the refrigerator.
When the ribs are tender, brush the ribs with the homemade bbq sauce on both sides. Reserve the remaining sauce for serving. Place the ribs on a preheated grill, and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the ribs are caramelized, turning periodically. Transfer the ribs onto a cutting board and brush with more delicious sauce. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes, then cut the ribs. Serve immediately along with the reserved sauce!
More Recipes to Grill
Rhubarb-Wine BBQ Sauce
Baby Back Ribs with Fiery Peach BBQ Sauce
Plank Grilled Alaska Salmon with Honey Chipotle Glaze
Grilled Vegetable Pizza
Grilled Swordfish Kebabs with Citrus Herb Salsa
Grilled Tempeh and Vegetable Skewers with Habanero Pineapple Sauce
Baby Back Ribs with Blueberry Balsamic Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
For the Ribs:
- 2 racks baby back ribs
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Blueberry Balsamic Barbecue Sauce:
- 2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen works
- 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup diced shallots
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F, with a rack placed in the center of the oven. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.
- Flip one rack of baby back ribs over and insert the tip of a butter knife under the membrane that covers the back of the rack. Wiggle the knife to loosen the membrane. Use a paper towel to hold one the and pull it off. Repeat with remaining rack.
- Combine the seasonings in a small bowl and mix well with a spoon or small whisk. Sprinkle the rub generously on both sides of the baby back ribs. Place the ribs bone side down on the baking sheet and bake for about 2 hours, or until the ribs are slack when you lift them and the meat is almost ready to fall off the bone.
- While the ribs are in the oven, make the barbecue sauce. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together the blueberries, honey and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer, and cook until the blueberries have burst and released their juices, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper (add in increments if you are sensitive to spice), shallots and garlic and let it cook for about 5-7 minutes more. If you have an immersion blender, blend the sauce together to puree the sauce into a smoother consistency. You may also use a blender or a masher.
- Stir in the molasses, salt and pepper, and continue simmering the sauce until it has thickened, about 15-20 minutes. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Remove from heat and let it cool; it will thicken as it sits. The sauce may be used right away or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator after cooling completely.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
- When the ribs are tender, remove from the oven. Brush the ribs with barbecue sauce on both sides. Reserve the remaining sauce for serving. Place the ribs on the grill, and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the ribs are caramelized, turning periodcally. Transfer the ribs onto a cutting board and brush with more sauce. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes, then cut the ribs. Serve immediately along with the reserved sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Comments
COOKBOOK
Really delicious recipe!!! Loved the sauce. Will definitely make it again.
Thank you!
The sweetness of the blueberries coupled with the balsamic vinaigrette and spice of the cayenne pepper create a melody of lusciousness. These ribs are fantastic (tender and delicious). The barbecue sauce is so good that I plan on canning a batch to keep in the pantry. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
I am so happy that you loved the ribs! The blueberry barbecue is my favorite and I’m glad you enjoyed it as much as we do! Thank you so much for letting me know!
How many racks of ribs will this cover? I’m grillin 5 racks and need to know how much to adjust this recipe.. thank you
Rick
This makes enough for two racks of ribs. Hope that helps and happy grilling!
ee
Liren Baker: I loved the recipe you posted on 5/12/15 for Baby Back Ribs with Blueberry Balsamic Barbecue Sauce! I would like to share a link to this blog page on my Father’s Day blog (I’m presently writing a series of articles to publish on Father’s Day THIS WEEK.) Of course you would get all the credit and I would simply mention that I loved your recipe and share your link. It might increase your blog stats a bit; but I would not be able to pay you for it. I haven’t monitized my blog site yet and not going to make anything off of the posting. Just trying to provide good content for those interested and I think referring my readers to your article would be an awesome opportunity to provide such. I’m hoping that you would agree for me to share the link. If so; please send the link my way. Thank you so much for your consideration.
I have been “perfecting” ribs for quite some time, and, in fact, in our family, I am known as Mr. Ribs. I initially used a recipe for dry rub known as “Angel Dust”, a wicked combination of over 15 different ingredients, which made for an expensive combo. However, in the past five years, we have adopted Mrs. Dash’s Chipotle Seasoning, which, for a mere $2.49-2.99, contains all the ingredients of our old Angel Dust and then some! What I got from this recipe, though, was the tart, spicy sauce, which I have made with my ol’ dependable standard of Sweet Baby Rays, and what a beautiful symphony the two have made!!! What a treat to cook for your sweet!
Awesome to hear, Rob! Good to know about the chipotle seasoning – I’ll have to check it out and try it with our ribs next time!
This is a must try if you like trying new things. Prepare to be amazed!
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you loved it!
I just made these for dinner tonight and my boyfriend is STILL going crazy about them! Thank you so much for this wonderful and creative recipe! Saving to make later.
Yaaay! I’m so glad that you and your boyfriend approve, Kim!
Wow! This recipe is excellent! I used this last night to make ribs for my husband and I and they were absolutely delicious. The recipe takes a bit of time but we thought it was worth it. I used the spices as specified and the ribs came out spicy but not in a hot way more like a smoky spicy. The sauce had the right balance of spice and sweetness and the molasses gave it a deep, almost old-timey flavor. Really terrific. Thanks for posting.
Hi Jen! I’m thrilled that you loved the ribs! These are absolutely one of my favorite sauces – and always a hit when I make it for my family. Stay tuned, I have another fun bbq sauce for you to try coming soon!
Wow- every aspect of this looks FANTASTIC!!
sounds amazing and looks beautiful!
I never think about adding blueberry to the ribs. It’s interesting recipe and I think I should try this next time.
Liren, these ribs are first up in my queue of recipes for summer barbecuing. I can’t wait to make them. You have my mouth watering!
I can’t wait for you to make them, Mary! Please let me know when you do – it was definitely a hit over here :)
This looks wonderful – I love ribs and this blueberry balsamic combination sounds amazing!
Thanks, Millie! It’s so irresistible! The blueberry and balsamic go so well together :)
Wow! This recipe is excellent! I used this last night to make ribs for my husband and I and they were absolutely delicious. The recipe takes a bit of time but we thought it was worth it. I used the spices as specified and the ribs came out spicy but not in a hot way more like a smoky spicy.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the ribs, Lisa!