The only way to become a better cook is to exit your comfort zone and push the limits. Use the ordinary in unordinary ways and test out new ingredients. A few bloggers and myself have a mostly “challenge” which focuses on one ingredient.
Strawberry BBQ Chicken is a unique take on your classic BBQ Chicken recipe. Tangy strawberry BBQ Sauce pairs with fresh Strawberry Salsa and a cool avocado cream sauce.
Previous topics included chicken with Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken and lemon with my Garlic Lemon Chicken (ok, now I’m noticing a trend, next month, don’t let me pick anything to do with chicken!).
This month it is STRAWBERRIES! Make sure to scroll all the way down to check out what other fantastic bloggers created. And guess what? I somehow, without thinking about it, picked chicken.
Oh glorious little, red bulbs. We took a poll on my Facebook page to see what people wanted to see and it was pretty clear that my foodie friends wanted SAVORY!
I had done a blueberry BBQ sauce before and wanted to try the same concept of capitalizing the natural sugars in the strawberries and then adding some pizzazz with vinegar. A traditional ketchup base keeps it grounded, but it still has a wildly curious and unique flavor.
Unlike my Crockpot BBQ Chicken and Instant Pot BBQ chicken, this BBQ chicken recipe is a little different from some of my others because it is actually made on the barbeque! Imagine that, LOL.
I paired my Strawberry BBQ Chicken with a cool avocado yogurt sauce and Strawberry Salsa for a well balanced and sophisticated dish.
This Strawberry Salsa recipe uses sweet strawberries with cooling cucumber, red onion, basil and zesty white wine vinegar so adds a juicy and sweet element to the tangy Strawberry BBQ sauce.
Quick and dirty version of how to make strawberry BBQ chicken. First, you make the fruit based barbeque sauce by roasting the strawberries. This brings out their natural juices and sugars. All these flavors get blended in a food processor until smooth.
Next, I use chicken thighs. They have more flavor, are much less expensive than other cuts of chicken and stay moist on the grill without marinating or brining. You can use chicken breast or drumsticks if you prefer.
Chicken thighs are seasoned with nothing by salt and pepper, then grilled on indirect heat and basted with the tangy strawberry sauce. It gets sticky sweet and bakes onto the chicken until caramelized and delicious.
Serve with juicy strawberry salsa and avocado yogurt sauce. Perfect for a weeknight meal with the family or a large party!
Don’t feel pressured to make all of the pieces and feel free to use the same Strawberry BBQ sauce on fish, pork or a tri-tip roast. One thing is for sure, having the right BBQ tools
is essential for any grilled feast!
If you liked this BBQ Chicken recipe, check out these others!
Ranch Grilled Chicken
Citrus Chicken Marinade Recipe
Tools for making Strawberry BBQ Chicken:
Strawberry Huller– I never thought I needed one of these but now that I have one, I can’t live without it. My last one accidentally got stuck in the garbage disposal and I bought one immediately. The thought of going back to free hand hulling with a paring knife.
Rimmed Baking Sheet– another kitchen staple! You’ll use this for prep work, roasting and much more. I have 7 at my house.
Mini Food Processor– I use this thing daily! It is by far my most used kitchen appliance, it is small and I throw all the parts into the dishwasher, well except the base and cord, of course!
Strawberry BBQ Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
Strawberry BBQ Chicken:
- 2 pounds fresh strawberries hulled and halved
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves micro-grated or finely minced
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil roughly chopped
- 4 chicken thighs
- Salt and pepper
Avocado Sauce:
- 1/2 ripe avocado
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil minced
- Strawberry Salsa
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum boil, making sure to curl up the edges to catch all of the natural liquids.
- Place strawberries on pan and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until fragrant, soft and caramelized.
- Remove and allow to cool slightly before transferring to a medium sauce pan.
- Combine all remaining ingredients into the sauce pan and stir. Continue to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring periodically.
- Using an immersion blender, blend sauce until smooth. You can also transfer and blend in a food processor.
- Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and heat grill to medium-high heat.
- Oil grates and place on indirect heat, turning very 5 minutes for 20 minutes.
- Start to baste lightly every 3 minutes, turning twice. To finish, transfer to direct heat and baste one more time. Make sure chicken reaches an internal temperture of 165 degrees. Chicken sizes can vary greatly and therefore, so can cooking time.
- Remove and allow to rest.
- Meanwhile, in a small food processor, blend avocado, plain Greek yogurt and fresh basil. You can also mash with a fork. Place into an airtight plastic bag, snip the corner and drizzle over plated chicken.
- Top with additional minced basil, if desired.
- If you’ve tried this recipe come back and let us know how it was!
Nutrition
Check out all the other lovely strawberry recipes below from bloggers who took part in our 30 Day Strawberry Challenge.
- Strawberry Pound Cake by Lovefoodies
- Strawberry Crisp by Num’s the Word
- Strawberry Creme Bars by Life Currents
- Strawberry popsicles (ice lollies) by Culinary Ginger
- Strawberry Pudding by The Kitchen is My Playground
- Strawberry Cheesecake Stuffed Angle Food Cake by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
- Fresh Strawberry and Peach Salsa by Hot Eats and Cool Reads
- Glazed Strawberry Lemon Yogurt Loaf by Who Needs A Cape?
- Strawberry BBQ Chicken by Savory Experiments
- Strawberry Zabaione by Blessed Beyond Crazy
- Frozen Strawberry Easy Dessert by Noshing With The Nolands
Love the use of strawberries in a savory dish with this chicken! It looks totally amazing.
This looks amazing! I love the flavors!
Now this sounds like a fresh and flavorful dish! I can’t wait to give this a try!
What a beautiful chicken dish, cannot wait to try!
This looks so colourful and mouthwatering. Perfect for a party too!
I would’ve voted savory too! This recipe would be a new favorite of mine! Delicious!
Four score and seven minutes ago, I read a sweet aritcle. Lol thanks
This looks amazing, love everything about this dish!
This is a great way to add fresh fruit to a savory dish. Perfect summer BBQ dish that I have to try.