When I started playing around with this recipe, I knew it was going to be delicious. Then the name Blackberry Bourbon Barbecue Chicken came to be. The sweet and savory components, accompanied by the complexity of the flavors, really shine through in this dish.  If you’re not a fan of blackberries, don’t worry, there are other fruit options, like apricots, peaches, and even raspberries.

The other thing I wanted to talk about is how I’m preparing the chicken for this dish. I know that whenever you make a one-pot meal, the browning of the protein first is very important. This part of the cooking process ensures extra flavor and seals in the juices.

The browning of the meat in oil, and having to do that process in batches, can be a real pain. The oil splatters, and it can get messy. I’ve decided to oven-roast the chicken and eliminate that step. The chicken still comes out caramelized and, NO MESS!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Yields: 4 servings (2 pieces of chicken per plate)
Equipment: 2 rimmed baking sheet pans, 1 (6-quart) Dutch oven, chef’s knife, cutting board, meat-safe cutting board

Ingredients for the Roasted Chicken:
4 large chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on (cut breast in half, yielding 8 pieces)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon of black pepper, freshly ground

Ingredients for the Blackberry Bourbon Barbecue Sauce:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves of minced garlic
1 tablespoon of kosher salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper, freshly ground
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 pint of good bourbon
4 to 5 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1 (12.75) jar of sugar-free seedless blackberry jam
1 standard bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce
2 1/2 cups of chicken stock, unsalted
2 pints of fresh blackberries, reserve 1 pint for garnish
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Ingredients for the Quinoa:
1 cup red quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cups of chicken stock, unsalted (substitute water)

Instructions for Roasting the Chicken:
Preheat oven to 425°F.
After you’ve cut the 2 chicken breasts in half, pat them dry well. Place the 8 breasts on two baking sheets. Brush each chicken piece with olive oil and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of kosher salt and 1 tablespoon of fresh-ground black pepper. Roast for 15 minutes.

While the chicken is in the oven, start the sauce. Once you have all the ingredients, work on the stove. Next, turn the oven to the broil position. Keep a close eye on the chicken and continue cooking for another 5-7 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown.  Remove the chicken from the oven and set it aside.

Adjust the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
The chicken will finish cooking during the braising process.

Instructions for the Blackberry Bourbon Barbecue Sauce:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, onions, garlic, cayenne pepper, kosher salt, and fresh-ground black pepper; cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the bourbon, allowing the liquid to reduce by half.

Turn the heat down to medium, add the sugar-free blackberry jam, and stir to combine. Next, add the liquids: barbecue sauce and chicken broth. Again, stir to combine. Season with kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste. Continue cooking for 1 minute more.

Add the chicken to the pot. Bring the pot back up to a bubble, reduce to a simmer, and place the lid on. Transfer the pot to the oven and cook for 40-45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through, an instant-read thermometer shows an internal temperature of 165°F., and the chicken is tender.

Once the pot comes out of the oven, carefully transfer the chicken to a plate. With the stove on medium heat, bring the sauce to temperature, stirring continuously so it doesn’t burn and thickens for about 5 minutes.

Place the chicken back into the pot. Add the fresh blackberries. Turn the heat down to medium-low and continue cooking with the lid off, occasionally stirring for another 15-20 minutes.

While the chicken is simmered in the sauce, start the quinoa.

Instructions for the Quinoa:
In a large saucepan over high heat, bring the quinoa and chicken broth (or water) to a boil. Reduce to medium-low, cover. Simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed, about 15-20 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

To Serve:
Spoon the quinoa onto the plate. Place the chicken on top and ladle some of that delicious sauce over the chicken. Garnish with fresh blackberries and Italian flat-leaf parsley. Serve hot.

There you have it, my Blackberry Bourbon Barbecue Chicken.

Note:
1) Be sure to rinse the quinoa thoroughly before cooking, as there is a bitter coating on the grains.

2) The chicken roasts while the sauce is being prepared.

3) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through a preferred online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/