Get ready for a flavour explosion with these Wild Blueberry BBQ Wings!

Marinated in a brown sugar and sea salt brine, then grilled to perfection and coated in a tangy Wild Blueberry BBQ Sauce, these wings are a delicious twist on a classic favorite. Serve them up with extra cilantro and lime wedges for a dish that’s sure to impress.

Chicken Wings

  • 3 pounds of chicken wings, drums and flats
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup sea salt
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 lime, halved
  • 1 garlic bulb, halved
  • 4 rosemary sprigs
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons your favorite BBQ spice rub mixture
  • Extra cilantro and lime wedges, to serve

Wild Blueberry BBQ Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium white onion, minced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼ cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 small jalapeno, minced (or less, if you like it less spicy)
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons maple sugar (or brown sugar, in a pinch)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 3 cups of New Brunswick wild blueberries
  • 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Preparation

First, brine your chicken wings.

In a large pot, combine the water, brown sugar, and salt, and dissolve. Add your garlic, lime, rosemary and chicken wings, then cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 4 hours.

Preheat a Traeger (or other pellet grill) to 225 degrees F.

Pat the wings completely dry with paper towels, then toss with olive oil and spice rub mixture, coating every nook and cranny. Place the wings directly on the grill grates and smoke for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make your New Brunswick Wild Blueberry BBQ Sauce.

Heat a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat and add your olive oil. When the oil is simmering, add the onion, season with a pinch of salt, and cook until softened and translucent, about 6-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then add your cilantro and jalapeno, and continue cooking for about 1 minute, keeping the mixture moving.

Next, add your Dijon, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, maple sugar, spices, lemon juice, wild blueberries, and season with salt and pepper. Mix well, bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, and cook until thickened and reduced. Remove from the heat and pulse with a hand blender until smooth.

After the wings have smoked for 1 hour, remove them from the heat and increase the grill temp to 350 degrees F. Place the wings back on the grill and cook for 15 minutes, then toss with your Wild Blueberry BBQ Sauce and continue cooking for about 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce thickens (and the internal temperature of the chicken wings reads 165 degrees F using a meat thermometer).

Plate up your wings, then top with extra cilantro and serve with lime wedges and any extra BBQ sauce for dipping. Delicious!

Chef Dennis Prescott created Wild Blueberry BBQ Chicken Wings as a part of his brand ambassadorship with New Brunswick – Deliciously Canadian. You can find his original recipe, on dennistheprescott.com or YouTube.

To learn more about New Brunswick Wild Blueberries, check out Bleuets NB Blueberries.

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