Blackberry chicken – tender marinated chicken breast pieces on skewers served with an aromatic blackberry sauce. The sauce can also be served with pork.
Blackberry Sauce for Chicken
This blackberry chicken makes the perfect summer dish. Grilled chicken skewers cooked in less than 10 minutes, you can do that on the grill outside or in a grill pan inside. Served with a savory blackberry sauce for meat, made with fresh or frozen berries and cooked in just a few minutes as well.
A healthy, light, aromatic dish that your entire family will enjoy. And an extra bonus: you can prepare everything in advance and just grill the meat when ready to eat.
I never used to make skewers, I had a bad experience with some vegetable-tofu skewers once, where the veggies were still uncooked and the tofu tasted bland, and that kind of put me off any kind of skewers for many years.
But then, last Christmas, I decided to make some turkey skewers as part of our Turkish inspired Christmas Eve dinner (I know, not very traditional, but we get enough tradition at my mother-in-law's Christmas lunch) and we all, especially my daughter, liked them a lot.
Ever since I keep making skewers of any kind. Not only the turkey skewers, but lots of chicken or pork skewers as well.
How to make blackberry chicken?
Ingredients:
Chicken:
- You can use breast or boneless skinless thighs, I've tried both versions over the years and they are both great.
- Alternatively, you can use lean pieces of pork, they are delicious when served with this blackberry sauce as well.
Blackberries:
- The sauce is very simple and makes the most of the blackberries, which you can actually pick pretty much everywhere around here.
- It can be made with fresh or frozen berries, it will not matter much.
- Fresh is always nice to have, but they are rather pricey if you don't happen to have a bush around your house and they are not always available.
- So, frozen blackberries are a very convenient choice.
Otherwise, you will need:
- Blackberry jelly – to add sweetness to the sauce.
- Spices: garlic, sweet paprika, apple vinegar, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and some mint for the garnish (optional).
How to make the skewers?
- Slice the meat into thin, long strips.
- Mix the oil and all the spices in a bowl.
- Add meat strips and mix well.
- Cover and marinate for about 30 minutes and up to 2-3 hours.
- Drain and reserve the marinade.
- If using wooden skewers, soak them in cold water for about 15-20 minutes.
- Skewer the chicken.
- Grill on the lightly greased, hot grill or grill pan for about 6-8 minutes, until the meat is cooked through.
How to make the blackberry sauce?
- I love this recipe because unlike many other bbq sauces it contains hardly any sugar, actually only the sugar contained in the 2 tablespoons jelly and that is not that much.
- It also uses the marinade leftover from marinating the meat and that is great as you are not wasting anything.
- Place the leftover marinade in a small pan.
- Add the blackberries and simmer until they are soft, just a few minutes. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the seeds.
- Return the berries to the pot and whisk in the vinegar and jelly.
- Stir well and bring to a gentle boil.
- Simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, it will only take a few minutes. Stir very often.
- Adjust the taste with salt, pepper, and maybe a few more drops of apple cider vinegar.
Serve
Serve the blackberry chicken with rice and green salad, for instance.
You could also serve the blackberry sauce with pork or turkey skewers, cast-iron chicken breast, cast-iron chicken thighs, pan-fried pork or turkey slices, or oven-roasted turkey breast.
More blackberry recipes?
Berry Crumble Pie with Blackberries
Rhubarb Loaf Cake with Blackberries
Blackberry Chicken (Savory Blackberry Sauce)
Ingredients
- Chicken skewers:
- 1 lb chicken breast boneless, skinless (Note)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 teaspoon ground sweet paprika
- 2 small garlic cloves grated
- 1 teaspoon apple vinegar
- some fine sea salt and pepper
- Blackberry sauce:
- 7 oz fresh or frozen blackberries
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons blackberry jelly
- a small pinch of nutmeg
- some mint for garnish
Instructions
Chicken skewers:
- Marinate chicken: Slice the chicken breast into thin, long strips. Mix 1 tablespoon olive oil with the sweet paprika, grated garlic, apple vinegar, and some salt and pepper. Place the chicken strips in the bowl and mix well with the marinade. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes for up to 2-3 hours.
- Make the skewers: If using wooden skewers, soak them in cold water for about 15-20 minutes. Drain and reserve the marinade. Next, skewer the chicken on 8 skewers.
- Grill chicken: Heat the grill, brush it with the remaining olive oil and cook the chicken for about 6-8 minutes, turning from time to time, until golden and cooked through. The cooking time depends on the thickness of the meat strips.
Blackberry sauce:
- Simmer sauce: Place the marinade in a small saucepan. Add the blackberries and simmer until they are soft. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the seeds.
- Blend: Return the puree to the pan and whisk in the apple vinegar and the jelly. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered until reduced by about one-third. It will not take long, so keep an eye on it, and don't forget to stir.
- Adjust taste: Add a small pinch of nutmeg. Adjust the taste, if necessary, with a drop or two of apple vinegar. Garnish with some chopped mint and serve immediately with rice and a green salad, for instance.
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
Glad to know that you had a great holiday, Adina. These skewers look delicious, but that blackberry sauce is for sure the star here.
Adina says
Thank you, Angie! 🙂
grace says
what stunning skewers of meat! your sauce is very unique and the very presence of jam makes it appeal to me very much. i'd like to try this, and soon!
welcome back. 🙂
Adina says
Thank you, Grace. It is nice to be back. 🙂
Rachel @SimpleSeasonal says
Dipping chicken skewers in your blackberry sauce sounds SO yummy. I think I would like to make this and hog all of the sauce for myself! You trip to England sounds like so much fun! I spent the summer before I started college primarily in the Lake District visiting a friend. I also managed a visit to London and Edinburgh. It was such fun that I hope to take my family back someday when they are older!
Heidemarie says
Hi, i have just discovered this recipe and made it with fabulous ripe blackberries. It was really excellent . As the blackberries didn't have many seeds i didn't put them through the sieve and i liked the sauce having a bit of texture. Wonderful summer meal. Vielen Dank, I have also made your rhubarb and chicken dish (excellent too) - I love having some alternative ideas what to cook with fruit.
Ich hoffe dass Du in 2022 uns weiter noch viele gute Rezepte bietest.
Heidemarie (Australien)
Adina says
Hi Heidemarie. Australia sounds so great, I'd love a bit of summer right now. 🙂 I am happy you like the recipes and I hope you try many more. Alles Gute aus Deutschland.
Heidemarie says
Guten Morgen 🙂
Do you think this could be ok with tofu instead of chicken? It was so good with chicken, but i need to cook for a vegetarian friend. Any ideas of modifications i might need to make?
Heidemarie
Adina says
Hi Heidemarie. I've never tried this recipe with tofu, so I can't really say if it would be as tasty as when cooked with chicken. You should press the tofu for about one hour before cooking it; removing as much water as possible makes it better. Put the block between layers of kitchen paper and weigh it down with something heavy (a pot filled with water for instance). After that, you cut it and marinate it. Please let me know if it was good, I'd be really interested in that.