Wild Blueberry BBQ Wings

Wild Blueberry BBQ Chicken Wings 

Chicken Wings

3 pounds chickens wings, drums and flats 

⅓ cup brown sugar

⅓ 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 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

½ cup ketchup 

2 tablespoons maple sugar (or brown sugar, in a pinch)

½ teaspoon ground cumin 

1 teaspoon smoked paprika 

3 cups New Brunswick wild blueberries

2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper 

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 your 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 shimmering, 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 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 tightens (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!