Sweet and Sour BBQ Chicken
This chicken is bathed in a sublime sweet, tangy, and smoky glaze. The BBQ-style sauce is thick and rich, and made with a surprise ingredient!
What’s the secret ingredient? Grape jelly! I was inspired to make this dish thanks to the classic sweet and sour meatball recipe made with grape jelly and chili garlic sauce. I wanted a similar sweet/tangy sauce, but I didn’t want heat. Plus, I had chicken planned, so I created something new. This will now be part of the regular recipe rotation.
I’ll be making this sauce over and over again – it’s that good. We were licking the skillet clean after dinner – making sure we had enough rice to soak up every drop. And it couldn’t be an easier sauce to make. It’s so easy, I’ll be using this sauce to coat shrimp, pork, meatballs, and more.
Here’s the simple process for making this sweet and sour bbq chicken
- Brown cubed chicken in a skillet.
- Add a mixture of grape jelly, ketchup, Dijon mustard, liquid smoke, and chopped onions.
- Simmer until the chicken is cooked through.
- Serve.
How easy is that? You will love this dish on busy weeknight.
How should you serve your sweet and sour bbq chicken? I suggest you serve the chicken and sauce with rice, noodles, or bread – you’ll want something to drink up the sauce. To keep the meal gluten-free, opt for rice or your favorite gluten-free grain.
This sweet and tangy glaze gets its smoky flavor from liquid smoke. That’s what makes it taste distinctly BBQ style. Liquid smoke is a super affordable condiment that makes any dish taste like it was cooked over a fire. Look for liquid smoke near the other condiments in the grocery store. You can choose any flavor.
Sweet and Sour BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 cup grape jelly
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, tenders, or thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Chopped fresh parsley for serving, optional
Equipment
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the grape jelly, ketchup, Dijon mustard, liquid smoke, and onions. Mix well and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on all sides. Season the chicken with salt and black pepper.
- Add the grape jelly mixture and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens and reduces (you can keep simmering if you want the sauce thicker and more reduced).