Question: What do blueberries and chicken have in common?

Answer: They’re both taking a prominent place on our menu right now!

While unexpected, we can assure you the flavor combination is a match made in sports restaurant heaven. The only caveat is, they’re part of our Limited Time Offer (LTO) menu. LTOs are promotional menu items or cocktails that we offer seasonally, for a shorter period of time. For example, in the spring we offered three new sauces and a Strawberry Lemon Drop Hard Soda, and in the summer we tantalized you with our delicious beer-battered chicken in our Sam Adams Drunken Tenders and Drunken Nachos.

And, while it’s true our Blueberry BBQ Sauce and Chicken Ringer are so good they’re making a comeback this holiday season, there’s no guarantee they’ll always be around! Our advice? Come in soon to order the Blueberry Chipotle BBQ sauce on a couple of your favorite menu items.

But why blueberries? And on what? And, come to think of it, how else can you use blueberries in your favorite food and drinks? Read on to learn how to get your fill of Blueberry BBQ sauce and more at Wings and Rings and at home.

Why Blueberry BBQ Sauce?

The taste of blueberries is hard to pin down. They are sweet, a bit acidic, and have been described as a cross between a red and green grape, displaying both sweet and tart flavors.

These qualities led Chef Dan Admire to believe they would make a perfect addition to the Wings and Rings LTO menu this holiday season. “Blueberry BBQ Sauce is a diverse sauce with an array of flavors; savory, spicy, and sweet,” he says.

However, when blueberries are combined with chipotles for a scrumptious Blueberry Chipotle BBQ sauce, what you discover is that “The cool, refreshing blueberry is a counter to the [spicy] chipotle, and both lend themselves to BBQ sauce,” Dan adds.

Blueberry BBQ Chicken at Wings and Rings

Once the sauce was deemed restaurant-worthy, it was only a matter of time before it made its way onto our menu in the form of saucy blueberry chicken dishes we can’t get enough of.

Blueberry BBQ Ringer — Our house beer-battered chicken breast is drizzled with sweet and spicy Blueberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce and then topped with a spicy slaw mixed with candied pecans and dried cranberries.

Blueberry BBQ Wings — Our hand-breaded, big, meaty boneless wings are served up swimming in that same sweet and spicy blend of blueberries and chipotles in a BBQ sauce.

What to Do with Blueberry Sauce

We’re so confident you’re going to love the taste of blueberry sauce as much as we do that we’ve come up with a whole bunch of other ways to incorporate it into your foods.

• Order a side of our Blueberry BBQ Sauce and use it as a dip for those leftover chicken wings.
• Mix a small squeeze of lemon into your favorite blueberry condiment to create a blueberry lemon sauce to drizzle over grilled or baked chicken for a healthy sauce that’s both sweet and tart.
• Roast a sweet potato until it’s nice and soft on the inside. Split it open, add a pat of butter and a tablespoon or two of our amazing Blueberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce for a new fall side you’ll want to eat again and again.
• Looking for a new dressing to drizzle over all the fall salads and roasted vegetables? This Blueberry BBQ Sauce is it! (If it’s a little too thick for your liking, thin it out by whisking in a tablespoon of cold water.)
• Chef Dan says his favorite ways to eat blueberry sauce includes spooning it over any kind of chicken sandwich and using it as a dipping sauce for potato wedges, saratoga chips, and onion rings.

Ideas for Eating Blueberries

Intrigued by the sauce but want to go straight berry? These ideas will both please your palate and also add some healthy nutrients to your diet.

• Add blueberries to your favorite cocktail. Here’s one of our popular recipes for a Blueberry Whiskey Smash:
• First, muddle three ounces of frozen or fresh blueberries.
• Then, mix in 1.5 ounces of Jack Daniels (or your favorite whiskey or bourbon) and two
  ounces of sour mix.
• Shake the drink over ice and pour (don’t strain). Add fresh ice to top off.
• Add blueberries to your favorite pancake or waffle recipe. Mix them right in at the end
  and be sure not to stir too much.
• Blend up a bunch of berries in a smoothie with some vanilla yogurt, a handful of kale, and some flaxseed for a nutritious breakfast. Better yet, add frozen berries for a thicker texture.
• Sprinkle blueberries over a mixed-greens salad with shredded carrots, diced bell peppers, feta, and some slivered almonds or roasted pepitas. Double up on the blueberry by adding a grilled blueberry chicken breast on top or a blueberry lemon sauce dressing over the top.
• Add frozen blueberries to a vanilla milkshake. Blend them right in and add a few to the top too!

We hope this primer on blueberries has gotten you excited to head on in to your nearest Wings and Rings location or place an order to go to try our Limited Time Offers while they last! Then, take your blueberry inspiration home and try adding them to all your favorite foods — you’re going to love it!