Grilled Chicken with Bourbon Cherry Barbecue Sauce

Summer is the perfect time to get outside and barbecue.  So today I'm sharing my new favorite summer barbecue recipe with all of you.  Trust me when I tell you that you will be licking this delicious sauce off your spoon, your plate AND your fingers because you will not want to waste even a single drop.  It's just that good.  You should probably just go ahead and make a double batch because you will want to have plenty of extra.  I know that this sauce tastes great on chicken but I'm sure it would be equally tantalizing on ribs or even shrimp.  

Grilled Chicken with Bourbon Cherry Barbecue Sauce
3 cups frozen cherries, pitted and thawed
1/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3 Tablespoons bourbon
1 1/2 Tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon red pepper
​4 split chicken breasts

Place cherries in food processor and pulse until smooth. 

Bring cherry puree, 1/4 water and sugar to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.  

Strain into a measuring cup until liquid equals 1 cup.

Bring cherry liquid to a boil in saucepan.  

​Stir in honey, ketchup, tomato paste, vinegar, bourbon, salt, pepper, dry mustard and red pepper.  Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.  Cool.  

Heat grill and cook chicken 10 minutes.  
​

Reserve 1 cup sauce.  Brush remaining sauce over chicken and continue to grill until 165 degrees.

Remove chicken from grill and allow to rest. 

Serve chicken with reserved sauce. 

It's really hard to tell from these pictures but this sauce was the most beautifully ruby red colored barbecue sauce that I've ever seen.  I don't know if I've ever referred to barbecue sauce as "beautiful" but this shiny, deep burgundy sauce really was pretty AND it was just as delicious as it was beautiful.  

Ciao!

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