homemade balsamic bbq sauce

I had never really been into barbecue anything, until I found this recipe for a balsamic BBQ sauce. Yes, it is as good as it sounds. The ingredients for this sauce are things most people already have in their refrigerator and pantry. This is one of those recipes I pull out when I need to stretch my dollar. I go to the grocery store and buy a family-pack of chicken thighs. It comes with about 8-10 pieces for around $6. Since I’m only feeding two, I usually just freeze the extra thighs, and defrost them the night before when I need a quick yummy dinner.

Maybe it’s because I enjoy cooking so much, but I’ve become a “why buy it when you can make yourself?” type of person. Wait- what am I saying? It’s totally because I enjoy cooking! Not to mention, it’s cheaper.

Chicken Balsamic BBQ Sauce from Everyday Italian

Ingredients

1 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and stir until all the ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Simmer over medium heat until reduced by 1/3, about 15 to 20 minutes.

If you have a grill, cook your chicken or steak and smother it in lots of BBQ sauce! If you’re like me, and only have an oven, you can bake your chicken in a baking dish at 375 degrees F, skin side up, for 25 minutes. Then remove the baking dish from the oven and spoon the BBQ sauce all over the top of the chicken. Return the baking dish to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes.

The recipes for the sides in the photo above can be found here and here, all courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis. Enjoy!