Summer is here, which means it’s time to dust off the outdoor seating and clean down the grill.

If you’re looking for an easy recipe that is guaranteed to wow your family and friends this holiday season then you have found it!

This Manuka Honey BBQ sauce is bursting with flavour. It’s simultaneously sweet, tangy, salty, and, if you’d like, a touch spicy. The good news is that it’s as simple to prepare as it is delicious. 

It comes together in under an hour, and only requires a handful of basic ingredients– namely Manuka Honey, tomato sauce, mustard, vinegar, and soy sauce. The great thing about making BBQ sauce at home is that it can be tweaked to fit your flavor preferences. If you’d prefer a bigger hit of spice, simply add an extra dash or two of chilli powder. Or perhaps you’d like a sweeter glaze? Another spoonful of Manuka Honey will do the trick.

What to Serve with Manuka Honey BBQ Sauce

This recipe calls for chicken thigh, which is a juicy cut of meat. The end result features a generous amount of flavoured sauce that is delicious drizzled over rice or mashed potatoes.

However, if you’re not a fan of chicken thigh, there are countless other ways to enjoy this Manuka Honey BBQ sauce!

Manuka Honey baked salmon would be another delicious route. Simply follow the same instructions for cooking the chicken, but reduce the baking time accordingly so as not to dry out the fish.

If you have an outdoor BBQ, you could also coat some chicken kebabs or drumsticks in the glaze and grill them up till they’re nice and charred.

This Manuka Honey BBQ sauce is so versatile that it could even be used to coat your favourite veggies and meat in a stir-fry. Simply add an extra clove or two of garlic and another dash of soy sauce. The end result will rival takeout.

INGREDIENTS:

4 skinless bone-in chicken thighs
1 tablespoon (15 g) unsalted butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic (~1-2 cloves)
⅓ cup (80 ml) tomato sauce
¼ cup (60 ml) Watson & Son Manuka Blend Honey
1 tablespoon (15 ml) worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce
1 teaspoon dijon or yellow mustard
Dash or two of chilli powder (~⅛-¼ tsp; add to taste based on desired spiciness) Black pepper and salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients minus the butter and garlic. Set aside for later.

2.  Preheat the oven to 220 C. Heat up the butter in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until softened and fragrant but not browned. Pour in the sauce and cook, stirring frequently, until it has thickened up (about 8 minutes). Taste and add more chilli powder for spiciness, Manuka Honey or tomato sauce for sweetness, or soy sauce for saltiness.

3. Arrange the chicken thighs in a dish and spoon about 1 tablespoon of sauce over each piece. There should be a couple tablespoons of sauce remaining. Coat the pieces in the sauce and bake the chicken for ~25-35 minutes, until cooked through and bubbling.

4. Once cooked, spread the remaining sauce over the pieces. Place the dish under the oven grill/broiler for a couple of minutes to crisp up the chicken a little more and achieve a slightly charred look (keep an eye on them as the sauce will brown fast).