Well we just skipped right to summer today, didn’t we? Maybe I’m dating myself, but I seem to remember something called “spring” when I was a kid. (I sound like my parents now!) But, wow, the weather today made me crave some good barbecue. I didn’t realize how hard it is to find barbecue that doesn’t have tons of sugar in it. Even the “healthy” options have more ingredients than I think I want in any sauce. So this one is easy and tasty. It combines the best flavors of the most unique barbecue sauces that I’ve enjoyed over the years in different parts of the US and in other countries. Enjoy! And please post your photos and feedback!!
(Note: use the liquid smoke if you can find it. I highly recommend it but it’s optional.)
***Serving ideas: top with anything you’d normally used on top of BBQ. Any kind of fruit or pickled veggie really complements the sweet spiciness of this sauce. I enjoyed these topped with vegan cheese and the broccoli/apple slaw that I made with the Buffalo Chicken Sliders that I previously posted. That gives such a great crisp & cold contrast to the heat and texture of the turkey BBQ. I’ll reference the slaw recipe here too for you.
***This BBQ sauce recipe is also a delicious topping for a 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐫. I use it along with some 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐬, 𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬, 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐨 to turn it into my own version of a 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐢 𝐁𝐚𝐡𝐧 𝐌𝐢 style burger. I have a photo of that too. Now, THAT’s a special burger!!
Let me know how you choose to plate them!!
Ingredients-
• 2 cups tomato sauce (canned)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp coconut milk (canned)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup honey (or 1 tbsp granulated stevia)
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp liquid smoke (optional)
• 2 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp each salt & pepper (to taste)
Instructions-
1. Combine all of the ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. For a precooked turkey breast or dark meat: shred the turkey by hand and place in a ziplock bag with half the quantity of the BBQ sauce. (Or the amount enough to cost the meat but not drench it). Allow to marinate for at least 6-8 hours in the fridge. Then sauté the pulled turkey in a large sauté pan until heated through. OR place into a baking dish, cover with foil and bake at 375 for approximately 10-15 minutes until hot and sizzling. Create sandwiches with Ezekiel buns or another clean eating bread.
3. For an uncooked turkey breast/thighs or for ground turkey: pour the desired amount of sauce over the turkey in a slow cooker (enough to coat the meat), and cook for 4 hours on low heat. Then shred the turkey (if it’s not ground) with forks after it has cooked and plate on buns. Or place the BBQ cooked ground turkey onto buns.
4. My personal favorite: To make DOUBLE-COOKED BBQ turkey sliders: using a casserole dish, place the bottoms of Ezekiel buns in the dish to fill it. Spread the pulled turkey or the ground cooked turkey (either of the ways you can prepare it as above) over the bottoms of the buns. Then top with a generous amount of BBQ sauce. Place the tops of the buns into the dish. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 375F. Cut into even squares or pull the sliders apart when you remove them from the oven. (This works great when you top the turkey with vegan cheese).
Broccoli/Apple Slaw-
• 1 pkg broccoli or rainbow slaw
• 2 green apples (grated)
• 1/2 cup coconut milk yogurt
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp dill weed
• 1/4 tsp chili lime powder (Trader Joe's)
Directions: Combine broccoli slaw and the grated apples into a bowl. Pour the vinegar, lemon juice, and yogurt over the slaw and toss the mixture to combine then ingredients. Add the chili powder and the dill, then toss again.
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