Tangy Tropical Homemade Guava BBQ (Printable)

A tangy and tropical homemade barbecue sauce featuring sweet guava paste, aromatic spices, and balanced acidity—perfect for glazing, dipping, or marinating.

# What You'll Need:

→ Base

01 - 1 cup guava paste, chopped
02 - 1 cup water
03 - 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

→ Aromatics

04 - 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Spices & Flavor

07 - 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
08 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
09 - 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
10 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
11 - 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
12 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
14 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional

→ Sweetness & Balance

15 - 2 tablespoons brown sugar
16 - 1 tablespoon molasses
17 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

→ Final Touch

18 - 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce

# Method:

01 - Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
02 - Add guava paste, water, and apple cider vinegar to the saucepan. Stir until guava paste begins to dissolve.
03 - Incorporate smoked paprika, cumin, black pepper, chili powder, allspice, cinnamon, salt, and red pepper flakes if using. Stir well to combine.
04 - Mix in brown sugar, molasses, Dijon mustard, and tamari. Stir thoroughly until all ingredients are well incorporated.
05 - Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and glossy.
06 - Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Blend the sauce with an immersion blender until smooth, or transfer to a standard blender and process until desired consistency is reached.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Allow sauce to cool completely, then transfer to a clean glass jar. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes nothing like store-bought, with that perfect tropical-smoky balance that catches people off guard in the best way.
  • No ketchup means no high fructose corn syrup, just honest ingredients you can pronounce and understand.
  • The whole thing comes together in under 30 minutes, which means you can make it while planning what to grill.
02 -
  • If you blend it while it's still hot, be careful because steam creates pressure—let it cool for a couple minutes first or your blender will make a mess of your stovetop.
  • This sauce thickens more as it cools, so don't panic if it looks a bit loose while still warm; it'll set beautifully in the fridge and actually improve after a day or two as the flavors marry.
03 -
  • Taste the sauce after the spices have simmered for 5 minutes and before you add the sweetness—this helps you catch any flavors that need adjusting before they get buried.
  • Use an immersion blender if you have one because it makes cleanup laughably easy and gives you better control over the texture than a full-size blender.
Return