Guava BBQ Sauce From Scratch (Printable)

A sweet and smoky tropical condiment featuring guava, warm spices, and a touch of heat. Ideal for grilling, dipping, or adding Caribbean flair to your favorite dishes.

# What You 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

# How-To Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
02 - Add chopped guava paste, water, and apple cider vinegar to the saucepan. Stir until guava paste begins to dissolve.
03 - Add smoked paprika, cumin, black pepper, chili powder, allspice, cinnamon, salt, and red pepper flakes if using. Stir well to combine.
04 - Stir in brown sugar, molasses, Dijon mustard, and tamari. Mix thoroughly until well combined.
05 - Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered for 15-20 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 for processing.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Allow to cool completely and transfer to a clean jar for refrigeration up to 2 weeks.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • No ketchup required: This sauce proves you don't need bottled condiments to build something restaurant-worthy and deeply flavorful.
  • Works everywhere: Glaze ribs, dip wings, brush it on tofu steaks, or swirl it into a burger—it adapts to whatever you're cooking.
  • Tropical meets smoky: That rare balance of sweet guava fruit colliding with cumin and paprika creates a flavor no store-bought sauce quite captures.
02 -
  • Never skip the simmering step: I once tried to rush this and blend it immediately, and the sauce tasted flat and one-dimensional instead of rich and layered—the gentle cooking is what marries all those spices together.
  • Immersion blender changes everything: A chunky, rustic sauce is fine, but blending it transforms it into something silky that coats meat and looks intentional on a plate, so invest the extra 30 seconds.
03 -
  • Taste it multiple times during cooking: The sauce evolves as it simmers, so keep tasting and adjusting so you catch it at the exact moment of perfection rather than overshooting.
  • Keep it on low heat: High heat can cause it to burn on the bottom or reduce too fast, so patience with a gentle simmer is the real secret to glossy, well-balanced sauce.
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