Guava BBQ Glazed Chicken Thighs (Printable Version)

Tender roasted chicken glazed with sweet, tangy guava BBQ sauce for a tropical barbecue experience.

# What You'll Need:

→ Guava BBQ Sauce

01 - 1 cup guava paste, chopped
02 - 1/2 cup ketchup
03 - 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
04 - 2 tablespoons brown sugar
05 - 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, gluten-free
06 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
09 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
11 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
12 - 1/4 cup water

→ Chicken

13 - 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, approximately 2 pounds
14 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
15 - 1 teaspoon salt
16 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
17 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
02 - In a saucepan over medium heat, combine guava paste, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper if using, salt, black pepper, and water. Stir constantly until guava paste melts and sauce becomes smooth. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.
03 - Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Rub all sides generously with olive oil, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
04 - Arrange seasoned chicken thighs skin-side up on prepared baking sheet. Roast in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
05 - Remove chicken from oven and brush generously with guava BBQ sauce. Return to oven and roast for 20 to 25 minutes more, brushing with additional sauce halfway through cooking, until internal temperature reaches 165°F and glaze is caramelized.
06 - Remove chicken from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Transfer to serving platter and serve with remaining sauce on the side.

# Tips for Success:

01 -
  • The guava brings a natural sweetness and tropical brightness that standard BBQ sauce can't touch, making boring chicken thighs suddenly feel exciting.
  • Everything comes together in just over an hour, and most of that is hands-off oven time while you do literally anything else.
  • Once you nail the sauce, you'll find yourself glazing everything from pork chops to roasted vegetables because it's that addictive.
02 -
  • Don't skip patting the chicken dry—wet skin steams instead of crisps, and you'll end up sad about it halfway through eating.
  • The sauce thickens as it cools, so if it looks too thin when you brush it on, that's actually fine—it'll set up beautifully on the chicken as it roasts.
  • If your oven runs hot, start checking the chicken at the 40-minute mark because ovens are basically tiny temperamental people with their own moods.
03 -
  • If you can only find guava jelly instead of paste, use it—just reduce the brown sugar by a tablespoon since jelly tends to be sweeter and thinner.
  • Broiling the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes at the very end, once it's cooked through, gives you a darker caramelized glaze that looks restaurant-quality and tastes even better.
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