I don't make wings often at home, simply because I don't make fried food often, but I decided to come up with a glaze for chicken wings that toed the line with traditional spice and was jazzed up with a very sweet, tropical fruit. A little bit of spicy, sweet, and tangy. This sauce I created kind of reminds me of the pinchos de pollo served at the kioskos that line the beaches back home in Puerto Rico.

Traditionally, the pinchos (chicken kabobs) are slathered in a sweet and savory sauce, grilled, and served with garlic bread. They’re one of my favorite snacks and I wanted to have that same taste for chicken wings but with a little twist from the chipotle peppers. Every flavor profile is evident in each bite. The heat builds nice and slow and isn’t too overpowering. Whew, and the guava? Perfect! If you're a fan of sweet and spicy, you're going to love this glaze! If you don’t want to use it on chicken, you can definitely use it on pork as well. I’ve made this with pork chops and a small pork loin before and it was wonderful.

To note, guava jelly, paste, and nectar are typically sold in the ethnic food aisle near the Hispanic items in grocery stores and not in the jelly aisle like most people would think. The guava jelly can be used if you can't find the paste (which is usually sold in a can or in a long cardboard box) but the texture from the paste is crucial for the thickness of the glaze. Also, you're going to have extra guava paste leftover after the recipe, so you can always eat it with crackers and a fresh, mild white cheese. It's an amazing little snack! Or you can make some dessert empanadas; the possibilities are endless.

Quick pro tip: if we're ever eating wings together, make sure to save me all of the flats. That's because I like nice things and you should too!

Guava Chipotle Glaze

Cook time: 30-45 for reduction

Yield: 2-3 cups for glaze (Remaining portion can be kept in sealed container in the refrigerator)

2 tbsp canola oil

1 tbsp Simple Sofrito

1 7oz can chipotle peppers in adobo, finely chopped (see note)

1 cup guava jelly

1/2 cup guava paste, chopped into cubes

2 tbsp tomato paste

1-2 11.3oz cans guava nectar (Jumex is my go-to brand, see note)

2 bay leaves

2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp Jacobson Infused Cherrywood Smoked Salt (Liquid Smoke can also work here)

Kosher salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

Apple cider vinegar, to taste

Low-sodium soy sauce, to taste

Note: I prefer running the chipotle peppers in the food processor to chop them up to avoid a mess on the cutting board; makes things easier. And instead of using the dry spices listed above in the recipe, you can easily substitute 2 tsp of sazón for convenience. As for the guava nectar, start with one can and see how you like the consistency of the glaze based on how much you reduce it down. Depending on how thick you want the glaze to be and how much chicken you’ll be putting it on, you can thin it out with a little more guava nectar if needed. Do what you like!

In a medium saucepan, heat up the canola oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot enough, add the sofrito and sauté for about 4 minutes; you want the flavors to bloom a little here. Next, add the chopped chipotle peppers, guava jelly, cubed guava paste, and tomato paste. Stir will and let the ingredients blend together over the heat. The jelly should melt and the pastes will break down a bit. Cook these ingredients for at least 5 minutes. Then add the can of guava nectar and stir very well.

Lower the heat and simmer until the jelly and pastes have completely blended with the liquid, stirring often. Once the ingredients are all cohesive, add the bay leaves, dried oregano, smoked paprika, cumin, and cherrywood smoked salt. If you don't have smoked salt, you can easily substitute Liquid Smoke seasoning instead. The second time I made it, I used the Liquid Smoke and it was still bomb!

After stirring, taste and adjust the seasoning to taste with kosher salt, black pepper, apple cider vinegar, and splash or two of soy sauce. The vinegar is key here, since it cuts the richness of the glaze and gives it a nice bite. I like mine a little tangy, so go for it! Taste and adjust.

Simmer for 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally to make sure the sauce doesn't stick too much to the pot. While the glaze is reducing, you can get the wings (or other cuts like bone-in chicken thighs or even pork chops) cooked up. For the chicken, I made sure to fry the chicken wings first. Once they were fried, I laid them on a sheet pan with a raised baking rack, brushed them with the glaze, and finished them in a 350ºF oven for 15 minutes until they were nice, shiny, and sticky. You can definitely grill or bake your wings, whatever you prefer. Either way, these messy, savory, and delicious wings will be a great addition to your meal rotation.

If you’re going to use this glaze on chicken thighs, you definitely can! I’ve turned to this particular cut of chicken during a busy week just to avoid frying wings. I like marinating the bone-in, skin on chicken thighs with a simple sazón rub overnight. I let them come to room temperature while I’m working on the sauce and then simply toss them with it when it’s time to roast them in a 375ºF oven. I like preheating the cast iron skillet while the oven preheats, so you get a solid sear on the thighs. Roast them until they’re cooked through, about 40-45 minutes, rotating the pan and basting with a little more glaze halfway through.

Below, you can find a cheat recipe for the glaze if you don’t feel like making the sauce from scratch. Nothing wrong with having a little convenience in the kitchen!

(Quick) Guava Chipotle Glaze

2 tbsp canola oil

1/4 cup Simple Sofrito

1 28oz bottle original Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce

1 can chipotle peppers in adobo, finely chopped

2 11.3oz cans guava nectar

1 cup guava paste, cubed

If you want to cheat on making this glaze for your wings or kabobs and don’t feel like making the sauce from scratch, you can easily make this batch. It’s still as delicious and is done in half the time! Win-win.

In a medium saucepan, add the canola oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Over medium-high heat, sauté the sofrito until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add the barbecue sauce, adobo pepper sauce, and guava nectar. Bring to a boil. Once the sauce is gently boiling, add the cubed guava paste and using a wooden spoon or whisk, stir occasionally until the cubes melt down into the sauce, about 15-20 minutes.

Use the same glaze for your chicken wings, thighs, or kabobs.

¡Buen provecho!