Caribbean BBQ Sauce Recipe (Sweet or Spicy)

This Caribbean BBQ sauce is sweet, tangy, and a little spicy, with pineapple juice, rum, brown sugar, and hot pepper sauce. It comes together on the stovetop in about 20 minutes and works as a sauce, glaze, marinade, or dip.

Growing up in Trinidad and Tobago, sauces like this were always around. We have several sweet and tangy sauces that sit somewhere between ketchup and a traditional BBQ sauce, including calypso sauce and mambo sauce.

For this version, pineapple juice adds sweetness and tang, while rum, mustard, onion powder, and optional chadon beni bring in more flavor. You can also easily adjust the hot pepper sauce depending on whether you want your BBQ sauce sweet, spicy, or somewhere in between.

How to make a Caribbean BBQ sauce

Ingredient notes

Here are a few of the main ingredients you’ll need to make this Caribbean BBQ sauce:

• Ketchup: This makes up the main tomato base of the sauce. I usually use Heinz, but your favorite ketchup will work.
• Tomato paste: Adds a more concentrated tomato flavor and helps thicken the sauce as it simmers.
• Pineapple juice: Adds sweetness and tang that balance the tomato base and heat in the sauce.
• Chili sauce: Use a bottled, tomato-based chili sauce, similar to the Great Value Chili Sauce I use. This is not sweet Thai chili sauce or hot pepper sauce.
• Hot pepper sauce: This is where you can adjust the heat. Use more or less depending on how spicy you want your BBQ sauce.
• Rum: Adds another layer of Caribbean flavor to the sauce. Dark or spiced rum works well here.
• Chadon beni: Optional, but it adds that familiar herb flavor we use in so many Trinidad and Tobago dishes.

Instructions

1. Combine the ingredients. Add the ketchup, tomato paste, pineapple juice, water, chili sauce, onion powder, mustard, salt, hot pepper sauce, rum, brown sugar, and chadon beni, if using, to a deep saucepan.

2. Bring to a boil. Heat the sauce over medium heat until it comes to a boil, stirring occasionally.
3. Simmer until thickened. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened to your liking.

4. Cool and store. Remove the sauce from the heat and let it cool completely before transferring it to a clean, airtight bottle or container.

Tips for making Caribbean BBQ sauce

• Keep the sauce at a low simmer once it comes to a boil and stir occasionally so it doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan.
• The sauce will continue to thicken a little as it cools, so keep that in mind when deciding when to take it off the heat.
• For a spicier BBQ sauce, increase the hot pepper sauce to suit your taste.
• If the sauce becomes thicker than you want while simmering, stir in a small amount of water until it reaches the consistency you prefer.

Serving suggestions

I use this Caribbean BBQ sauce on my Trini baked BBQ chicken, but it’s also great with grilled chicken, fish, shrimp, or veggies. You can use it for pulled chicken and sandwiches or brush it onto meats during the last few minutes of cooking.

It also works well as a dipping sauce, similar to calypso sauce. Try it with accra, conch fritters, chicken tenders, or crispy potato or yam wedges.

For a spread with a few different sauce options, serve it alongside Trinidad pepper sauce and Trini garlic sauce.

Storage

Let the BBQ sauce cool completely, then transfer it to a clean, airtight bottle or container and store it in the refrigerator. It keeps well refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.

Always use a clean spoon or utensil when taking sauce from the container to help keep it fresh. If the smell, appearance, or texture changes, discard it.

More BBQ recipes to try

 If you really like this BBQ sauce, here are some more flavors and uses for the sauce:

• Sorrel(Hibiscus) BBQ Sauce
• Sticky sorrel BBQ wings
• Pulled jerk chicken sandwich
• Jerk chicken wings with a jerk BBQ sauce
• Sticky BBQ jerk chicken

If you try this Caribbean BBQ sauce, let me know how you use it! Leave a rating in the recipe card and drop any questions or comments below.

Recipe

Renee Robley

Caribbean BBQ Sauce

5 from 2 votes

This homemade Caribbean BBQ sauce is sweet, tangy, and a little spicy, with pineapple juice, rum, and hot pepper sauce. It's easy to make in 30 minutes and works as a BBQ sauce, glaze, marinade, or dip.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 10

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: Caribbean

Calories: 139

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 1 ½ cups ketchup
• ½ cup tomato paste
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• ¼ cup water
• ¾ cup bottled tomato-based chili sauce
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• ¼ cup rum
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 chadon beni leaves finely chopped (optional)

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Method

 

1. Add all the ingredients to a deep saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
2. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened.
3. Remove from the heat and let the sauce cool completely.
4. Transfer to a clean, airtight bottle or container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Nutrition

Calories: 139kcal

Notes

• Adjust the amount of hot pepper sauce depending on how spicy you want the sauce.
• Store in a clean, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Recipe Printed From ThisBagoGirl.com

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