Memorial Day is the unofficial start to summer, and there’s no better way to kick off summer than a cookout with family & friends.  However, some of us don’t have the best BBQ grill skills, so we have to be creative with our BBQ menus.

The quickest and easiest way I know to BBQ without real BBQ skills is to make homemade sauces and creatively work them into over-the-top sandwiches. And the really cool thing is that these sauce recipes and sandwiches don’t have to be reserved for special occasions and holidays.  This particular BBQ sauce and sandwich are so easy that we have them on weeknights.

This Guava-Ale BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich has a tropically sweet & sour bbq sauce mixed with shredded chicken, topped with thick Applewood smoked bacon, and fried okra.  Yes, FRIED OKRA…on a sandwich! This sandwich screams Southern comfort food.

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast

Sauce
2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 c. onion-chopped
1 clove garlic-minced
12 fluid ounces ale or shandy-preferably one with a lemony flavor
14 oz guava paste
1 small can tomato paste
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 TBSP mustard powder
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Fried Okra
2 cups sliced okra
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup plain flour
2 teaspoons cajun seasoning

8 slices Applewood smoked bacon
1 tsp cinnamon
3 cups vegetable oil for frying
4 hearty sandwich rolls, sliced

Directions
Sauce
Saute onion and garlic in 1 TBSP oil over medium heat until translucent. Add ale and guava paste. Simmer for 10 minutes or until guava paste has dissolved.  Add tomato paste and remaining sauce ingredients.  Simmer until everything is dissolved and combined.

Chicken
While sauce is cooking, poach chicken in water or chicken broth.  Boil chicken for approximately 10-15 minutes or until opaque and cooked through.  Remove from liquid, cover, and cool until it can be shredded.  When cool enough to touch, shred chicken and place in a large bowl. Add BBQ sauce in small amounts until chicken is fully coated.  (It may not take all of the BBQ sauce.)

Bacon
Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Place bacon on a cookie sheet/jelly roll pan and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake bacon for 10-15 minutes or until crisp. Drain on a paper towel.

Okra
Heat vegetable oil in a fryer or deep skillet. In a medium size bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, and cajun seasoning. Dip okra in buttermilk and then, dredge in breading mixture. Shake off excess. Fry okra until golden brown.

Assembly
Slice rolls. Spoon 1/3-1/2 c. chicken BBQ mixture onto the bottom slice. Top chicken with 1/8-1/4 c. fried okra. Cut 2 slices of cinnamon bacon in half to make 4 pieces. Place bacon on top of okra. Add top portion of roll and serve.

For more Memorial Day BBQ Recipes, check out our friends at Sunday Supper.

Sunday Supper Easy BBQ Recipes

Best Burgers and Sandwiches

• Barbecue Rib Burgers with Low Carb Sauce by My Life Cookbook
• Caribbean Jerk Chicken Burgers by Simple and Savory
• Guava-Ale BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich by Gourmet Everyday
• Turkapple Burgers with Yumback Sauce by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

Grill Master Mains

• Grilled Red Snapper with Cilantro and Onion Stuffing by Food Lust People Love
• Honey Glazed Chicken Kabobs by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Homemade Coleslaw by A Mind Full Mom
• Spicy Grilled Leg of Lamb by Sunday Supper Movement

Mop Worthy Sauces

• Blueberry Sriracha Barbecue Sauce by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Homemade Ketchup by What Smells So Good?

Searing Starters and Sides

• Campfire Corn and Tomatoes by Cricket’s Confections
• Grilled Lime Beer Ritas with Smoky Lime Salt by Our Good Life
• Honey Chipotle BBQ Chicken Wings by Soulfully Made
• Pork Satay with Peanut Sauce by Asian In America

Sizzling Sweets

• All-American Pie Shooter Trio by The Crumby Cupcake
• Flourless Fudge Brownies by Pies and Plots
• Grilled Fruit Kabobs by The Freshman Cook
• Grilled Peaches with Mascarpone by Caroline’s Cooking
• Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Mason Jar Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes by For the Love of Food
• Mini No Bake Coconut Cheescakes by Jonesin’ For Taste

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.