The BEST Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce (3 Net Carbs!)
This homemade sugar free BBQ Sauce recipe is a low carb, keto barbecue sauce that’s ready in 5 minutes. All you need are 7 ingredients and a mason jar for easy storage! Smother this tangy sauce on meat, salads, dips, pizza, and more. Plus, it’s only 2 net carbs per serving!
Table of Contents
What Makes This Recipe Great
You are going to LOVE how easy this Keto BBQ sauce is! It is ready to eat in 10 minutes. I’m serious. Now that I know how easy it is to make a healthy, sugar free BBQ sauce I’m never going to buy store-bought sauce again.
It is healthy, with just 7 simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. Have you read the ingredients in traditional barbecue sauces bought at grocery stores? PACKED with added sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or artificial sugar substitutes. Homemade bbq sauce is for sure the way to go.
The best part? You can’t even tell it is sweetened naturally. It is still thick with a sweet and tangy depth of flavor, with the added bonus of being much healthier for you.
I add all the ingredients to a pan to slowly warm so the flavors can marry. After it warms on the stove for 5 minutes, I add all the ingredients to my blender and blend on high for 2 minutes. When it’s done blending, it’s ready to start eating. It’s that easy!
Watch How to Make BBQ Sauce Recipe Video
Sugar Free BBQ Sauce Inspiration
I went to buy Tessemae’s at the store, and it was sold out!? I asked the Whole Foods manager, and he said Tessemae’s BBQ sauce was out of stock for the foreseeable future, even on their website and Amazon.
It is July! I need my BBQ sauce!
So, I set out to make my own. I read the ingredients on the label of my almost empty Tessemae bottle and tried to recreate it at home. After a few tries, I got it right! A perfect Tessemae’s BBQ sauce copycat recipe.
Ingredient Notes
The best keto BBQ sauce made with simple, keto-friendly ingredients you probably already have on hand! It’s super simple, absolutely delicious, and easy to make a double batch freeze for later use.
- balsamic vinegar: Some recipes call for apple cider vinegar or white vinegar, but I prefer the flavor of balsamic vinegar.
- tomato paste: Many recipes use ketchup, but tomato paste is a great way to ensure there’s no added sugar. I use paste, not tomato sauce since it’s a bit thicker, and I like my BBQ sauce to be thick.
- monk fruit sweetener (use dates for Whole30!): I use monk fruit sweetener, which is a 1:1 all-natural white sugar replacement. You can swap this for Swerve brown sugar substitute as well. You could also use coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup or date paste for a natural sweetener.
- Dijon mustard
- soy sauce: If you’re gluten-free, swap the soy sauce for Tamari or coconut aminos.
- Spices: Garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, and black pepper.
That’s it! All real ingredients to make it paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, vegan, and keto BBQ sauce.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Heat a saucepan over low-medium heat. Add all ingredients, stir to combine, and bring to a low simmer for 5 minutes. You don’t want it to boil, just get warmed through. Heating will allow the flavors to marry.
- (If using dates, transfer the BBQ sauce to a blender and blend on high speed for 2 minutes.)
- Store in an airtight container or wide-mouth pint mason jar. Store in the fridge for up to 3 months or frozen for 1 year.
Expert Tips & Variations
- Gluten-Free: Be sure to use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
- Consistency: I find that this BBQ sauce is best when it is thick, so when I brush it on meat and grill it, the BBQ sauce really stays on. I hate it when it’s too runny and drips off. But this is a personal preference. If you like your BBQ sauce thinner, just add water and blend again until it reaches the consistency you like.
- Flavor Variations: Depending on your flavor preferences, you can jazz up this keto BBQ sauce recipe in various ways. For a smoky flavor, add a few drops of liquid smoke. For a spicier sauce, add a bit of chili powder or cayenne pepper to taste.
Serving Tips
Use this delicious sugar free BBQ sauce for beef, chicken, pork chops, ribs, chicken wings, and more! It also works perfectly paired with my Keto Ranch dressing for salads. You can also use it for dressing and dipping sauce.
Storage Tips
I store my keto BBQ sauce in wide-mouth pint mason jars. This recipe makes about 2-1/2 cups. I use 1/2 cup right away on whatever protein I’m cooking, and the rest fits perfectly in the mason jar, which is an airtight container when the lid is on.
I also love using wide-mouth pint mason jars because they’re freezer-friendly! We make a double batch, freeze 2 pints, and leave the rest in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQs
Most store-bought BBQ sauces are full of added sugars or artificial sweeteners like aspartame or sucralose and then the caramel color and preservatives. It’s tricky to find truly sugar-free barbecue sauces that aren’t super expensive! So, making it at home with this simple recipe is the way to go.
2 g carbs! You get that number by subtracting the dietary fiber from the total carbs (net carbs). If you’re watching your carb intake, this is the perfect sauce. You can find more nutritional info in the recipe card below.
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The BEST Keto Sugar Free BBQ Sauce (3 Net Carbs!)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup water, or more to desired consistency
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 1/4 cup or more to taste of monk fruit (for Whole30 substitute 8 pitted medjool dates
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Heat a sauce pan over medium low heat. Add all ingredients, stir to combine, and bring to a low simmer for 5 minutes. You don't want it to boil, just get warmed through. Heating will allow the flavors to marry.
- (If using dates, transfer the BBQ sauce to a blender, and blend on high speed for 2 minutes.)
- Store in an airtight container or wide mouth pint mason jar. Will keep in the fridge for at least 3 months, or frozen for 1 year.
Notes
Expert Tips & Variations
-
- Gluten-Free: Be sure to use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
-
- Consistency: I find that this BBQ sauce is best when it is thick, so when I brush it on meat and grill it, the BBQ sauce really stays on. I hate it when it’s too runny and drips off. But this is a personal preference. If you like your BBQ sauce thinner, just add water and blend again until it reaches the consistency you like.
-
- Flavor Variations: Depending on your flavor preferences, you can jazz up this keto BBQ sauce recipe in various ways. For a smoky flavor, add a few drops of liquid smoke. For a spicier sauce, add a bit of chili powder or cayenne pepper to taste.
Serving Tips
Use this delicious keto BBQ sauce for beef, chicken, pork chops, ribs, chicken wings, and more! It also works perfectly paired with my Keto Ranch dressing for salads. You can also use it for dressing and dipping sauce.Storage Tips
I store my BBQ sauce in wide-mouth pint mason jars. This recipe makes about 2-1/2 cups. I use 1/2 cup right away on whatever protein I’m cooking, and the rest fits perfectly in the mason jar, which is an airtight container when the lid is on. I also love using wide-mouth pint mason jars because they’re freezer-friendly! I like to make a double batch, freeze 2 pints, and leave the rest in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.This post contains affiliate links, thanks for the love!
145 Comments on “The BEST Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce (3 Net Carbs!)”
There are 22 net carbs in the balsamic alone. Add in the tomato paste and wow. No thanks. This sauce will hit your glucose meter and reduce your ketosis.
Excellent & easy. I will never again buy BBQ sauce! Simple to customize based on personal taste and ingredients on-hand.
we were fasting,sugar free,we ,tried your recipe. Will never use storebought again,full of sugar,etc.
Thank you for adding the serving size!
Of course!
Absolutely delicious. So much better than store-bought Keto that has an aftertaste. Using monk fruit is great as it sweetenswith no aftertaste.. this was perfect, however I did add some smoked paprika to give it a little smoky flavor.
Unless I missed it, I haven’t seen what the serving size is for the provided nutrition amounts. Please advise…or, even better, add it to the info, too. Thanks.
Serving size is 2 tablespoons!