What Makes This Sauce So Good
- Its got all of that amazing flavor you love from traditional BBQ sauce. Trust me, living in Memphis has given me some, umvery strong opinions about BBQ sauces, so when I tell you this one is amazing, I mean it.
- Theres zero added sugar, so it wont spike your blood sugar or knock you out of ketosis. If youve ever looked at the label on a bottle of the store-bought stuff, you know just how much sugar goes into them. And I get it! The sweetness of the sugar combined with the tanginess and spiciness of the other ingredients is *chefs kiss* but there are a lot of situations where that content is less than ideal.
- Its fully customizable! With homemade sauces, youre in 100% control, so you can adjust the types and quantities of spices you use to really perfect your sauce flavor.
- This keto BBQ sauce keeps really well, so you can make up a batch and keep it on hand for any of your barbecue needs. Refrigerate the sauce in an airtight container and itll last up to 2 weeks assuming you dont use it all before then!
Homemade Keto Barbecue Sauce
Have a few minutes? You can make your own low carb, sugar-free barbecue sauce with just a few keto-friendly ingredients, including mustard, apple cider vinegar, tomato paste and a few spices. In fact, making your own gives you a chance to develop the sauce to your taste buds, which can make being on a keto meal plan an easier pill to swallow.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
Barbeque Sauce With Monkfruit
The original recipe below uses our Golden Sweetener, which really adds that rich cane sugar sweetness. As we were testing our new Organic Classic Sweetener in different recipes, we found this barbeque sauce was equally as good with that sweetener option…So give this simple, homemade, sugar-free barbeque sauce recipe a try, even if you only have one of our sweeteners in your pantry!
Yields:
- 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tsp Spices Cinnamon Ground
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- ½ tsp Spices Onion Powder
- ½ tsp Celery Salt
- tsp Spices Cloves Ground
- tsp Black Pepper
Don’t Miss: Can I Eat Strawberries On Keto
How To Use It
Oh friends, you are going to want to slather it on everything, I promise you. Ive done pulled pork, Ive done ribs, Ive done chicken wings, all made extra special with the addition of this sugar free BBQ sauce.
Oh and I have a very special recipe coming for you in a few days! Keto Smoked BBQ Meatloaf. I am so excited to share this recipe, as it was amazingly delicious. Hang tight for that one!
And because this low carb sauce takes only a few minutes to make, with no cooking, you can whip it up any time the urge strikes. Give it go, I promise you will love it.
Recommended Reading: Shrimp Spring Rolls With Peanut Sauce
Is Regular Bbq Sauce Keto

No, unless it’s sugar free, it’s not going to be keto. When you are shopping for things like condiments and sauces, it’s vital that you look at the labels. Check the carbs and sugar. So many sauces are LOADED with sugars and carbs. Both of which you don’t want when eating keto. That’s what I like about making my own sugar-free bbq sauce because then I know what’s in it, and there is no question.
Recommended Reading: Keto Before And After Women
Making Our Low Carb Bbq Sauce
Makes about 1 pint. Serving Size about 2 tablespoons.
- ¼ cup Lakanto Gold brown sugar substitute OR sweetener of your choice
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dry yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
Instructions
RECIPE NOTES*
- If you like a thinner sauce, add a touch more water until desired texture is reached.
- If you like a more bitter sauce, add a little more vinegar.
- Go easy with the liquid smoke, a little goes a long way!
- This recipe is very easily adaptable to different sweeteners. Using a white sweetener will result in a sauce that is more red in color.
- The butter makes a nice glossy finish and helps the sauce adhere to whatever you brush it on.
Store in pint sized mason jar refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Mix well before using.
Try our low carb BBQ sauce with pulled pork on our KETO FATHEAD ROLLS !
Is Bbq Sauce Keto Friendly
Now traditional barbecue sauce is definitely not low carb. Per tablespoon, there are almost 10 grams of sugar. In fact, they contain more sugar than even ketchup does. While there are many sugar free sauces available on the market, it is so easy to make your own!
In my keto bbq sauce recipe, there are just 12 calories per serving and ZERO grams of sugar.
Sweet, tangy, and perfectly rich, youll be adding this to everything!
Read Also: High Fat Foods For Keto
Which Sweetener Is Best For Keto Bbq Sauce
Ive tested this recipe with varying proportions of liquid monkfruit extract versus powdered erythritol, and I find that the powdered erythritol works the best in this recipe. Be sure to use powdered, though, as it will dissolve much better than a granulated version.
I prefer a tangier, smokier BBQ sauce so the two tablespoons of powdered sweetener work perfectly for me. But if you prefer a sweeter sauce, you can just add more erythritol to this. Remember that the carbohydrate in erythritol is largely unmetabolized by the body, so even though you might see carbs on the package they shouldnt affect your blood sugar .
Sugar Free Carolina Bbq Sauce
This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Carolina Mustard Barbecue Sauce gets a keto makeover! This tangy, sweet sauce is easy to make and adds a delicious twist to your grilled favorites. And its totally sugar-free.
My classic Easy Sugar Free BBQ Sauce is a fan favorite, but this is another great sauce to add to your summer line up.
Okay, theres a reason they call this Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce. Because it truly is like liquid gold! Its tangy, sweet, and a little bit spicy. And at 2 grams of carbs per serving, you can afford to slather it on!
Most of us are much more familiar with tomato based sauces, and I had honestly never even tried Carolina style sauce until I made this sugar-free version. But now I am completely hooked. And I am confident you will be too.
Don’t Miss: Can You Build Muscle On Keto
Alternasweets Sweet & Smokey Bbq Sauce
This BBQ sauce actually has two sweeteners in the form of stevia and erythritol, both of which are zero calories and carbs.
True to its name, it has a strong smokey flavor. Its 2g of carbs per tablespoon of sauce, which is fairly standard. In most instances, the carb content of these keto BBQ sauces comes from the crushed tomatoes, not any added sugars.
Recommended Reading: Hot Ones Pineapple Hot Sauce
What Do I Serve With Keto Barbecue Sauce
Oh my goodness! The options are endless. Let’s look at just a few keto diet ideas to use up gluten free bbq sauce:
- Barbecue Chicken Pizza – Make my coconut flour pizza crust and top it with sauce, shredded chicken, and red onions for a special treat. This is one of our favorite pizza combinations! I normally make this one with the ketchup-based red keto bbq sauce.
- Burgers – Good old-fashioned burgers are incredible with a little bit of barbecue sauce. Try it on my juicy keto turkey burgers.
- Chicken – Whether you are cooking chicken breasts, chicken tenders, or are grilling some keto barbecue chicken, adding this barbecue sauce is delicious. Make keto bbq chicken by brushing it on about through the cooking time.
- Salad – Try drizzling one of these sauces on a chopped salad with greens and vegetables.
- Veggies – Yep, even vegetables taste good with these keto sauces. Add it to some cooked cauliflower or even grilled Brussels sprouts.
- Seafood – Another delicious protein that goes well with sauce is seafood. Try it with salmon and shrimp!
- Meatloaf – This is one of our fave varieties of meatloaf! Try my popular BBQ Meatloaf Recipe to see why.
Don’t Miss: What Berries Can You Eat On Keto
Tessemaes Natural Mild Buffalo Bbq Sauce
Just like many of the other sauces on this list, it contains 2g of carbs per tablespoon. Its sweetened with sucralose.
It has a beautifully spicy flavor without being overpowering, and actually closely matches non-keto BBQ sauces really well.
The flavor is more like your typical vinegar-based BBQ sauce, so if you are looking for a keto vinegar bbq sauce this is it.
Whats more is that it comes with a range of flavors, from simple hot, to smokey garlic, as well as smokey bacon.
How To Make Keto Bbq Sauce

This recipe is beyond easy to make and just takes a few minutes. So anytime you feel like your meal is lacking something, you can whip up a little of this homemade bbq sauce in no time.
It seriously is a total meal saver and will become your new favorite condiment.
Now let’s make sugar free bbq sauce!
COOKING IT ALL IN ONE POT
First, take out a small pot, add all of your ingredients to it, and give them a little whisk to combine.
Then place your pot on the stove over medium heat and bring the ingredients to a boil. Once the ingredients are boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer.
Leave your BBQ sauce simmering until it thickens up. And if you prefer a thinner sauce, just add in ½ tablespoon of water at a time after it thickens until it reaches your ideal consistency.
To finish up, let your BBQ sauce cool completely, then serve and enjoy!
Also Check: Can You Drink Zero Sugar Soda On Keto
Traditional Bbq Sauce Recipes
Traditional barbecue sauce varies from region to region. Most recipes include tomato paste, vinegar, or mayonnaise. Some recipes include a combination of the three. In addition to a tomato paste, vinegar, or mayonnaise base, barbecue sauces rely on a blend of spices to flavor them.
Common spices found in BBQ sauce include garlic, onion powder, mustard, liquid smoke and black pepper. Theres also a lot of sugar. Youll find white or brown sugar, coconut sugar, honey, molasses, maple syrup, and jams in nearly every bbq sauce recipe. None of these ingredients are low carb or keto friendly.
This bold and tangy keto BBQ sauce is a cross between the tomato paste and vinegar barbecue sauces popular in western North Carolina and the bolder, thicker Kansas City style. Unlike either of these styles, my barbecue sauce recipe has no added sugar except whats naturally in the tomato, onion, and garlic.
Recipe Variations For Keto
This sauce is easily customizable to your preferences without increasing the carb content. Try the following variations to put your own spin on this recipe:
- Give it some heat: Like things spicy? Add a touch more hot sauce, cumin, and cayenne pepper.
- Make it tangy: Want your BBQ sauce a little more tangy? Add an extra dash of vinegar.
- Make it zero-sugar: To make a completely sugar-free BBQ sauce, eliminate the monk fruit sweetener. This will give your dipping sauce a distinct smokey flavor rather than the honey-sweet barbecue sauce you may be accustomed to.
You May Like: Is Lunch Meat Keto Friendly
Tips Tricks And Substitutions For Keto Bbq Sauce Recipes
Easy Homemade Keto Bbq Sauce Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links to products I use and highly recommend. You can read my full disclosure .
BBQ sauce relies on brown sugar, molasses, and other high carb sweeteners, making it a no-go for a sugar-free, keto, or low-carb way of eating. But, it only takes a few modifications and simple ingredients to have the flavor youre used to minus the carbs. This easy homemade keto bbq sauce takes 15 minutes to make and tastes great on my keto pulled pork, air fryer bbq wings, keto ribs, and bacon wrapped chicken kabobs.
You May Like: Keto Foods At Sam’s Club
Why Monk Fruit Is The Perfect Low
You probably noticed there is no sugar in this recipe. Thats because sugar even natural sugar like molasses, maple syrup, brown sugar, or honey raises the carb count considerably.
While keto-friendlysweeteners such as stevia, Swerve, erythritol, and Splenda work well for baking, some people complain of a distinct aftertaste, which wouldnt quite work in a BBQ sauce.
Monk fruit sweetener tastes, well, sweet. Monk fruit is 150200 times sweetener than regular sugar, which means you need just a small amount in various recipes. While a traditional BBQ sauce recipe calls for 12 cups of brown sugar, you will need just one tablespoon of monk fruit in the below recipe.
Browse our curated collection of fan-favorites and discover your new favorite snack or supplement.
Bbq Pulled Beef Sando
Love traditional pulled pork sandwiches? Then youll love this new spin on the classic recipe with pulled beef sammies. Place a chuck roast in the slow cooker for 1012 hours and youll have a delicious pulled beef sandwich. While this recipe calls for its own sauce, you can easily top it with your low-carb BBQ sauce.
You May Like: Does Keto Diet Really Work
Ingredients For Keto Low Carb Bbq Sauce
I must admit, this challenge was a bit daunting. Making homemade barbecue sauce can be a Big Deal. People have competitions for barbecue sauce recipes! And, different parts of the country all have different interpretations of what makes an excellent BBQ sauce.
As if that werent enough, this low carb blog is also all about recipes with ten ingredients or less. If youve ever looked at the ingredient list for a barbecue sauce, or tried to make your own using just about any recipe, you probably know this isnt the easiest promise to uphold. No matter how you like it, BBQ sauce has a ton of complex flavors!
It took a few experiments to get my low carb barbecue sauce recipe just right. Or at least good according to the family and friends I had as taste testers.
So whats in a keto BBQ sauce recipe? Not as much as youd think and thats the key.
There is no high fructose corn syrup, pointless chemicals, or crazy additives when you make this keto sauce at home. A healthy, low carb BBQ sauce can be made with only a dozen ingredients that you likely already have in your cabinets.
How cool is that?
This low carb barbecue sauce is made with the following ingredients:
As with any recipe, you can tweak it to your tastes. Want a low carb BBQ sauce with just a bit more heat? No problem! Increase the cayenne by a pinch.
Need it to be a bit sweeter to offset the other parts of the meal? Voila! Go ahead and a dash more sweetener.
The Best Keto Bbq Sauce

This keto barbecue sauce is going to be the hit at your next BBQ. Atleast it will be with anyone who’s watching their carb count.
Now, there’s no denying that some pretty tasty keto-friendly BBQ sauces exist out there – like this one by G Hughes, and this one by Sweet Baby Ray’s – but none of them are as low carb as this homemade sauce.
Also, for what it’s worth, none of them are as cheap ounce for ounce as this sauce is to make.
And what’s great about this sauce is that you can tailor it to your preferences, and make it taste how you want it.
So, if you want a keto bbq sauce that’s a bit more smoky and bold you can add a little liquid smoke. Or, if you want to make a spicier BBQ sauce all you have to do is add a bit more hot sauce.
The base recipe though literally has everything you could want in a BBQ sauce – it’s bold, sweet, smoky, tangy, and savory with a touch of heat that brings all the flavors together. So, you might want to just keep it as is, since it’s pretty darn good that way already!
Oh, and by the way this is about as quick and easy as a BBQ sauce recipe gets! The recipe literally takes minutes to make, and has just a few simple ingredients!
Recommended Reading: How To Figure Carbs On Keto
How To Use Keto Bbq Sauce
BBQ sauce is one of the most versatile condiments there is. Most of us think of barbecue sauce as an accompaniment to meat cooked over hot coals or on a grill, but there are so many delicious ways to enjoy this flavorful sugar free sauce too.
- Chicken thighs: My all time favorite wayto use Keto BBQ sauce is to make BBQ Chicken Thighs!
- On a burger: Make your own BBQ Bacon Cheeseburgers with a few beef patties, crispy oven baked bacon, Keto Hamburger Buns and this sauce recipe!
- As a dip: Serve the sauce with a plate of Grilled Chicken Tenders or roasted radishes for dipping.
- Pulled pork: Keto BBQ sauce is begging to be tossed with some slow-cooked shredded pork!