Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my healthy BBQ sauce, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
Tomato Paste – A.k.a. the base that gives my sugar free BBQ sauce a thick, rich texture, natural sweetness, and deep tomato flavor. If you don’t have any, you can use triple the amount of tomato sauce instead, but you’ll need to simmer for much longer to thicken. Apple Cider Vinegar – Adds tang. You can also use white vinegar or lemon juice. Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – I recommend only this sweetener, because it dissolves completely, unlike other sugar substitutes that can leave your keto BBQ sauce gritty or crystallize when you store it. (I use it to make sugar free ketchup, too!) I’ve got some alternatives in the tips below to change up the flavor of your sauce. If you still want to use something else, make sure it’s powdered and use my sweetener conversion chart to get the correct quantity. Worcestershire Sauce – Adds umami flavor. I like this one, which is gluten-free. Technically it contains a trivial amount of sugar, but each serving of my sauce has only 1/20 tablespoon of it (like a drop). You could omit it or use a dash of blackstrap molasses with a little water instead. Liquid Hickory Smoke – My secret ingredient for that smoky flavor! My local grocery store has it near other seasonings or condiments, but I prefer this clean-ingredient brand. Spices – Smoked paprika, sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper (more or less depending how spicy you like it), and chili powder.
How To Make Sugar Free BBQ Sauce
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
Storage Instructions
Store: Keep the sauce in a mason jar, airtight container, or condiment bottle in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Freeze: Stash in the freezer for up to 3-6 months. You can freeze the whole batch and thaw in the fridge overnight, but I like to portion this low carb BBQ sauce into a silicone ice cube tray. Then I can pop out individual portions and microwave to thaw. Canning: I haven’t done it, but don’t see any reason that you couldn’t can this sauce in a water bath. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
Ways To Use It
There are so many ways I use this sugar free BBQ sauce! Try these to add a kick of flavor to your dishes:
Chicken – You’ve got lots of options! Make my saucy BBQ chicken legs in the summer or Crock Pot chicken legs in the winter. Dunk keto chicken nuggets or keto chicken tenders. Brush it on grilled chicken or bacon wrapped chicken. Pizza – Try this keto BBQ sauce instead of marinara on keto pizza or cauliflower pizza. It works particularly well with chicken, red onions, cheddar cheese, and a drizzle of ranch as toppings, which is why I particularly love it on chicken crust pizza. Shredded Meats – Mix it into my shredded Instant Pot chicken, or use it for pulled pork sandwiches. Try them on my low carb hamburger buns. Ground Beef – This sugar free BBQ sauce is amazing on burgers! Just add cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and maybe even caramelized onions and bacon if you want to get fancy. Sometimes I also use it as a glaze for keto meatloaf, too. Salad – It’s my fave for making BBQ chicken salad.
More Sugar Free Sauce Recipes
If you like this sugar free barbecue sauce, you’ll love my other sweet sauces with no sugar added: Please enter your first name for your account. Your saved recipe will also be sent to your email. The entire recipe makes 2 1/2 cups. 📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Cheat Sheet System! My family often takes a trip over the holiday, with a mix of grilling and going out. This picture is my favorite memory from last year, blurry and all. We had dinner with our friends and their kids at this cute restaurant in Wisconsin Dells. The girls played in the sandbox right on the patio next to our table, and we watched the fireworks from there while happy music played in the background. It was magical compared to the usual crowded fireworks experience. What’s your favorite 4th of July memory?
