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Keto BBQ sauce gives you that sweet, smoky, tangy barbecue taste in an easy homemade sauce you can make in one pot. With just 8 ingredients and about 15 minutes, it cooks into a thick, glossy sauce that works well on wings, ribs, pork, and chicken.
I make this homemade keto BBQ sauce when I want a sauce that is easy, dependable, and simple to pull together. It comes together fast, thickens right on the stove, and gives you a sauce you can brush onto meat, spoon over pulled pork, or serve on the side for dipping. I use it with my BBQ Seasoning on meats I want to finish with sauce like Air Fryer BBQ Wings, Slow Cooker Ribs, and Bacon Wrapped Cola BBQ Chicken Kabobs.
Why This Keto BBQ Sauce Is Worth Making
- One pot: Everything goes straight into the saucepan, so there is no blender and almost no cleanup.
- Just 8 ingredients: This recipe keeps the ingredient list short without losing that classic barbecue sauce flavor.
- Quick to make: You can have it ready in about 15 minutes, which makes it easy to pull together while the rest of dinner cooks.
- Sweet, smoky, and balanced: This sauce has the kind of flavor that works across a lot of barbecue dinners, from ribs to wings to chicken tenders.
What This Sauce Tastes Like
This keto BBQ sauce is sweet, smoky, tangy, and a little spicy. It has a thick, sticky texture that works well brushed over meat, but it is also smooth enough to serve on the side as a dip.
Ingredients You Need
This recipe keeps things simple, but each ingredient helps build that classic barbecue sauce flavor.
- No sugar added ketchup: This gives the sauce its body and tomato base.
- Better Than Bouillon chicken base: This adds a deeper savory flavor and helps round out the sauce quickly.
- Liquid smoke: This gives the sauce that barbecue flavor without needing a smoker or grill. Hickory works well here, but mesquite works too.
- Keto brown sugar substitute: This adds the sweetness that makes the sauce taste like barbecue sauce instead of seasoned ketchup.
- Sriracha: This adds a little heat and helps balance the sweetness and tang.
- Garlic powder: This adds a savory background note without any extra prep.
How to Make Keto BBQ Sauce
This is one of the easiest homemade sauces to make, and the method is simple.
Add everything to the saucepan
Add all of the ingredients to a small saucepan before turning on the heat. Whisking while everything is still cool helps the sauce come together smoothly.
Simmer until thickened
Set the pan over medium-low heat and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, whisking now and then. The sauce should look smooth, glossy, and slightly thickened.
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Let it cool for a few minutes
The sauce thickens more as it cools, so do not worry if it looks a little loose right off the stove. Let it sit for a few minutes before serving.
Tips for the Best Keto BBQ Sauce
- Do not rush the simmer: A few minutes on the stove helps the flavors blend and gives the sauce a better texture.
- Use an unsweetened ketchup you enjoy: No sugar added ketchups can vary a bit in sweetness and tang, so that choice can slightly change the finished sauce.
- Go easy on liquid smoke: It is strong, so a little goes a long way.
- Adjust the heat to your taste: Add a little more sriracha, cayenne, or black pepper if you want more kick.
Easy Ways to Change It Up
- Make it spicier: Add more sriracha or a pinch of cayenne.
- Make it smokier: Use a little more liquid smoke or swap to mesquite.
- Swap the hot sauce: Another hot sauce works here too if you want a slightly different flavor.
- Use stevia flavor drops to change up the flavor: I especially love using the cola flavored drops to get the same taste as you would get if you were adding cola soda to your bbq.
The Best Way to Use This Keto BBQ Sauce
This sauce works especially well on meats that already have a good savory base. I often season the meat first with my BBQ Seasoning, then finish it with this sauce for that sticky barbecue finish. It is especially good on ribs, wings, drumsticks, thighs, chicken breasts, pork, and tenders. Once you make it, you will have an easy homemade sauce you can use across several barbecue-style dinners.
Recipes Using Keto BBQ Sauce
Here are some of my favorite ways to use it:
- Slow Cooker Ribs
- Fall Off the Bone Ribs
- Air Fryer Ribs
- Air Fryer BBQ Wings
- Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Breasts
- Crockpot BBQ Chicken Legs
- Crockpot BBQ Chicken Thighs
- Crockpot BBQ Chicken Wings
- Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
- Bacon Wrapped Cola BBQ Chicken Kabobs
How to Store Leftover BBQ Sauce
Store leftover keto BBQ sauce in a mason jar or another airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Stir it before using it again if it has thickened more in the fridge.
Keto BBQ Sauce FAQs
Traditional BBQ sauce usually gets its signature sweetness from ingredients like brown sugar, molasses, or honey. In a keto BBQ sauce recipe, that sweetness usually comes from a keto-friendly sweetener instead, along with no sugar added ketchup and the same smoky, tangy ingredients that give barbecue sauce its classic flavor.
This recipe is easy because everything goes into one pot and simmers until thickened. There is no blender and no extra prep.
Yes. Add more sriracha or stir in a little cayenne or black pepper.
Yes. It thickens on the stove and again as it cools, so let it sit for a few minutes before deciding if it needs more cook time.
Yes. It works well as a dip for Keto Chicken Tenders, wings, and other roasted or grilled meats.
Keto BBQ Sauce Recipe
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Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup No Sugar Added Ketchup
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1 tsp Chicken Better than Bouillon, I'm using the paste
- 1/3 cup Keto Brown Sugar Replacement
- 2 tbsp Sriracha Sauce, or Hot Sauce
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Liquid Smoke, I'm using Hickory
- 1/8 tsp Xanthan Gum, this is just a dash of to thicken the sauce
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients for the bbq sauce to a small sauce pan on medium heat
- Use a silicone bottom whisk to combine the ingredients
- Cook the sauce for 8-10 minutes – it should be slightly looser than bottled bbq sauce since it will continue to thicken as it cools. I stir it intermittently.
- Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool
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Recipe Notes
- Do not rush the simmer: A few minutes on the stove helps the flavors blend and gives the sauce a better texture.
- Use an unsweetened ketchup you enjoy: No sugar added ketchups can vary a bit in sweetness and tang, so that choice can slightly change the finished sauce.
- Go easy on liquid smoke: It is strong, so a little goes a long way.
- Adjust the heat to your taste: Add a little more sriracha, cayenne, or black pepper if you want more kick.
Nutrition Details
The nutrition facts come from entering the recipe ingredients into Spoonacular API, a database of food ingredients. They may vary for any recipe based on the exact product used.
